Focused Passage

Judges 21:19-22

Benjamin's Preservation and Israel's Final No-King Verdict

Judges 21 moves from grief over Benjamin's near extinction to morally compromised schemes for tribal preservation, ending with the book's final verdict that life without righteous covenant kingship produces self-justified violence, oath loopholes, and vulnerable people sacrificed to communal repair.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

19“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.”

20So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards

21and 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.

22When 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.’”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 19

Original words

But lookהִנֵּה֩H2009Interjectionthey saidוַיֹּאמְר֡וּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralthere is a yearlyמִיָּמִ֣ים׀H3117Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural. . .יָמִ֗ימָהH3117Noun - masculine plural | third person feminine singularfeastחַג־H2282Noun - masculine singular constructto the LORDיְהוָ֨הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularin Shilohבְּשִׁל֜וֹH7887Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singularwhich [is]אֲשֶׁ֞רH834Pronoun - relativenorthמִצְּפ֤וֹנָהH6828Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singularvvvלְבֵֽית־H1008Prepositionof Bethelאֵל֙H1008Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singularvvvמִזְרְחָ֣הH4217Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singulareastהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁH8121Article | Noun - common singularof the roadלִמְסִלָּ֔הH4546Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singularthat goes upהָעֹלָ֥הH5927Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singularfromמִבֵּֽית־H1008PrepositionBethelאֵ֖לH1008Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singularto Shechemשְׁכֶ֑מָהH7927Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singularand southוּמִנֶּ֖גֶבH5045Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singularof Lebonahלִלְבוֹנָֽה׃H3829Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 20

Original words

So they commandedוַיְצַוH6680Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe Benjamitesבְּנֵ֥יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .בִנְיָמִ֖ןH1144Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .לֵאמֹ֑רH559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructGoלְכ֖וּH1980Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralhideוַאֲרַבְתֶּ֥םH693Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralin the vineyardsבַּכְּרָמִֽים׃H3754Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 21

Original words

and watchוּרְאִיתֶ֗םH7200Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralWhenאִם־H518Conjunctionyou seeוְ֠הִנֵּהH2009Conjunctive waw | Interjectionthe daughtersבְנוֹת־H1323Noun - feminine plural constructof Shilohשִׁילוֹ֮H7887Noun - proper - feminine singularcome outיֵ֨צְא֥וּH3318Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralto performלָח֣וּלH2342Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructtheir dancesבַּמְּחֹלוֹת֒H4246Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine pluraleach of youאִ֥ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularis to come outוִֽיצָאתֶם֙H3318Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralof the vineyardsהַכְּרָמִ֔יםH3754Article | Noun - masculine pluralcatchוַחֲטַפְתֶּ֥םH2414Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralfor himselfלָכֶ֛םPreposition | second person masculine plurala wifeאִשְׁתּ֖וֹH802Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularfromמִן־H4480Prepositionthe daughtersמִבְּנ֣וֹתH1323Preposition-m | Noun - feminine plural constructof Shilohשִׁיל֑וֹH7887Noun - proper - feminine singularand goוַהֲלַכְתֶּ֖םH1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralto the landאֶ֥רֶץH776Noun - feminine singular constructof Benjaminבִּנְיָמִֽן׃H1144Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 22

Original words

-וְהָיָ֡הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularWhenכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctiontheir fathersאֲבוֹתָם֩H1Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralorא֨וֹH176Conjunctionbrothersאֲחֵיהֶ֜םH251Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralcomeיָבֹ֣אוּH935Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralto usאֵלֵ֗ינוּH413Preposition | first person common pluralto complainלָרוֹבH7378Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructwe will tell themוְאָמַ֤רְנוּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural. . .אֲלֵיהֶם֙H413Preposition | third person masculine pluralDo us a favorחָנּ֣וּנוּH2603Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | first person common pluralby [helping] themאוֹתָ֔םH853Direct object marker | third person masculine pluralsinceכִּ֣יH3588Conjunctionwe did notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particlegetלָקַ֛חְנוּH3947Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralwivesאִשְׁתּ֖וֹH802Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularfor each of themאִ֥ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularin the warבַּמִּלְחָמָ֑הH4421Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singularSinceכִּ֣יH3588Conjunctionyouאַתֶּ֛םH859Pronoun - second person masculine pluraldid notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particleactuallyכָּעֵ֥תH6256Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singulargive themנְתַתֶּ֥םH5414Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural[your daughters]לָהֶ֖םPreposition | third person masculine pluralyou have no guiltתֶּאְשָֽׁמוּ׃סH816Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.