The Pulpit Commentary — Judges — Section 195

CHAPTER XXI. (Gen. xxxv. 22 ; xlix. 28 ; Exod. :u:tv. 4 ; Numb. i. 5-15; Josh. iv. 3, 4, &c.; Matt. Ver. l.-Now the men of Israel, &c. A xix. 28; Jamesi.1; Rev. vii. 4, &c.). With circumstance not mentioned before is now one tribe missing Israel would be no longer brought forward, as is another in ver. 5, on Israel which the events about to be narrated in Ver. 4.-0:lfered burnt offerings and pee.oe this chapter depend, viz., that the men of offerings. See eh. :u:. 26, note. Israel had ta.ken two solemn oaths at Mizpeh Ver. 5.-And the children of Israel as.id. (eh. xx. 1)-the one that no Israelite would The idea evidently occurred to them that give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite; they might supply wives to the 600 Benjam- the other that whosoever did not come up to ites in the way that actually came to pass, the national assembly there should be put to and they asked the question, Who is there death. among all the flribes, &c., with this view. Ver. 2.-And the people, &c. The narra- Vera. 6-9.-And the children of Israel, ti ve now proceeds. After the people, i. e. the &c. This verse goes be.ck a little to explain Israelite army, so described eh. XL 3, 8, 22, why the children of Israel asked the question, &c., had finished the work of destruction in viz., because they repented them for Ben- the cities of Benjamin, they returned to jamin, and wished to repair the mischief Bethel (the house of God, A. V., here and reRulting from their rash oath not to give in eh. XL 18, 26, 31, where see notes), and, their daughters to e. Benje.mite ; therefore their rage having now subsided, gave way to they said (repeating ver. 5), What one is violent grief on account of the destruction of there that came not up to Mizpeh i (ver. 8) Benjamin their brother. With passionate and on numbering the people it was found l)riental feelings they passed the whole day that no one had come up from Je.besh-gilee.d. weeping, and probably fasting (see eh. xx. 26), This is the first time that Jabesh-gilead is before the tabernacle. Wept sore. Hebrew, mentioned in Scripture. It comes up twice wept a great we,eping. The expression lifted afterwards. First in 1 Se.m. xi., on occasion up their voices shows that it was a loud of its being besieged by the Ammonites and \<ailing and lamentation. rescued by Saul ; and secondly in 1 Sam. Ver. 3. -And said. Better, .And they xxxi. 11-13, when the inhabitants of Je.besh- said. One tribe lacking. The existence of gilea.ii took down the bodies of Saul e.nd his the hvelve tribes we.a an essential part of sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and buried their covenant existenr.e as the people of God them at. Jabesh, for which brave and pious en. xx1. 1-25.] THE BOOK OF JUDGES. 209