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 the tribe of Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had allowed to live from the women of Jabesh-gilead; but they were not enough for them. 15And the people were sorry for Benjamin, because the Lord had created a gap in the tribes of Israel. Then the elders of the congregation said, “What are we to do for wives for those who are left, since the women have been eliminated from Benjamin?” 17And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be wiped out from Israel. 18But we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” For the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin!”

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
• Whatמִיmîy · who?H4310
• are we to doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• for wivesאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• for those who are leftיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
• sinceכִּיkîy · forH3588
• the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• have been eliminatedשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
• from Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144

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