CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Judges 21:16 Then the elders of the congregation said, "What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?"</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/judges/21-16.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/10/07_Jdg_21_16.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Judges 21:16 - Wives for the Benjamites" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Then the elders of the congregation said, What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/judges/21-16.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/judges/21-16.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/judges/">Judges</a> > <a href="/judges/21.htm">Chapter 21</a> > Verse 16</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad16.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/judges/21-15.htm" title="Judges 21:15">◄</a> Judges 21:16 <a href="/judges/21-17.htm" title="Judges 21:17">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/judges/21.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/judges/21.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />And the elders of the assembly said, &#8220With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/judges/21.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />So the elders of the assembly asked, “How can we find wives for the few who remain, since the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/judges/21.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/judges/21.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/judges/21.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/judges/21.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/judges/21.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, “What are we to do for wives for those who are left, since the women have been eliminated from Benjamin?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/judges/21.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, &#8220What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?&#8221<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/judges/21.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/judges/21.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/judges/21.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those [men] who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/judges/21.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />The elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed? ”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/judges/21.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />The elders of the congregation said, &#8220What should we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?&#8221<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/judges/21.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/judges/21.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Then their leaders said: All the women of the Benjamin tribe were killed. How can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are left? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/judges/21.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/judges/21.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />The leaders of the congregation asked, "What should we do to provide wives for the men who are left, since the women in Benjamin have been killed?"<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/judges/21.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />So the leaders of the gathering said, "There are no more women in the tribe of Benjamin. What shall we do to provide wives for the men who are left? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/judges/21.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />So the elders of the congregation asked, "What will we do to obtain wives for the survivors, since the women of Benjamin have been devastated?" <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/judges/21.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, ?What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed??<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/judges/21.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />The leaders of the assembly said, "How can we find wives for those who are left? After all, the Benjaminite women have been wiped out.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/judges/21.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, "How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?"<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/judges/21.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/judges/21.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said, “How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?” <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/judges/21.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And [the] elderly of the congregation say, “What do we do to the remnant for wives—for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/judges/21.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And the elders of the company say, 'What do we do to the remnant for wives -- for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/judges/21.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And the old men of the assembly will say, What shall we do for those remaining for wives, for the women were destroyed from Benjamin?<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/judges/21.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And the ancients said: What shall we do with the rest, that have not received wives? for all the women in Benjamin are dead. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/judges/21.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And those greater by birth said: “What shall we do with the remainder, those who have not received wives? For all the females of Benjamin have been cut down,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/judges/21.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />The elders of the assembly said, “What shall we do for wives for the survivors? For the women of Benjamin have been annihilated.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/judges/21.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />So the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since there are no women left in Benjamin?”