Judges 21:12

Study note

Setting — The Israelite forces execute the judgment command from Judges 21:11 by locating a specific demographic in Jabesh-gilead and transporting them to their military encampment at Shiloh. This occurs during the immediate aftermath of the civil war against Benjamin, as the tribes consolidate their victory.

The words — The passage centers on וַֽיִּמְצְאוּ (va.yim.tze'u, "and they found") and בְתוּלָה (betulah, "virgin" or "young woman who has not had relations with a man") to mark the precise fulfillment of the survival order. These terms specify both the action of the search party and the exact status of the women secured for the camp.

The thread — The narrative shifts the location back to Shiloh, previously identified as the site of the Tent of Meeting in Joshua 18:1 and later abandoned in Psalms 78:60. The military concentration echoes the earlier tribal assembly at Bethel in Judges 20:18 where Israel inquired of God before engaging Benjamin.

Why it lands — The verse documents a logistical step in a tribal survival strategy, showing how the spared population is moved to address the demographic crisis among the Benjamites. It requires the reader to observe the text's unvarnished recording of ancient warfare, covenant judgment, and communal consequence without narrative embellishment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.