Judges 21:18

Judges 21:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.
• New International Version (NIV)We can’t give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath: ‘Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)Yet we cannot give them wives from our daughters." For the people of Israel had sworn, "Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin."
• New King James Version (NKJV)However, we cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives a wife to Benjamin.’ ”

Context of Judges 21:18

16Then 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. But 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!” 19So they said, “Behold, there is a feast of the Lord from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Lebonah.” 20And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

Judges 21:18 word by word

וַאֲנַ֗חְנוּ לֹ֥א נוּכַ֛ל לָתֵת־לָהֶ֥ם נָשִׁ֖ים מִבְּנוֹתֵ֑ינוּ כִּֽי־נִשְׁבְּע֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אָר֕וּר נֹתֵ֥ן אִשָּׁ֖ה לְבִנְיָמִֽן׃ סRead the interlinear

• But we cannotיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• But we cannotלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: give(marriage)H5414
• them wivesאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• from our daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• For the sonsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• had swornשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Cursedאָרַר'ârar · to curseH779
• to Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144

Cross-references for Judges 21:18

• Judges 21:1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.”
• Judges 11:35So when he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Oh, my daughter! You have brought me disaster, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.”

Commentaries on Judges 21:18

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18For the children of Israel have sworn - See Judges 21:1. Compare Saul‘s rash oath 1 Samuel 14:24, and his breach of the oath made to the Gideonites 2 Samuel 21:2. For the guilt of a broken oath, see Ezekiel 17:15-20; Exodus 20:7.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-25These two epilogues (Judges 17–18 and 19–21) show that inspired but unstructured leadership cannot last. As society moved toward chaos and civil war, the phrase, In those days there was no king in Israel appears four times. The phrase, everyone did what was right in his own eyes is added twice (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The era of inspired leadership declined and ended in disorder. Something important was missing.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 21:18

• Government
• Rashness

In the dictionaries

• Benjamin
• Israel
• Benjamin, Benjaminite
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• JabeshGilead
• 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