<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/judges/21.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Then the elders of the people said. What shall we do for wives for those that remain, for all the Benjamite women have perished?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/judges/21.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And the Elders of the people said: “What shall we do for those who are left without wives, these who are left, because the women of Benyamin are destroyed?”<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/judges/21.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Then the elders of the congregation said: 'How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/judges/21.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for them that remain? for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/judges/21-16.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AjzBiIYY2Dc?start=6551" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/judges/21.htm">Wives for the Benjamites</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">15</span>The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel. <span class="reftext">16</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/2205.htm" title="2205: ziq·nê (Adj-mpc) -- Old. From zaqen; old.">Then the elders</a> <a href="/hebrew/5712.htm" title="5712: hā·‘ê·ḏāh (Art:: N-fs) -- Congregation. Feminine of ed in the original sense of fixture; a stated assemblage.">of the congregation</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: way·yō·mə·rū (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">said,</a> <a href="/hebrew/4100.htm" title="4100: mah- (Interrog) -- What? how? anything. ">“What</a> <a href="/hebrew/6213.htm" title="6213: na·‘ă·śeh (V-Qal-Imperf-1cp) -- To do, make. A primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application.">should we do</a> <a href="/hebrew/802.htm" title="802: lə·nā·šîm (Prep-l:: N-fp) -- Woman, wife, female. Feminine of 'iysh or 'enowsh; irregular plural, nashiym; a woman.">about wives</a> <a href="/hebrew/3498.htm" title="3498: lan·nō·w·ṯā·rîm (Prep-l, Art:: V-Nifal-Prtcpl-mp) -- A primitive root; to jut over or exceed; by implication, to excel; to remain or be left; causatively, to leave, cause to abound, preserve.">for those who remain,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">since</a> <a href="/hebrew/802.htm" title="802: ’iš·šāh (N-fs) -- Woman, wife, female. Feminine of 'iysh or 'enowsh; irregular plural, nashiym; a woman.">the women</a> <a href="/hebrew/1144.htm" title="1144: mib·bin·yā·min (Prep-m:: N-proper-ms) -- From ben and yamiyn; son of right hand; Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory.">of Benjamin</a> <a href="/hebrew/8045.htm" title="8045: niš·mə·ḏāh (V-Nifal-Perf-3fs) -- To be exterminated or destroyed. A primitive root; to desolate.">have been destroyed?”</a> </span><span class="reftext">17</span>They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/judges/20-47.htm">Judges 20:47-48</a></span><br />But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. / And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/judges/11-1.htm">Judges 11:1-2</a></span><br />Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father. / And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ruth/1-11.htm">Ruth 1:11-13</a></span><br />But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands? / Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, / would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/24-3.htm">Genesis 24:3-4</a></span><br />and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling, / but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/25-5.htm">Deuteronomy 25:5-6</a></span><br />When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her. / The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/9-2.htm">1 Samuel 9:2</a></span><br />And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/25-39.htm">1 Samuel 25:39-42</a></span><br />On hearing that Nabal was dead, David said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has upheld my cause against the reproach of Nabal and has restrained His servant from evil. For the LORD has brought the wickedness of Nabal down upon his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. / When his servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said, “David has sent us to take you as his wife.” / She arose, bowed facedown, and said, “Here is your servant, ready to serve and to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_samuel/13-13.htm">2 Samuel 13:13</a></span><br />Where could I ever take my shame? And you would be like one of the fools in Israel! Please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_kings/11-1.htm">1 Kings 11:1-3</a></span><br />King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. / He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezra/9-12.htm">Ezra 9:12</a></span><br />Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/nehemiah/13-23.htm">Nehemiah 13:23-27</a></span><br />In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. / Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah. / I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/22-24.htm">Matthew 22:24-28</a></span><br />“Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. / Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother. / The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/12-19.htm">Mark 12:19-23</a></span><br />“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him. / Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children. / Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/20-28.htm">Luke 20:28-33</a></span><br />“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him. / Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife but died childless. / Then the second ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/7-2.htm">Romans 7:2-3</a></span><br />For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/judges/21-13.htm">Assembly</a> <a href="/judges/21-15.htm">Benjamin</a> <a href="/judges/21-13.htm">Company</a> <a href="/judges/21-13.htm">Congregation</a> <a href="/judges/20-5.htm">Dead</a> <a href="/judges/20-42.htm">Destroyed</a> <a href="/judges/11-11.htm">Elders</a> <a