Wives for the Benjamites
Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.” Jdg 20:1Act 23:12Ecc 5:2Jdg 20:8Jdg 21:18Mrk 6:231Sa 14:241Sa 14:28-29
So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly. Jdg 20:261Sa 30:4Jdg 20:18Gen 27:38Jdg 2:4Jdg 20:23Jdg 21:12Jos 18:1 “Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!” Jer 12:1Psa 80:12Deu 29:24Isa 63:17Jos 7:7-9Pro 19:3Psa 74:1
The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings. 2Sa 24:251Ki 8:642Sa 24:18Exo 20:24-25Heb 13:10Hos 5:15Jdg 6:26Psa 78:34-35 The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death. Jdg 5:23Jer 48:101Sa 11:7Jdg 21:1Jdg 21:18Lev 27:28-29
And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel. Jdg 21:152Sa 2:26Hos 11:8Jdg 11:35Jdg 20:23Luk 19:41-42 What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?” Jdg 21:11Sa 14:28-291Sa 14:45Jdg 21:18
So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. 1Sa 31:11-131Sa 11:1-32Sa 2:5-6 For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.
So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children. 1Sa 11:7Jdg 21:5Jdg 5:231Sa 15:3Deu 13:15Jos 7:24 This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction 1every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.” Num 31:17-18Deu 2:34
So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. Jos 18:1Psa 78:60Jdg 20:18Jdg 20:23Jer 7:12
Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon. Deu 20:10Jdg 20:47Eph 2:17Isa 57:19Jos 15:32Luk 10:5 And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them. 1Co 7:2Jdg 20:47Jdg 21:12
The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel. Jdg 21:61Ch 15:131Ch 13:11Isa 30:13Isa 58:12Jdg 21:17
Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?” They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. Num 26:55Num 36:7 But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” Jdg 21:1Jdg 11:35
For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”
“But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” Exo 23:14-16Psa 81:31Sa 1:3Deu 16:1Deu 16:10Deu 16:13Jdg 18:31Jhn 5:1
So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. Exo 15:20Jdg 11:34Jer 31:132Sa 6:21Luk 17:25Psa 149:3Psa 150:41Sa 18:6 When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’” Jdg 21:1Jdg 21:18Mrk 10:6-81Co 7:2Gen 1:27Gen 7:13Jdg 21:14Jdg 21:7
The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them. Jdg 20:48 And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance.
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Deu 12:8Jdg 17:6Pro 3:5Ecc 11:9Pro 14:12Jdg 19:1Jdg 18:1Mic 2:1-2