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Chapter 21

Ensuring a Future for Benjamin. [a]The men of Israel took an oath at Mizpah: “None of us will give his daughter in marriage to anyone from Benjamin.” So the people went to Bethel and remained there before God until evening, raising their voices in bitter weeping.(A) They said, “Lord, God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel that today one tribe of Israel should be lacking?”

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Footnotes

  1. 21:1–7 The victorious Israelites now become concerned about the survival of the tribe they have defeated. Despite the large number of Benjaminites killed in the final battle (20:46) and the general carnage that followed (20:48), there does not seem to be a shortage of men. The problem is rather a shortage of wives for the surviving men, the result of a previously unmentioned vow the Israelites took not to permit their daughters to marry Benjaminites.

Wives for the Benjamites

21 The men of Israel had taken an oath(A) at Mizpah:(B) “Not one of us will give(C) his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”

The people went to Bethel,[a] where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. Lord, God of Israel,” they cried, “why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing(D) from Israel today?”

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 21:2 Or to the house of God