Charles Ellicott Commentary Judges 21
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Judges 21
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Judges 21
"Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife." — Judges 21:1 (ASV)
Had sworn. —The circumstance has not been mentioned in the account of the proceedings at Mizpeh. It is clear from the sequel (Judges 21:18) that the oath was not only an oath but “a vow under a curse,” as in Acts 23:14.
"And the people came to Beth-el, and sat there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore." — Judges 21:2 (ASV)
To the house of God. —Rather, to Bethel, as in Judges 20:18; Judges 20:27.
Wept greatly. —As after their defeat (Judges 20:26); but this time they were remorseful for the fate of those whom they were then pledged to destroy.
"And they said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?" — Judges 21:3 (ASV)
Why is this come to pass ...? —This is not so much an inquiry into the cause, which was indeed too obvious, but a wail of regret, implying a prayer to be enlightened as to the best means of averting the calamity. The repetition of the name “Israel” three times shows that the nation had not yet lost its sense of corporate unity, even though that unity had often been torn apart by their civil dissensions. Their wild justice is mingled with a still wilder mercy.
One tribe lacking. —The number twelve had an almost mystical significance, and is always preserved in counting the tribes, whether Levi is included or excluded.
"And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings." — Judges 21:4 (ASV)
Built there an altar. —We find David doing the same at the threshing-floor of Araunah (2 Samuel 24:25), and Solomon at Gibeon. Unless the entire tabernacle had, for the time, been removed to Bethel, there was no regular altar there. It has been suggested that in any case this altar must have been necessitated by the multitude of sacrifices required for the burnt offerings and the food of the people. (See Note on Judges 20:26.) Probably there is some other reason unknown to us.
"And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up in the assembly unto Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up unto Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death." — Judges 21:5 (ASV)
Who is there ...? —This verse is anticipatory of Judges 21:8.
They had made a great oath. —Another detail that has been omitted until now. The spirit of this cherem was exactly the same as that which we find in Judges 5:23: Curse you Meroz ... because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Now that these victories had been so complete, they probably were sick with slaughter and would not have sought out any defaulters, except as a way to find an expedient to mollify the meaning of their rash oath. We see once more in this narrative both the force derivable from a vow and the folly and wickedness of fierce vows rashly taken in moments of passion. It is obvious that the direct meaning of the vow, taken in connection with the curse they had placed on the Benjamites, was to annihilate the tribe.
Jump to: