Judges 21:16

Judges 21:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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?
• New International Version (NIV)And the elders of the assembly said, “With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”

Context of Judges 21:16

14And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them. 15The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel. Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?” 17They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. 18But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”

Judges 21:16 word by word

וַיֹּֽאמְר֨וּ זִקְנֵ֣י הָעֵדָ֔ה מַה־נַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לַנּוֹתָרִ֖ים לְנָשִׁ֑ים כִּֽי־נִשְׁמְדָ֥ה מִבִּנְיָמִ֖ן אִשָּֽׁה׃Read the interlinear

• Then the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• of the congregationעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• should we doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• about wivesאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• for those who remainיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
• sinceכִּיkîy · forH3588
• the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• of Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144
• have been destroyedשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045

Commentaries on Judges 21:16

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-17The people grieved for Benjamin: Israel worried about the nation's division. The gap in Israel was God's doing, as the war against Benjamin was a response to God's covenant.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-2116. the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain--Though the young women of Jabesh-gilead had been carefully spared, the supply was found inadequate, and some other expedient must be resorted to.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 21:16

• Government
• Rashness

In the dictionaries

• Benjamin
• Benjamin, Benjaminite
• JabeshGilead
• Spring
• Wolf
• Israel, History of
• Jabesh-Gilead
• Judges, Book of
• Judges, Period of

Commentaries on Judges 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary