Judges 21:10
in Judges 21So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.
KJV
And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh–gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.
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This verse in Judges 21
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAnd the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest,.... That were in their army; in the Vulgate Latin version it is only 10,000; but the Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, and Josephus (c), agree with the Hebrew text.
This site's exposition
the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men
on Judges 21:10-12
The order to “put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead” carries the wording of Deuteronomy 13:15, the law for an Israelite city gone after other gods, though here the offence is absence from Mizpah. Sparing the unmarried women follows the Midian rule of Numbers 31:17 and 18, applied to a town of Israel. Verse 12 brings them to Shiloh “in the land of Canaan”, as Joshua 22:9 phrases it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They did not repent of their zeal against the sin; there is a holy indignation against sin, the fruit of godly sorrow, which is to salvation, not to be repented of, 2 Cor. vii. But they repented of the sad consequences of what they had done, that they had carried the matter further than was either just or necessary.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And the congregation sent 12,000 men - A thousand from each tribe; they followed the precedent of Num 31:4.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ־ | vaiyishlechu- | and they sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| שָׁ֣ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| הָעֵדָ֗ה | haedah | the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
| שְׁנֵים־ | sheneim- | two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עָשָׂ֥ר | ʾasar | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| אֶ֛לֶף | ʾelef | thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| אִ֖ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִבְּנֵ֣י | mibenei | from [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הֶחָ֑יִל | hechayil | <the> strength | H2428 → | 246 times |
| וַיְצַוּ֨וּ | vaytzavu | and they commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אוֹתָ֜ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְ֠כוּ | lekhu | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְהִכִּיתֶ֞ם | vehikitem | and you will strike | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יוֹשְׁבֵ֨י | yoshevei | [the] inhabitants of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| יָבֵ֤שׁ | yavesh | Jabesh | H3003 → | 24 times |
| גִּלְעָד֙ | gilad | Gilead | H1568 → | 134 times |
| לְפִי־ | lefi- | to [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| חֶ֔רֶב | cherev | [the] sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים | vehanashim | and the women | H802 → | 781 times |
| וְהַטָּֽף׃ | vehataf | and the little one[s] | H2945 → |
וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ־and they sent
vaiyishlechu-H7971 →845 times
שָׁ֣םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
הָעֵדָ֗הthe congregation
haedahH5712 →149 times
שְׁנֵים־two [plus]
sheneim-H8147 →768 times
עָשָׂ֥רten
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
אֶ֛לֶףthousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
אִ֖ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִבְּנֵ֣יfrom [the] sons of
mibeneiH1121 →4930 times
הֶחָ֑יִל<the> strength
hechayilH2428 →246 times
וַיְצַוּ֨וּand they commanded
vaytzavuH6680 →494 times
אוֹתָ֜ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לְ֠כוּgo
lekhuH1980 →1546 times
וְהִכִּיתֶ֞םand you will strike
vehikitemH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יוֹשְׁבֵ֨י[the] inhabitants of
yosheveiH3427 →1079 times
יָבֵ֤שׁJabesh
yaveshH3003 →24 times
גִּלְעָד֙Gilead
giladH1568 →134 times
לְפִי־to [the] mouth of
lefi-H6310 →498 times
חֶ֔רֶב[the] sword
cherevH2719 →413 times
וְהַנָּשִׁ֖יםand the women
vehanashimH802 →781 times
וְהַטָּֽף׃and the little one[s]
vehatafH2945 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Judges 5:23‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
it leads to
- Jeremiah 48:10
Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 48:10
Through
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…
it leads to
- Judges 5:23
‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
- Judges 5:23
Through
Joshua 7:24Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else…
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:27
He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but he who hates bribes will live.
- 1 Timothy 6:9–10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
- Joshua 15:7
Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to Gilgal, which faces the Ascent of Adummim south of the ravine. It continued along the waters of En-shemesh and…
- Joshua 7:26
And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this…
- Proverbs 15:27
Through
1 Samuel 11:7He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does…
it leads to
- Judges 19:29
When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
- Judges 20:1
Then 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.
- Judges 19:29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Judges

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
