Keraia
Judges 21

Judges 21:19

Wives for the Benjamites · Judges 21:1–25
Read Judges 21

Translations

Modern
“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.”
Traditional
Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the Lord in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth–el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth–el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
Literal
And they said, “Behold, there is a feast of YHWH in Shiloh from days to days, which is north of Bethel at the rising of the sun by the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and from the south of Lebonah.”
Latin
Ceperuntque consilium, atque dixerunt: Ecce solemnitas Domini est in Silo anniversaria, quæ sita est ad septentrionem urbis Bethel, et ad orientalem plagam viæ, quæ de Bethel tendit ad Sichimam, et ad meridiem oppidi Lebona.

Interlinear

Hebrew
English
“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.”

Notes

Judges 21:19

The yearly feast in Shiloh may have originally been a Canaanite celebration.

Judges 19:1–21:25

  • This second epilogue (see study note on Judges 17:1–21:25) shifts the focus from individuals to entire tribes. It begins with the outrage in the Benjamite town of Gibeah (Judges 19), which led to a civil war (Judges 20) and the near destruction of Benjamin. It then moves to the attempt to save the tribe from disappearing (Judges 21). The book ends with the familiar refrain: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. This was what they did in the days of Gibea, perhaps the lowest point in Israel's history that Hosea, 400 years later, would compare to the depths Ephraim had reached (Hosea 9:9; 10:9).

  • The path was cleared for a shift from charismatic leadership to "covenant-charismatic kingship." This kingship combined living under the Lord’s covenant with the anointing of the spirit for ruling, as seen with Saul and David.

Judges 17:1–21:25

These two epilogues (Judges 17–18 and 19–21) show that inspired but unstructured leadership cannot last. As society moved toward chaos and civil war, the phrase, In those days there was no king in Israel appears four times. The phrase, everyone did what was right in his own eyes is added twice (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The era of inspired leadership declined and ended in disorder. Something important was missing.

Theme notes and profiles

Social Chaos in Judges

Places

Bethel: Important city in Israel, associated with Abraham and Jacob Lebonah: A place near Shiloh in Ephraim Shechem: City in Canaan, later allotted to Ephraim Shiloh: Israelite sanctuary and assembly point during the judges' period

Glossary

Benjamin, Tribe of Concubinage, Concubines Feasts and Festivals of Israel Gibeah Jabesh, Jabesh-Gilead (Place) Judges, Book of Lebonah Shiloh

Topics

Dancing: General Scriptures Concerning Galilee: The Northern District of Palestine: Routes From, to Judaea Government: Mosaic: Closely Associated with Moses and Subsequent Leaders Lebonah: A City on the Highway from Beth-El to Shechem Rashness: Israel's Vow to Destroy the Benjamites Roads: from Beth-El to Shechem Shechem: Also Called Sychar, a City of Refuge in Mount Ephraim Shiloh: City of Ephraim, North of Beth-El, and on the Highway from Beth-El to Shechem Shiloh: City of Ephraim, North of Beth-El: Tabernacle Located At Tabernacle: Pitched: At Shiloh Tribe of Benjamin: Remnant of, Provided with Wives to Preserve the Tribe