Juízes 21
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Juízes 21
NJB (MT versing) Mourning Lost Tribe Wives Provided for the Benjamites The Failure of the Israelite Tribes (17:1-21:25) Wives for the Tribe of Benjamin Remorse of the Israelites Repopulating Benjamin 21:1-4 21:1-7 21:1-7 21:1-3 21:1-5 21:4-7 21:5-7 21:6-7 Provision for Their Survival The Girls of Jabesh Given to the Benjamites 21:8-12 21:8-12 21:8-12 21:8-12 21:8-12 21:13-18 21:13-15 21:13-14 21:13-14 21:13-14 The Rape of the Daughters of Shiloh 21:15-24 21:15-18 21:15-18 21:16-22 21:19-24 21:19-22 21:19-22 21:23-24 21:23-24 21:23 21:24 21:25 21:25 21:25 21:25 21:25 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS The Israeli tribes were justified in their horror over the actions at Gibeah and the refusal of Benjamin to take responsibility. However, the immorality of the day is clearly documented in their actions. slaughter of the tribe of Benjamin as if they were Canaanites the slaughter of Jabesh-gilead (i.e., the tribal allocation of east Manasseh) the forced marriage of the remaining 400 virgins (Jdgs. 21:12) the kidnaping and forced marriage of Israelite virgins from Shiloh (Jdgs. 21:19-23) cavalier dismissal of the families' concern about their daughters (Jdgs. 21:22) The chapter could be read in two ways. their actions were YHWH's will (cf. Jdgs. 20:18, 23, 28) about the other actions YHWH did not answer them (Jdgs. 21:2-4) they came up with the plan themselves, referring to B. #2, 3, 4 What a moral mess this book reveals. Israel, with such hope (cf. Rom. 9:4-5), had violated YHWH's covenant (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). There were consequences!
Juízes 21:1-4
21:1 "the men of Israel had sworn" The VERB (BDB 989, KB 1396, Niphal PERFECT) reflects an oath, taken in YHWH's name, that cannot be broken (cf. Jdgs. 21:7, 18; 11:30-31; Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21-23). The content of their sacred oath is "None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage." ▣ "in Mizpah" This is where the combined Israeli fighters from all the tribes assembled against Benjamin (cf. Jdgs. 20:1, 3). See full note at Jdgs. 20:1. 21:2 The good news is that the men of Israel came to YHWH! Their "sitting," "praying," and "weeping" show the intensity of their desire to know YHWH's will in this matter. He is the one who sent them into battle against Benjamin (cf. Jdgs. 20:18, 23, 28). SPECIAL TOPIC: GRIEVING RITES ▣ "Bethel" See note at Jdgs. 20:26. ▣ "wept bitterly" This VERB (BDB 113, KB 129, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) and NOUN (BDB 113) have similar roots and meaning. weep ‒ הכב weep ‒ יכב (plus ADJECTIVE, "great," BDB 152) 21:3 "O Lord, God of Israel" This combines the two major names of Israel's Deity. Lord is literally YHWH God is literally Eloah (the PLURAL form is Elohim) For their connotations see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C. and D. ▣ The NASB has the VERB "missing" in italics but the VERB (BDB 823, KB 955, Niphal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) is present in the MT. BDB says "missed" or "lacking" is one of the uses of the Niphal stem (i.e., #1 option). 21:4 Jacob had earlier built a worship site (i.e., raised pillar/stone, cf. Gen. 28:10-22). It was a special place where YHWH had chosen to reveal Himself to Jacob, later renamed Israel.
Juízes 21:5-7
21:5 "a great oath" This may refer to the united tribes' attack on Benjamin recorded in Judges 20; it referred to putting someone or something under the herem (ban) the oath not to give their daughters to Benjamin ▣ "He shall surely be put to death" This is an intensified grammatical form (i.e., an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an ACTIVE PARTICIPLE of the same root, BDB 619, KB 669). This is "holy war" terminology. The citizens of Jabesh-gilead, who were probably a mixture of Canaanite and Israeli backgrounds, will all be killed, except the virgin young women (cf. Jdgs. 21:10-11).
Juízes 21:8-12
21:8 "Jebesh-gilead" This was a major city on the eastern Jordan who did not respond to the central muster. This was a repudiation of YHWH and the tribal confederacy! In 1 Sam. 11:1-11, King Saul saved this same city, even later, men of this city buried Saul (1 Sam. 31:11-13). The Benjamites and Jabesh-gilead were related by these 400 women who became the mothers of the tribe of Benjamin. 21:10 "valiant warriors" This title (BDB 298) can have two connotations. brave fighting men an upper level of society It occurs often in Judges (cf. Jdgs. 3:29; 6:12; 11:1; 18:2; 20:44, 46; also note Jos. 1:14; 6:2; 8:3; 10:7). 21:11 "utterly destroy" This is the Hebrew VERB herem (BDB 355 I, KB 353, Hiphil IMPERFECT), which denotes that which has been dedicated to God and has become holy, therefore, it cannot be used by humans (i.e., "under the ban," Joshua 6). There is an exception to this total slaughter of "holy war" in Num. 31:17-18, where the virgins are also spared. SPECIAL TOPIC: CURSE (anathema)
Juízes 21:13-18
21:14 "they gave them the women" This is shocking to moderns! This was a different time and culture. Jesus gave dignity and worth to both women and children. SPECIAL TOPIC: WOMEN IN THE BIBLE ▣ "yet there were not enough for them" There were 400 virgins from Jabesh-gilead who were spared but there were 600 Benjamite warriors at the rock of Rimmon (cf. Jdgs. 20:47). 21:15 Notice YHWH is the one who allowed/directed the attack on Benjamin (cf. Jdgs. 20:18, 23, 28). 21:16 "elders" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ELDER. ▣ "since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin" YHWH visited "holy war" (i.e., herem) on Benjamin, as He did on Jericho (cf. Jdgs. 20:37, 48). All that breathed was killed. 21:17 Notice all the italicized words at the beginning of the verse. The MT has somehow lost the first of the sentence but it is available from the LXX.
Juízes 21:19-24
21:19 "a feast of the Lord from year to year" There has been much speculation about this unnamed agricultural feast (cf. Jdgs. 21:20). Here are some suggestions. Feast of Booths (mention of vineyards) Passover (mention of dancing, cf. Exod. 15:20-21) The Day of Atonement based on Taanith IV, 8 (the Mishnah) a local harvest festival The question remains, if it is #4, was the festival "Canaanite" or "Israelite"? I think the context, the use of YHWH's name, and the sensitivity of the assembled tribes to the covenant, strongly suggest it was #1, 2 or 3, cf. Ps. 68:26), not a Canaanite fertility festival. ▣ "in Shiloh" It is surprising that such a lengthy description of its location is given to Israelite readers. This implies it was long in ruins (possibly connected to but not mentioned in 1 Samuel 4) by the time Judges was compiled. 21:18 See note at Jdgs. 21:1. 21:22 The capture of the virgins of Shiloh was a scheme of the tribes to get around their oath to YHWH (see Josephus, Antiq. 5.2.12). The fathers and brothers were grieving over the loss of a dowery, not their daughters.
Juízes 21:25
21:25 This is the purpose of the book of Judges—the need for a righteous king. The terrible immorality is characterized by "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (cf. Jdgs. 17:6; 18:1; 19:1). This is always a characteristic of fallen mankind—self!