Partial Restoration: Care for Benjamin
Judges 21
Judges 21
Judges 21. The final chapter shows Israel’s efforts to restore the tribe of Benjamin after the terrible judgment of the previous chapter. There was real recovery: Israel returned to the presence of God, mourned the breach among the tribes, maintained separation from evil, and showed renewed affection for Benjamin their brother. Yet their recovery was incomplete. Rather than confessing their rash oath, they resorted to questionable means to preserve it, first through the destruction of Jabesh-gilead and then by allowing the Benjamites to take wives from Shiloh. The closing verse explains the underlying weakness: “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” Conscience and good intentions were not enough; Israel needed the Word of God and God’s King. Thus Judges closes with man’s failure under responsibility, while pointing forward to Christ, the true King, who alone will establish perfect righteousness and peace.
Israel Undertakes to Help Benjamin Rebuild Their Numbers (21:1-15)
CHAPTER 21
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to the Benjaminites as wife. 2 And the people came to Bethel, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly, 3 and said, Jehovah, God of Israel, why is it come to pass in Israel, that there should be this day one tribe lacking in Israel? DARBY
vv.1-3 Israel Laments the Loss of a Tribe. Israel now began to feel deeply the terrible breach that had been made among the tribes. Their recovery had produced a renewed hatred of evil, expressed in the oath, “There shall not any of us give his daughter to the Benjaminites as wife” (see Eph. 4:26). But separation from evil did not extinguish affection for their brethren. They came again to Bethel and “abode there till even before God,” lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly because one tribe was nearly lost from Israel. They asked, “Jehovah, God of Israel, why is it come to pass in Israel?” Asking the Lord why is always a good first step, because it brings the difficulty into His presence rather than leaving us to reason about it ourselves. There was something beautiful in their sorrow: they were no longer occupied merely with Benjamin’s sin, but felt the loss as a wound to Israel as a whole. Yet their recovery was not complete. The very extremity of Benjamin’s condition was partly the result of Israel’s excessive severity, and the oath they had sworn would now complicate the restoration they desired. Thus the chapter presents both things together: genuine restoration of affection and communion with God, but still a lack of spiritual wisdom is evident in the measures they adopted to repair the breach.
4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. 5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation to Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall certainly be put to death. 6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, To-day is one tribe extirpated from Israel. 7 What shall we do for wives for them that remain? since we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters for wives. DARBY
vv.4-7 Israel Seeks Wives for the Benjamites. The following morning Israel “rose early, and built there an altar, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.” Again, the sin offering is glaringly absent. Their humiliation over the ruin did not prevent worship. Israel then turned toward the restoration of Benjamin: “the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother.” However, their earlier oath created a difficulty: “What shall we do for wives for them that remain?” Their affection for Benjamin was right, but their rash oath now hindered the restoration they desired. Were the unaware that the law made provision for one who had “sworn, speaking rashly with his lips” to confess his sin and bring the appointed sacrifice (Lev. 5:4-6)? Israel was already at the altar, but instead of acknowledging the rashness of their oath, they began devising ways around it. Evil must be judged, but judgment is not an end in itself; the heart touched by grace will also desire the restoration of the brother, according to God’s own way.
8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpah to Jehovah? And behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-Gilead, to the congregation; 9 for the people were numbered, and behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead there. DARBY
vv.8-9 Jabesh-gilead Found Absent from the Assembly. Israel now discovered that “there came none to the camp from Jabesh-Gilead, to the congregation.” Their absence was significant. When Israel had assembled before Jehovah to deal with the evil at Gibeah, Jabesh-gilead had remained aloof; indifferent toward the dishonor done to Jehovah and the responsibility of Israel as one people. God’s people have a corporate responsibility that cannot simply be ignored.
10 And the assembly sent thither twelve thousand men of the most valiant and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, and the women and the children. 11 And this is the thing which ye shall do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain with man. 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred young women that were virgins, who had known no man by lying with any male, and they brought them to the camp, to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. DARBY
vv.10-12 Four Hundred Virgins Taken from Jabesh-gilead. Israel sent twelve thousand men against Jabesh-gilead, commanding them to destroy its inhabitants while preserving the virgins. Four hundred young women were brought to Shiloh to become wives for the surviving Benjamites. It is difficult to known how to take this. Judgment was executed on those who were responsible and negligent, and the four hundred were spared, providing a means of rebuilding the tribe of Benjamin. However, the severity of the action is hard to separate from the pattern of excessive zeal already seen in Israel. They had nearly destroyed Benjamin, and now, in attempting to repair that breach while preserving their rash oath, they destroyed another part of Israel. It shows the danger of trying to repair the consequences of one extreme action by another. When self-will enters into the execution of judgment, one wrong may easily produce another. Also, a right principle may be carried out in a wrong way when spiritual discernment is lacking.
