Judges 21:1

Judges 21:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
• New International Version (NIV)The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, “We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin.”

Context of Judges 21:1

Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, "No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin." 2And the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. 3And they said, "O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?"

Judges 21:1 word by word

וְאִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נִשְׁבַּ֥ע בַּמִּצְפָּ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֣ישׁ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ לֹא־יִתֵּ֥ן בִּתּ֛וֹ לְבִנְיָמִ֖ן לְאִשָּֽׁה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• had swornשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• in Mizpehמִצְפָּהmitspâh · MizpahH4709
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• There shall not anyאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• of us giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: give(marriage)H5414
• his daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• unto Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144
• to wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802

Cross-references for Judges 21:1

• Judges 20:1Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah.
• Jeremiah 4:2and if you swear, 'As the Lord lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory."
• Judges 21:5And the people of Israel said, "Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord?" For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, "He shall surely be put to death."
• Judges 11:30And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, "If you will give the Ammonites into my hand,
• 1 Samuel 14:24And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies." So none of the people had tasted food.
• Ecclesiastes 5:2Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
• Mark 6:23And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."
• Acts 23:12When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
• Romans 10:2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
• Exodus 34:12Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst.
• Deuteronomy 7:2and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them.

Commentaries on Judges 21:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Now the men of Israel had sworn - Of this oath we had not heard before; but it appears they had commenced this war with a determination to destroy the Benjamites utterly, and that if any of them escaped the sword no man should be permitted to give him his daughter to wife. By these means the remnant of the tribe must soon have been annihilated.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The Israelites lament for the Benjamites. --Israel lamented for the Benjamites, and were perplexed by the oath they had taken, not to give their daughters to them in marriage. Men are more zealous to support their own authority than that of God. They would have acted better if they had repented of their rash oaths, brought sin-offerings, and sought forgiveness in the appointed way, rather than attempt to avoid the guilt of perjury by actions quite as…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1In Judges, for the second time, a foolish vow caused problems for those who made it (see study note on Judges 11:31).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-152-5. the people came to the house of God, ... and lifted up their voices, and wept sore--The characteristic fickleness of the Israelites was not long in being displayed; for scarcely had they cooled from the fierceness of their sanguinary vengeance, than they began to relent and rushed to the opposite extreme of self-accusation and grief at the desolation which their impetuous zeal had produced. Their victory saddened and humbled them. Their feelings on…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 21:1

• Rashness

In the dictionaries

• Benjamin
• Israel
• Benjamin, Benjaminite
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• JabeshGilead
• Mizpah
• Spring
• Wolf
• Israel, History 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