Judges 21:20
“Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;”
Judges 21:20 in 7 translations
- KJVKing James Version
- Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
- DRADouay–Rheims
- And they commanded the children of Benjamin, and said: Go, and lie hid in the vineyards,
- ASVAmerican Standard Version
- And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
- DARBYDarby
- And they commanded the Benjaminites, saying, |Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
- WEBThe World English Bible
- They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
- YLTYoung's Literal Translation
- And they command the sons of Benjamin, saying, 'Go ; and ye have laid wait in the vineyards,
- BPVBiblePics Version
- So they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, "Go and hide in the vineyards.
Context: Judges 21
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.
About Judges 21: Capture of Wives for the Benjamites
The Israelites regret their actions and work to repopulate the tribe of Benjamin by allowing the remaining Benjaminite men to take wives from a group of women who had gathered at Shiloh.
Commentary
Judges 21 is the final chapter of the book of Judges, and it serves as a fitting conclusion to the tumultuous period of Israelite history that it describes. The chapter begins with the Israelites gathering together in Mizpah to make a solemn vow to God that they will not allow any of their daughters to marry outside of their tribe. This vow is a sign of the Israelites’ commitment to their faith and to their tribal identity, and it serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining the purity of the Israelite people.