New English Translation
Judges 21:2
2So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably.
Judges 21:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
- New International Version (NIV)The people went to Bethel, where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the people came to the house of God, and remained there before God till evening. They lifted up their voices and wept bitterly,
Context of Judges 21:2
1The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.” So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably. 3They said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?” An entire tribe has disappeared from Israel today!” 4The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and token of peace.
Read all of Judges 21Judges 21:2 word by word
וַיָּבֹ֤א הָעָם֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל וַיֵּ֤שְׁבוּ שָׁם֙ עַד־הָעֶ֔רֶב לִפְנֵ֖י הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ קוֹלָ֔ם וַיִּבְכּ֖וּ בְּכִ֥י גָדֽוֹל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to the houseבֵּיתbayith · betweenH1004
- of Godבֵּֽיתְ־אֵלbêyth-'êl · BethelH1008
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- and abodeיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- there till evenעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- and lifted upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: loudH5375
- their voicesקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- and weptבְּכִיbekîy · weepingH1065
- and weptבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
- soreגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
Cross-references for Judges 21:2
- Judges 21:12They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young girls who were virgins – they had never had sexual relations with a male. They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
- Judges 20:18The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God, “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” The Lord said, “Judah should lead.”
- Joshua 18:1The entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh and there they set up the tent of meeting. Though they had subdued the land,
- Judges 2:4When the Lord’s messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.
- Genesis 27:38Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” Then Esau wept loudly.
- 1 Samuel 30:4Then David and the men who were with him wept loudly until they could weep no more.
Commentaries on Judges 21:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The people came to the house of God - Literally, the people came בית־אל to Bethel; this is considered as the name of a place by the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Septuagint. And wept sore - Their revenge was satisfied, and now reflection brings them to contrition for what they had done.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2To the house of God - It should be, “to Bethel.” See Judges 20:18.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. 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 21:2
In the dictionaries
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
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