Judges 21
Overview
21:1 The people bewail the desolation of Benjamin;
21:8 By the destruction of Jabesh-gilead they provide them four hundred wives;
21:16 They advise the remainder to surprise the virgins that danced at Shiloh. Verse 1 had sworn Judges 20:1, 20:8, 20:10; Jeremiah 4:2 There Judges 21:5, 11:30, 11:31; 1 Samuel 14:24, 14:28, 14:29; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Mark 6:23; Acts 23:12; Romans 10:2 his daughter Exodus 34:12-16; Deuteronomy 7:2, 7:3 Reciprocal Judges 11:35 - I cannot; 21:7 - sworn; 21:18 - sworn; 21:22 - give unto; Jeremiah 40:6 - Mizpah; Matthew 14:9 - the oath's Verse 2 the house Judges 21:12, 20:18, 20:23, 20:26; Joshua 18:1 lifted Judges 2:4; Genesis 27:38; 1 Samuel 30:4 Reciprocal Numbers 11:18 - ye have wept; Joshua 7:6 - until the eventide; 1 Samuel 1:10 - wept sore; 11:4 - lifted up Verse 3 why is Deuteronomy 29:24; Joshua 7:7-9; Psalm 74:1, 80:12; Proverbs 19:3; Isaiah 63:17; Jeremiah 12:1 Reciprocal Judges 17:6 - no king Verse 4 rose early Psalm 78:34, 78:35; Hosea 5:15 built there Judges 6:26; Exodus 20:24, 20:25; 2 Samuel 24:18, 24:25; 1 Kings 8:64; Habakkuk 3:1 Reciprocal Leviticus 3:1 - a sacrifice; Judges 6:24 - built; 1 Samuel 6:14 - offered; 14:35 - built; 1 Kings 18:32 - And with Verse 5 a great oath Judges 21:1, 21:18, 5:23; Leviticus 27:28, 27:29; 1 Samuel 11:7; Jeremiah 48:10 Reciprocal Joshua 11:3 - land; 15:38 - Mizpeh; Judges 20:1 - Then all; 20:8 - We will not; 21:10 - Go and smite; 1 Samuel 7:17 - he built; Ezra 10:8 - And that whosoever Verse 6 repented them Judges 21:15, 11:35, 20:23; 2 Samuel 2:26; Hosea 11:8; Luke 19:41, 19:42 Reciprocal Psalm 68:27 - little Verse 7 sworn Judges 21:1, 21:18; 1 Samuel 14:28, 14:29, 14:45 Reciprocal Leviticus 5:4 - to do evil; Judges 21:22 - give unto; Matthew 14:9 - the oath's Verse 8 JabeshgileadThis place, as its name imports, was situated in Gilead, east of Jordan. Eusebius and Jerome say it was a great town in their time, standing upon a hill, six miles south from Pella, in the way to Geresa, now Djerash. The Wady Yabes, mentioned by Burckhardt, which empties itself into the Jordan, in the neighbourhood of Bisan or Beth-shan - see note on 1 Samuel 31:11
and upon which Pella was situated - celebrated by Pliny, 1. v. c. 18, for its fine waters
seems to have taken its name from Jabesh. Near this spot, we must therefore look for its site; and the place called Kalaat Rabbad seems to correspond, very nearly, to the spot; though it probably still retains among the Arabs its ancient name. 11:1-3, 31:11-13; 2 Samuel 2:5, 2:6 Reciprocal Numbers 21:24 - Israel; Joshua 11:3 - land Verse 9 Reciprocal Judges 5:23 - they came Verse 10 Go and smiteAs they had sworn to destroy those who would not assist in the war - Judges 21:5
they determined to destroy the men of Jabesh, and to leave none except the virgins; and to give these to the 600; Benjamites who had escaped to the rock of Rimmon. The whole account is dreadful. The crime of the men of Gibeah was of the deepest dye; the punishment involving both the guilty and innocent, was extended to the most criminal excess, and their mode of remedying the evil they had occasioned was equally abominable. 21:5, 5:23; Deuteronomy 13:15; Joshua 7:24; 1 Samuel 11:7, 15:3
