Bible Strands
Judges 21:22
When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Israelite leadership instructs the surviving Benjamite men how to respond when their relatives object to the upcoming seizure of wives from the Shiloh dancers. This instruction occurs before the dance takes place, as part of the pre-event strategy rather than a post-abduction reaction.
The words — The Hebrew phrase יָבֹאוּ לָרִיב (ya.Vo.'u la.rov) literally means “they will come to make a complaint,” marking the relatives’ objection as a formal grievance. The opening וְ/הָיָ֡ה (ve./ha.Yah) functions as “and it will be,” framing the response as a future contingency tied to the imminent event.
The thread — This workaround directly addresses the earlier Mizpah oath that bound Israel from giving their daughters to Benjamin (Judges 21:1; Judges 21:18), while operating within the created order of male-female union referenced in Mark 10:6.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to observe how a community navigates the collision between a sworn prohibition and tribal survival, noting the explicit logic used to absolve the abductors of guilt.
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.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And 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.
Cross-references
- Judges 21:1 Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”
- Judges 21:18 But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”
- Mark 10:6 However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’
- Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
- Genesis 7:13 On that very day Noah entered the ark, along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife, and the three wives of his sons—
- Judges 21:7 What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”
- Judges 21:14 And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.
- Proverbs 20:25 It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly, only later to reconsider his vows.
- 1 Corinthians 7:2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
- Philemon 1:9 I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.