Judges 21

Judges · Chapter 21

Judges 21:19

1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.2And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;3And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?4And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.5And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.6And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.7How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?8And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.9For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.10And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.11And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.12And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.13And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.14And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.15And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.16Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?17And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.18Howbeit 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.19Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.20Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;21And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.22And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.23And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.24And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.25In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
19Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.“But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”And they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and they saidוַיֹּאמְר֡וּvai-yo-me-RUH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

here!הִנֵּה֩hi-NEHH2009
behold

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) behold, lo, see, if

[the] festival ofחַג־chag-H2282
feast

חַג (chag) 1) festival, feast, festival-gathering, pilgrim-feast 1a) feast 1b) festival sacrifice

Yahwehיְהוָ֨הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

[is] in Shilohבְּשִׁל֜וֹbe-shi-LOH7887
Shiloh

שִׁלוֹ (shi.loh) Shiloh = "place of rest" a city in Ephraim and temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, the place where Samuel grew up Also named: shi.lo.ni (שִׁילֹנִי "Shilonite" H7888)

from daysמִיָּמִ֣ים׀mi-ya-MIMH3117I
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

days towardsיָמִ֗ימָהya-MI-mahH3117I
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

whichאֲשֶׁ֞ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

[is] from north -wardמִצְּפ֤וֹנָהmi-tze-FO-nahH6828G
north

צָפוֹן (tsa.phon) 1) north (of direction), northward 1a) north 1b) northward

of Beth-לְבֵֽית־le-veit-H1008G
Aven

אָ֫וֶן (a.ven) Aven = "vanity" a name used contemptuously a place of idolatrous worship Bethel with its calf worship (Ho 10:8) Another name of bet-el (בֵּֽיתְ־אֵל "Bethel" H1008G)

-elאֵל֙'elH1008G
Aven

אָ֫וֶן (a.ven) Aven = "vanity" a name used contemptuously a place of idolatrous worship Bethel with its calf worship (Ho 10:8) Another name of bet-el (בֵּֽיתְ־אֵל "Bethel" H1008G)

[the] rising of towardsמִזְרְחָ֣הmiz-re-CHAHH4217H
east

מִזְרָח (miz.rach) 1) place of sunrise, east 1a) sunrise, east (with 'sun') 1b) the east (without 'sun') 1b1) to or toward the place of sunrise 1b2) to the east, eastward

the sunהַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁha-SHE-meshH8121
to minister

שְׁמַשׁ (she.mash) (Pael) to minister, serve Aramaic of she.mesh (שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ "sun" H8121)

of [the] highwayלִמְסִלָּ֔הlim-si-LAHH4546
highway

מְסִלָּה (me.sil.lah) highway, raised way, public road

which goes upהָעֹלָ֥הha-'o-LAHH5927G
to ascend: rise

עָלָה (a.lah) : rise/go 1) to go up, ascend, climb 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go up, ascend 1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat 1a3) to go up, come up (of animals) 1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation) 1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon) 1a6) to come up (before God) 1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary) 1a8) to excel, be superior to 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away 1b2) to take oneself away 1b3) to be exalted 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up 1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away …

from Beth-מִבֵּֽית־mi-beit-H1008G
Aven

אָ֫וֶן (a.ven) Aven = "vanity" a name used contemptuously a place of idolatrous worship Bethel with its calf worship (Ho 10:8) Another name of bet-el (בֵּֽיתְ־אֵל "Bethel" H1008G)

-elאֵ֖ל'elH1008G
Aven

אָ֫וֶן (a.ven) Aven = "vanity" a name used contemptuously a place of idolatrous worship Bethel with its calf worship (Ho 10:8) Another name of bet-el (בֵּֽיתְ־אֵל "Bethel" H1008G)

Shechem towardsשְׁכֶ֑מָהshe-KHE-mahH7927G
Shechem

שְׁכֶם (she.khem) Shechem = "back" or "shoulder" a city in Manasseh; located in a valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, 34 miles (54 km) north of Jerusalem and 7 miles (10.5 km) south- east of Samaria Also named: Suchem (Συχέμ "Shechem" G4966)

and from [the] southוּמִנֶּ֖גֶבu-mi-NE-gevH5045H
Negeb

נֶ֫גֶב (ne.gev) region of southern Judah Also named: ne.gev (נֶ֫גֶב "south" H5045H) This name means south-country

to Lebonahלִלְבוֹנָֽה׃lil-vo-NAHH3829
Lebonah

לְבוֹנָה (le.vo.nah) § Lebonah = "frankincense" a town in Ephraim 3 miles (5 km) west northwest of Shiloh

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.