Verse 11 every male Numbers 31:17, 31:18; Deuteronomy 2:34 hath lain by manHeb. knoweth the lying with manReciprocal Leviticus 27:28 - no devoted; Numbers 31:7 - all; Jeremiah 44:7 - to cut Verse 12 virginsHeb. womenvirginsShiloh, Judges 20:18, 20:23; Joshua 18:1; Psalm 78:60; Jeremiah 7:12 Reciprocal Numbers 31:17 - kill every male; Judges 21:2 - the house; 21:14 - sufficed them not; Jeremiah 7:5 - if ye thoroughly Verse 13 to speakHeb. and spake and calledthe rock Rimmon Judges 20:47; Joshua 15:32 call peaceablyor, proclaim peace, Deuteronomy 20:10; Isaiah 57:19; Luke 10:5; Ephesians 2:17 Reciprocal Zechariah 14:10 - Rimmon Verse 14 sufficed them not Judges 21:12, 20:47; 1 Corinthians 7:2 Reciprocal Judges 21:22 - each man Verse 15 repented Judges 21:6, 21:17 a breach 1 Chronicles 13:11, 15:13; Isaiah 30:13, 58:12
Verse 17 an inheritance Numbers 26:55, 36:7 Reciprocal Judges 21:15 - repented Verse 18 sworn Judges 21:1, 11:35 Reciprocal Leviticus 5:4 - to do evil; 27:28 - no devoted; Judges 21:5 - a great oath; 21:7 - sworn; 21:22 - give unto; Matthew 26:74 - began Verse 19 a feast Exodus 23:14-16; Leviticus 23:2, 23:4, 23:6, 23:10, 23:34; Numbers 10:10, 28:16, 28:26, 29:12; Deuteronomy 16:1, 16:10, 16:13; Psalm 81:3; John 5:1, 7:2 yearlyHeb. from year to yearon the east sideor, toward the sun risingof the highwayor, onLebonahMaundrell supposes, that either Khan Leban, which is situated on the eastern side of a "delicious vale," four leagues south from Shechem, and two leagues north from Bethel, or the village of Leban, which is on the opposite side, occupies the site of the ancient Lebonah. It is eight hours, or about 24 miles, from Jerusalem, according to Dr. Richardson.Reciprocal Joshua 18:1 - Shiloh; 19:51 - in Shiloh; 2 Samuel 20:13 - the highway Verse 21 dance Judges 11:34; Exodus 15:20; 1 Samuel 18:6; 2 Samuel 6:14, 6:21; Psalm 149:3, 150:4; Ecclesiastes 3:4; Jeremiah 31:13; Matthew 10:17; Luke 17:25 Reciprocal Joshua 19:51 - in Shiloh; Judges 18:31 - all the time Verse 22 Be favourable unto themor, Gratify us in them, Philemon 1:9-12 each man Judges 21:14; Genesis 1:27, 7:13; Mark 10:6-8; 1 Corinthians 7:2 give unto Judges 21:1, 21:7, 21:18; Proverbs 20:25
Verse 23 and they wentIt appears that the Benjamites acted in the most honourable way to the women they had thus violently carried off, and we may rest assured, that they took them to an inheritance more than equal to their own. But this transaction, as well as the indiscriminate massacre of the people of Jabesh-gilead, as Dr. Gray observes, was certainly stamped with injustice and cruelty; and must be condemned on those principles which the Scriptures elsewhere furnish.repaired Judges 20:48
Verse 24 Reciprocal 1 Kings 22:36 - Every man Verse 25 no Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1 right 18:7; Deuteronomy 12:8; Psalm 12:4; Proverbs 3:5, 14:12; Ecclesiastes 11:9; Micah 2:1, 2:2 Reciprocal Hosea 9:9 - Gibeah