Judges 21:15-25
“And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.” (Judges 21:15)
Israel had been outraged by what had happened in Gibeah, although they were not right with God themselves. In their outrage they took an oath that anyone who didn’t go with them to destroy the Gibeonites would be killed, expanding that to include the entire tribe of Benjamin when they refused to help. They also vowed that none of them would allow one of their daughters to marry a Benjamite because of what had happened. While it was definitely God’s will that the guilty be destroyed, and that those who tried to prevent their punishment should taste the same fate, Israel had gone beyond that, killing even those Benjamites who didn’t aid the men of Gibeah.
“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? And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel. Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.” (Judges 21:16-18)
Realizing they had gone too far, and that they were obligated to keep the oath they had made, they had destroyed Jabesh-Gilead and taken all the young women who were virgins as wives for the surviving Benjamites, but it wasn’t enough. How were they to meet the needs of the rest of the men so that the tribe would not be completely destroyed without bringing God’s curse on themselves for breaking their oath?
“Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.” (Judges 21:19-22)
Remembering that there was an annual celebration coming up at Shiloh. Part of the celebration was a dance by the unmarried women. They advised the rest of the Benjamites to go to the celebration and hide in the vineyards around where the dance was held waiting for the girls to start dancing. They were then to grab which ever girl they liked to be their wife. If the girls parents complained, which they undoubtedly would, the leaders would dissuade them from further action, convincing them that the parents would not accountable for breaking the oath because it was done without their permission, and that they should allow it. Notice the extremes their rage and unspiritual commitments had forced them to go to? Sometimes we cannot simply walk away from bad decisions. We may have to settle for something less than perfection as a result of sin.
“And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.” (Judges 21:23-24)
The Benjamites married the girls they captured and returned to their land, rebuilding the cities and starting over. They were now much the smallest of the tribes of Israel. Only when everything had been straightened out as far as they could were the rest of Israel free to go home and forget about it.
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Joshua 21:25)
Once again we are reminded that at that time every person took responsibility for himself before God.
“And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.” (Judges 21:15)
Israel had been outraged by what had happened in Gibeah, although they were not right with God themselves. In their outrage they took an oath that anyone who didn’t go with them to destroy the Gibeonites would be killed, expanding that to include the entire tribe of Benjamin when they refused to help. They also vowed that none of them would allow one of their daughters to marry a Benjamite because of what had happened. While it was definitely God’s will that the guilty be destroyed, and that those who tried to prevent their punishment should taste the same fate, Israel had gone beyond that, killing even those Benjamites who didn’t aid the men of Gibeah.
“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? And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel. Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.” (Judges 21:16-18)
Realizing they had gone too far, and that they were obligated to keep the oath they had made, they had destroyed Jabesh-Gilead and taken all the young women who were virgins as wives for the surviving Benjamites, but it wasn’t enough. How were they to meet the needs of the rest of the men so that the tribe would not be completely destroyed without bringing God’s curse on themselves for breaking their oath?
“Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.” (Judges 21:19-22)
Remembering that there was an annual celebration coming up at Shiloh. Part of the celebration was a dance by the unmarried women. They advised the rest of the Benjamites to go to the celebration and hide in the vineyards around where the dance was held waiting for the girls to start dancing. They were then to grab which ever girl they liked to be their wife. If the girls parents complained, which they undoubtedly would, the leaders would dissuade them from further action, convincing them that the parents would not accountable for breaking the oath because it was done without their permission, and that they should allow it. Notice the extremes their rage and unspiritual commitments had forced them to go to? Sometimes we cannot simply walk away from bad decisions. We may have to settle for something less than perfection as a result of sin.
“And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.” (Judges 21:23-24)
The Benjamites married the girls they captured and returned to their land, rebuilding the cities and starting over. They were now much the smallest of the tribes of Israel. Only when everything had been straightened out as far as they could were the rest of Israel free to go home and forget about it.
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Joshua 21:25)
Once again we are reminded that at that time every person took responsibility for himself before God.
Thanks again, Donald, for the clear and thorough exposition of Scripture. We are doomed to chaos and trouble if we do what is right in our own eyes instead of seeking His will and Word as our sole authority.
ReplyDeleteGod bless,
Laurie
Thanks, Laurie
DeleteA good end to Judges, and a thoughtful exposition on one of the more maligned books in Scripture. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteFor people who don't take the trouble to understand the whole story, it definitely seems a rather cruel and unjust book, because they don't stop to understand why things happened. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDelete