Judg. 21 The people bewail the desolation of Benjamin, Judg. 21:1–7. The inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, for not coming up to this battle, are all destroyed, excepting four hundred damsels, whom the Israelites bestow for wives on the remaining Benjamites, Judg. 21:8–15.

The men of Israel had sworn; in the beginning of this war, after the whole tribe had espoused the quarrel of the men of Gibeah, Judg. 21:13–14. They do not (as some suppose) here swear the utter extirpation of the tribe, which fell out beyond their expectation, Judg. 21:3, Judg.

The people came to the house of God; partly to mourn for the common loss, and partly to ask counsel from God about the repairing of it.

Why hast thou given them up to such wickedness, and us to such rage, that the whole tribe should be in a manner lost? Hence it appears that they did not swear to root them all out, as is further manifest from the different matter and words of this oath, Judg.

Built there an altar; not for a monument of the victory, as some say, but for sacrifices, as the next words show. Quest. What need was there of this, when the ordinary altar was there, to which also they seem to be restrained, Deut. 16:2? Answ.

A great oath. i.e. a solemn oath, joined with some terrible execration against the offenders herein. He shall surely be put to death; because by refusing to execute the vengeance due to such malefactors, they were justly presumed guilty of the crime, and therefore liable to the same punishment, as…

Children of Israel repented them; not for the war, which was just, and necessary, and good; but for their immoderate severity in the execution of it, and for thee dreadful consequences of it.

A city in Gilead, and in the tribe of Manasseh; of which see 1 Sam. 11:1, 1 Sam. 11:3, 1 Sam. 11:9;c. 1 Sam. 31:11;c.

Who in such public and scandalous crimes were, for the greater terror of such transgressors, and prevention of the like sins, oft involved in the same punishment with the men, as Deut. 13:15, Josh. 7:24;c.

But not the virgins, as appears from the next verses. It is questionable whether they were not obliged to destroy these also by virtue of their oath, and of God’s express command concerning devoted persons, such as these certainly were, that they should surely be put to death. Lev.

Young virgins; not married, yet marriageable. It is probable there were other and younger virgins; but whether they were slain or spared Scripture determines not, and the learned do not agree.

Benjamin; the poor remainders of the tribe of Benjamin.

The people repented them for Benjamin; were yet more grieved upon this unhappy disappointment, for they supposed here would have been wives sufficient for them.

For them that remain; for the two hundred who are yet unprovided of wives.

The inheritance promised by Jacob and Moses, and given by Joshua to the tribe of Benjamin, doth all of it belong to those few which remain of that tribe, and cannot be possessed by any other tribe; and therefore we are obliged to procure wives for them all, that they may make up this breach, and be…

i.e. To this generation of Benjamites who have made themselves guilty of this foul wickedness; but this oath did not extend to their posterity. And some think it had another exception, to wit, unless the surviving Benjamites could not otherwise be supplied with wives.

Yearly; on the three solemn feasts, in which they used some honest and holy recreations; among which dancing was one, Ex. 15:20, 1 Sam. 18:6, 2 Sam. 6:14; and probably it was the feast of tabernacles, which they did celebrate with more than ordinary joy, Deut. 16:13–15.

The daughters of Shiloh; by whom he may possibly understand not those only who were born or settled inhabitants there, (as many conceive,) but all those who were come thither upon this occasion, and for a time sojourned there; for although only the males were obliged to go up to the three solemn…

Be favourable unto them; pass by their offence, if not for their sakes, whom necessity forced to this course; yet for our sakes, and indeed for your own sakes; for both you and we have done them a great injury in prosecuting them with so much fury, as to endanger the utter extinction of the whole…

According to their number, i.e. each man his wife, as is said, Judg. 21:22. By which we may see they had no very favourable opinion of polygamy, because they did not allow it is this case, when it might seem most necessary for the reparation of a lost tribe.