Focused Passage

Judges 21:5-7

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

5The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.

6And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.

7What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 5

Cross-references

Judges 5:23Classic cross-references Judges 20:1Classic cross-references Jeremiah 48:10Classic cross-references Judges 21:10Classic cross-references

Original words

The Israelitesבְּנֵ֣יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularaskedוַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙H559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralWhoמִ֠יH4310Interrogative-אֲשֶׁ֨רH834Pronoun - relativeamong allמִכָּל־H3605Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructthe tribesשִׁבְטֵ֥יH7626Noun - masculine plural constructof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singulardid notלֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlecomeעָלָ֧הH5927Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularto the assemblyבַקָּהָ֛לH6951Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularbeforeאֶל־H413Prepositionthe LORDיְהוָ֑הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularForכִּי֩H3588Conjunctionthey had takenהָיְתָ֗הH1961Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singulara solemnהַגְּדוֹלָ֜הH1419Article | Adjective - feminine singularoathהַשְּׁבוּעָ֨הH7621Article | Noun - feminine singularthat anyoneלַ֠אֲשֶׁרH834Preposition-l | Pronoun - relativewho failedלֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleto come upעָלָ֨הH5927Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularbeforeאֶל־H413Prepositionthe LORDיְהוָ֧הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularat Mizpahהַמִּצְפָּ֛הH4709Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular. . .לֵאמֹ֖רH559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructwould surely be put to deathמ֥וֹתH4191Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute. . .יוּמָֽת׃H4191Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular

Verse 6

Cross-references

Judges 21:15Classic cross-references

Original words

And the Israelitesבְּנֵ֣יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singulargrievedוַיִּנָּֽחֲמוּ֙H5162Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralforאֶל־H413Prepositiontheir brothersאָחִ֑יוH251Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularthe Benjamitesבִּנְיָמִ֖ןH1144Noun - proper - masculine singularand saidוַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralTodayהַיּ֛וֹםH3117Article | Noun - masculine singularaאֶחָ֖דH259Number - masculine singulartribeשֵׁ֥בֶטH7626Noun - masculine singularis cut offנִגְדַּ֥עH1438Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singularfrom Israelמִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃H3478Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 7

Cross-references

Judges 21:1Classic cross-references

Original words

Whatמַה־H4100Interrogativeshould we doנַּעֲשֶׂ֥הH6213Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural-לָהֶ֛םPreposition | third person masculine pluralabout wivesלְנָשִׁ֑יםH802Preposition-l | Noun - feminine pluralfor the survivorsלַנּוֹתָרִ֖יםH3498Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralsince weוַאֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙H587Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common pluralhave swornנִשְׁבַּ֣עְנוּH7650Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common pluralby the LORDבַֽיהוָ֔הH3068Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singularnotלְבִלְתִּ֛יH1115Preposition-lto giveתֵּת־H5414Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructthemלָהֶ֥םPreposition | third person masculine pluralour daughtersמִבְּנוֹתֵ֖ינוּH1323Preposition-m | Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common pluralin marriageלְנָשִֽׁים׃H802Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural

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