13 And the whole assembly sent to speak to the children of Benjamin that were at the cliff of Rimmon, and to proclaim peace to them. 14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them the wives whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-Gilead; but even so they found not enough for them. 15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because Jehovah had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. DARBY
vv.13-15 Peace Restored with the Benjamites. With the evil judged, Israel now “sent to speak to the children of Benjamin that were at the cliff of Rimmon, and to proclaim peace to them.” This is a beautiful change from the warfare of the previous chapter. Discipline had accomplished its purpose, and Israel did not seek to prolong it; Benjamin was still “their brother,” and the object now was reconciliation and restoration. The four hundred women from Jabesh-gilead were given to the surviving Benjamites, though there were still not enough wives for them all. Again “the people repented them for Benjamin,” feeling deeply the breach that had been made among the tribes. Once the evil has been judged, the desire of the saints should be to “proclaim peace” and restore the disciplined brother.
The Sons of Benjamin Catch Wives from the Daughters of Shiloh (21:16-25)
16 And the elders of the assembly said, What shall we do for wives for them that remain? for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin. 17 And they said, There must be a possession for those of Benjamin that have escaped, that a tribe be not blotted out of Israel. 18 But we cannot give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to the Benjaminites! DARBY
vv.16-18 Wives Still Needed for Benjamin. The four hundred women from Jabesh-gilead were not enough, and the elders again asked, “What shall we do for wives for them that remain?” Their desire was that “a tribe be not blotted out of Israel,” showing that the preservation of Benjamin and the unity of the twelve tribes had become precious to them. Yet once again their own oath stood in the way: “we cannot give them wives of our daughters.” Instead of confessing the rash oath, they continued to treat it as something that must somehow be worked around. Zeal without dependence can create unnecessary difficulties that human ingenuity cannot solve. A good goal does not justify questionable means!
19 And they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, toward the sun-rising of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. 20 And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; 21 and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. DARBY
vv.19-21 A Plan Formed at the Feast in Shiloh. The elders devised another way to provide wives for the remaining Benjamites. At the yearly “feast of Jehovah” in Shiloh, the men of Benjamin were instructed to hide in the vineyards and “catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh.” It is nice to see Israel willingly allowing themselves to be deprived for the sake of restoring Benjamin, even exchanging the place of victor for that of the vanquished, by giving their daughters. There is certainly evidence of restored affection in their willingness to bear the loss themselves. Yet the means they devised is difficult to justify. They constructed a technical way around their oath: they would not give their daughters to Benjamin, but would permit Benjamin to take them.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come to complain to us, that we will say to them, Gratify us with them, because we did not take each man his wife in the war; for ye did not give them to them, that ye should now be guilty. DARBY
v.22 The Elders’ Answer for the Families. The elders anticipated the complaint of the fathers and brothers whose daughters had been taken, and prepared an answer: “Gratify us with them, because we did not take each man his wife in the war; for ye did not give them to them, that ye should now be guilty.” They took responsibility for the shortage, rather than simply blaming Benjamin for the disaster. This was very different from their earlier accusation, “What wickedness is this that is done among you?” (Judg. 20:12). Yet they were still attempting to preserve the letter of a rash oath by circumventing its substance.1
23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught; and they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them. DARBY
v.23 The Benjamites Take Wives from Shiloh. “The children of Benjamin did so,” taking wives from among the daughters who danced at Shiloh, and then “returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.” Thus Benjamin began to rebuild. Discipline had been severe, but their inheritance was preserved. Israel succeeded in preserving Benjamin, but that does not prove that the method was according to God.
24 And 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. DARBY
v.24 The Israelites Return to Their Inheritances. With Benjamin restored to his inheritance, the assembly dispersed, “every man to his tribe and to his family,” and finally “every man to his inheritance.” The crisis that had threatened the existence of an entire tribe was over, and Israel was again outwardly healed. Evil had been judged, affection for their brethren had revived, and Benjamin had been restored. Yet three things were lacking from all this:
- Idolatry in Dan was never judged corporately.
- Israel never repented of the sin of Gibeah and owned their part in it.
- The manner in which that restoration was accomplished showed moral carelessness.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. DARBY
v.25 Every Man Does What Is Right in His Own Eyes. One final statement is necessary to explain the underlying condition that had produced all the confusion of these chapters, and, in many ways, the whole book: “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.” The problem was not merely choosing wrong; they did what was right in their own eyes. They walked by the light of their own consciences, and the result shows that conscience is not a sufficient guide; we need the Word of God. This explains even the mixed character of Israel’s recovery in this chapter: good motives were mingled with human reasoning and self-will. The statement that “there was no king in Israel” also leaves us looking forward. Israel needed God’s king, and ultimately only Christ, the true King, can bring perfect righteousness and peace (Isa. 32).