Focused Passage

Judges 21:23-24

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

23The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them.

24And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 23

Cross-references

Judges 20:48Classic cross-references

Original words

The Benjamitesבְּנֵ֣יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .בִנְיָמִ֔ןH1144Noun - proper - masculine singulardidוַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־H6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural[as instructed]כֵן֙H3651Adverband carried awayוַיִּשְׂא֤וּH5375Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralthe numberלְמִסְפָּרָ֔םH4557Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluralof womenנָשִׁים֙H802Noun - feminine pluralthey needed fromמִן־H4480Prepositionthe dancersהַמְּחֹלְל֖וֹתH2342Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural-אֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativethey caughtגָּזָ֑לוּH1497Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralThey wentוַיֵּלְכ֗וּH1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralbackוַיָּשׁ֙וּבוּ֙H7725Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraltoאֶל־H413Prepositiontheir own inheritanceנַ֣חֲלָתָ֔םH5159Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine pluralrebuiltוַיִּבְנוּ֙H1129Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markertheir citiesהֶ֣עָרִ֔יםH5892Article | Noun - feminine pluraland settledוַיֵּשְׁב֖וּH3427Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralin themבָּהֶֽם׃Preposition | third person masculine plural

Verse 24

Original words

And at thatהַהִ֔יאH1931Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singulartimeבָּעֵ֣תH6256Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singulareachאִ֥ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularvvvבְּנֵֽי־H1121Noun - masculine plural constructof the Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵל֙H3478Noun - proper - masculine singularreturnedוַיִּתְהַלְּכ֨וּH1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralfrom thereמִשָּׁ֤םH8033Preposition-m | Adverbto his own tribeלְשִׁבְט֖וֹH7626Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularand clanוּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתּ֑וֹH4940Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular. . .וַיֵּצְא֣וּH3318Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraleachאִ֖ישׁH376Noun - masculine singular-מִשָּׁ֔םH8033Preposition-m | Adverbto his own inheritanceלְנַחֲלָתֽוֹ׃H5159Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular

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