Judges 21:16 - Forerunner Commentary

Judges 21:16

14 So Benjamin came back at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead; and yet they had not found enough for them.

15 And the people ^agrieved for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a void in the tribes of Israel.

16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”

17 And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe may not be destroyed from Israel.

18 However, we cannot give them wives from our daughters, ^afor the children of Israel have sworn an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives a wife to Benjamin.’ ”

19 Then they said, “In fact, there is a yearly ^afeast of the Lord in ^bShiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east side of the ^chighway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

20 Therefore they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go, lie in wait in the vineyards,

21 and watch; and just when the daughters of Shiloh come out ^ato perform their dances, then come out from the vineyards, and every man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh; then go to the land of Benjamin.

22 Then it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we will say to them, ‘Be kind to them for our sakes, because we did not take a wife for any of them in the war; for it is not as though you have given the women to them at this time, making yourselves guilty of your oath.’ ”

23 And the children of Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they ^arebuilt the cities and dwelt in them.

24 So the children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family; they went out from there, every man to his inheritance.

25 ^aIn those days there was no king in Israel; ^beveryone did what was right in his own eyes.

Verse Comparison: Judges 21:16

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Judges 21:17 >>

American Standard Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

Amplified® Bible
Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin are destroyed?

Contemporary English Version
Then their national leaders said: All the women of the Benjamin tribe were killed. How can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are left?

Darby English Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"

Good News Bible
So the leaders of the gathering said, "There are no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left?

King James Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

New American Standard Bible
Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"

New International Version
And the elders of the assembly said, "With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left?

New King James Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women suffered destruction out of Benjamin?"

Revised Standard Version
Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"

Young's Literal Translation
And the elders of the company say, `What do we do to the remnant for wives -- for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?'

New English Translation
The leaders¹ of the assembly said, “How can we find wives for those who are left?² After all, the Benjaminite women have been wiped out.

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