Judges 21:2 Themes and Topics

The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, "Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite." So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably. They said, "Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?" An entire tribe has disappeared from Israel today!" read more.
The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and token of peace. The Israelites asked, "Who from all the Israelite tribes has not assembled before the Lord?" They had made a solemn oath that whoever did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah must certainly be executed. The Israelites regretted what had happened to their brother Benjamin. They said, "Today we cut off an entire tribe from Israel! How can we find wives for those who are left? After all, we took an oath in the Lord's name not to give them our daughters as wives." So they asked, "Who from all the Israelite tribes did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?" Now it just so happened no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the gathering. When they took roll call, they noticed none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there. So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors against Jabesh Gilead. They commanded them, "Go and kill with your swords the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children. Do this: exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has had sexual relations with a male. But spare the lives of any virgins." So they did as instructed. They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young girls who were virgins -- they had never had sexual relations with a male. They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed. The Benjaminites returned at that time, and the Israelites gave to them the women they had spared from Jabesh Gilead. But there were not enough to go around. The people regretted what had happened to Benjamin because the Lord had weakened the Israelite tribes. The leaders of the assembly said, "How can we find wives for those who are left? After all, the Benjaminite women have been wiped out. The remnant of Benjamin must be preserved. An entire Israelite tribe should not be wiped out. But we can't allow our daughters to marry them, for the Israelites took an oath, saying, 'Whoever gives a woman to a Benjaminite will be destroyed!' However, there is an annual festival to the Lord in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel (east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem) and south of Lebonah." So they commanded the Benjaminites, "Go hide in the vineyards, and keep your eyes open. When you see the daughters of Shiloh coming out to dance in the celebration, jump out from the vineyards. Each one of you, catch yourself a wife from among the daughters of Shiloh and then go home to the land of Benjamin. When their fathers or brothers come and protest to us, we'll say to them, "Do us a favor and let them be, for we could not get each one a wife through battle. Don't worry about breaking your oath! You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives.'" The Benjaminites did as instructed. They abducted two hundred of the dancing girls to be their wives. They went home to their own territory, rebuilt their cities, and settled down.

The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God, "Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?" The Lord said, "Judah should lead." Verse Concepts

The Benjaminites attacked the army, leaving the city unguarded. They began to strike down their enemy just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel, the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down about thirty Israelites. Verse Concepts

So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably. Verse Concepts

The king then became very upset. He went up to the upper room over the gate and wept. As he went he said, "My son, Absalom! My son, my son, Absalom! If only I could have died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!" Verse Concepts

But she replied to them, "Don't call me 'Naomi'! Call me 'Mara' because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly. Verse Concepts

Then she died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Verse Concepts

So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably. Verse Concepts

All his sons and daughters stood by him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. "No," he said, "I will go to the grave mourning my son." So Joseph's father wept for him. Verse Concepts

The Lord says, "A sound is heard in Ramah, a sound of crying in bitter grief. It is the sound of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are gone." Verse Concepts

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved in spirit and greatly distressed. Verse Concepts

But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down and looked into the tomb. Verse Concepts

So Peter got up and went with them, and when he arrived they brought him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him the tunics and other clothing Dorcas used to make while she was with them. Verse Concepts

Then Job got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head, and then he threw himself down with his face to the ground. Verse Concepts

Joshua tore his clothes; he and the leaders of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening and threw dirt on their heads. Verse Concepts

So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably. Verse Concepts

The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, "Should we again march out to fight the Benjaminites, our brothers?" The Lord said, "Attack them!" Verse Concepts

Everyone who held the words of the God of Israel in awe gathered around me because of the unfaithful acts of the people of the exile. Devastated, I continued to sit there until the evening offering. At the time of the evening offering I got up from my self-abasement, with my tunic and robe torn, and then dropped to my knees and spread my hands to the Lord my God.