Judges 21:1 BSB — MannaFest

Commentary

2 notes on this verse

A commentator

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Now 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.

This site's exposition

the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh

on Judges 21:1-3

The oath is reported here for the first time, though it was sworn back at the muster of 20:1 where all Israel gathered to the Lord in Mizpeh. Israel then asks God why one tribe is lacking, putting the loss as something that came to pass rather than as something the army did in chapter 20. The place they weep in is called the house of God, which is Bethel in the Hebrew, where 20:27 puts the ark and 20:28 puts Phinehas the son of Eleazar standing before it, and that priest's name sets these chapters near the beginning of the period rather than at its end.

The words behind it

12 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

Hebrew	Sound	Meaning	Word study	In the Bible
וְאִ֣ישׁ	veish	and [the] man of	H376 →	1663 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל	yisrael	Israel	H3478 →	2507 times
נִשְׁבַּ֥ע	nishba'	he had sworn	H7650 →	186 times
בַּמִּצְפָּ֖ה	bamitzpah	at <the> Mizpah	H4709 →	40 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר	lemor	<to> saying	H559 →	5305 times
אִ֣ישׁ	ʾish	anyone	H376 →	1663 times
מִמֶּ֔נּוּ	mimenu	of us	H4480 →	1188 times
לֹא־	lo'-	not	H3808 →	5168 times
יִתֵּ֥ן	yiten	he will give	H5414 →	2011 times
בִּתּ֛וֹ	bito	daughter his	H1323 →	588 times
לְבִנְיָמִ֖ן	levinyamin	to Benjamin	H1144 →	166 times
לְאִשָּֽׁה׃	leishah	to a wife	H802 →	781 times

וְאִ֣ישׁand [the] man of
veishH376 →1663 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
נִשְׁבַּ֥עhe had sworn
nishba'H7650 →186 times
בַּמִּצְפָּ֖הat <the> Mizpah
bamitzpahH4709 →40 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אִ֣ישׁanyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִמֶּ֔נּוּof us
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִתֵּ֥ןhe will give
yitenH5414 →2011 times
בִּתּ֛וֹdaughter his
bitoH1323 →588 times
לְבִנְיָמִ֖ןto Benjamin
levinyaminH1144 →166 times
לְאִשָּֽׁה׃to a wife
leishahH802 →781 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Judges 20:1Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.5 works Judges 21:18But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”5 works Acts 23:12When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.4 works Judges 21:7What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”4 works Judges 21:22When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’”4 works Ecclesiastes 5:2Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.3 works

The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾

Mark 6:23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!”3 works Judges 20:8Then all the people stood as one man and said, “Not one of us will return to his tent or to his house.3 works Jeremiah 40:6So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.3 works Jeremiah 4:2and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”2 works Judges 11:30–31Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,2 works 1 Samuel 14:28–29Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the troops with a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’ That is why the people are faint.”2 works Judges 21:5The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.2 works Judges 20:10We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.”2 works Romans 10:2For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.2 works 1 Samuel 14:24Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food.2 works Deuteronomy 7:2–3and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.2 works Matthew 14:9The king was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

Through
Ecclesiastes 5:2
Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your…
it leads to
- Matthew 6:7
  And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.
- Proverbs 10:19
  When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
- Isaiah 55:9
  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
- Matthew 6:9
  So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Through
Acts 23:12
When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
it leads to
- Acts 23:30
  When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.
- Isaiah 8:9–10
  Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
- Acts 23:21
  Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they…
- Acts 23:14
  They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

The Historical Books

About Judges

The Benjaminites Take the Virgins of Jabesh-gilead — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Judges: the study guide →Read Judges 21 →

This verse in Judges 21

01Commentary

02The words behind it

03Related verses

04The walk

05Where this verse is studied

06About Judges