href="/judges/21-13.htm">Meeting</a> <a href="/judges/21-7.htm">Provide</a> <a href="/judges/5-13.htm">Remnant</a> <a href="/judges/11-11.htm">Responsible</a> <a href="/judges/19-20.htm">Rest</a> <a href="/judges/21-14.htm">Wives</a> <a href="/judges/21-14.htm">Women</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/1_samuel/17-47.htm">Assembly</a> <a href="/judges/21-17.htm">Benjamin</a> <a href="/1_samuel/10-5.htm">Company</a> <a href="/1_samuel/2-22.htm">Congregation</a> <a href="/ruth/1-8.htm">Dead</a> <a href="/judges/21-17.htm">Destroyed</a> <a href="/ruth/4-2.htm">Elders</a> <a href="/1_samuel/2-22.htm">Meeting</a> <a href="/1_samuel/16-17.htm">Provide</a> <a href="/1_samuel/15-15.htm">Remnant</a> <a href="/ruth/4-2.htm">Responsible</a> <a href="/judges/21-17.htm">Rest</a> <a href="/judges/21-18.htm">Wives</a> <a href="/ruth/1-4.htm">Women</a><div class="vheading2">Judges 21</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/judges/21-1.htm">The people bewail the desolation of Benjamin</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/judges/21-8.htm">By the destruction of Jabesh Gilead they provide them four hundred wives.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">16. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/judges/21-16.htm">They advise the remainder to surprise the virgins that danced at Shiloh</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/judges/21.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/judges/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/judges/21.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Then the elders of the congregation said,</b><br>The elders were leaders and decision-makers within the Israelite community, often responsible for guiding the people according to God's laws. Their role was crucial in maintaining order and addressing issues that arose among the tribes. This reflects the communal leadership structure in ancient Israel, where elders held significant authority and were expected to act with wisdom and discernment.<p><b>“What should we do about wives for those who remain,</b><br>This question arises from a crisis following the civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the other Israelite tribes. The conflict, detailed in the preceding chapters, resulted in the near annihilation of the Benjamite men and the destruction of their cities, including the women. The elders are seeking a solution to preserve the tribe of Benjamin, as the lack of wives would lead to its extinction. This reflects the cultural importance of marriage and family lineage in ancient Israel, where continuity of the tribe was vital.<p><b>since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”</b><br>The destruction of the women of Benjamin was a consequence of the war, highlighting the severe impact of inter-tribal conflict. This phrase underscores the gravity of the situation, as the loss of women meant the potential end of the tribe. It also reflects the harsh realities of ancient warfare, where entire communities could be decimated. The elders' concern for finding wives for the remaining Benjamites is not only about survival but also about restoring the social and familial structures that were integral to Israelite society. This situation also foreshadows the need for redemption and restoration, themes that are prevalent throughout the Bible and find their ultimate fulfillment in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/e/elders_of_the_congregation.htm">Elders of the Congregation</a></b><br>These are the leaders of the Israelite tribes who are responsible for making decisions and providing guidance to the people. They are seeking a solution to the problem of the Benjamite men who lack wives.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/tribe_of_benjamin.htm">Tribe of Benjamin</a></b><br>One of the twelve tribes of Israel, which faced near extinction due to a civil war with the other Israelite tribes. The tribe's survival is at stake due to the lack of women to marry the remaining men.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/c/civil_war_in_israel.htm">Civil War in Israel</a></b><br>A conflict that arose from a grievous crime committed in Gibeah, a city of Benjamin, leading to a war between the tribe of Benjamin and the other Israelite tribes. This war resulted in the decimation of the Benjamite population.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/g/gibeah.htm">Gibeah</a></b><br>The city in Benjamin where the initial crime occurred, sparking the conflict. It serves as a backdrop for the events leading to the crisis addressed in <a href="/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16</a>.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/i/israelite_assembly_at_mizpah.htm">Israelite Assembly at Mizpah</a></b><br>The gathering of the Israelite tribes at Mizpah to address the crisis and seek a solution for the Benjamite men who survived the war.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_consequences_of_sin.htm">The Consequences of Sin</a></b><br>The near destruction of the tribe of Benjamin serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of sin and disobedience to God's laws.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_reconciliation.htm">The Importance of Reconciliation</a></b><br>The elders' concern for the Benjamite men highlights the need for reconciliation and restoration within the community of God's people.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty_and_mercy.htm">God's Sovereignty and Mercy</a></b><br>Despite the dire situation, God's sovereignty and mercy are evident as He provides a way for the tribe of Benjamin to continue.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/community_responsibility.htm">Community Responsibility</a></b><br>The elders' role in seeking a solution underscores the importance of community responsibility and leadership in addressing crises.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_and_restoration.htm">Hope and Restoration</a></b><br>Even in the darkest times, there is hope for restoration and a future, as seen in the eventual survival and continuation of the tribe of Benjamin.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_judges_21.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Judges 21</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/who_were_the_old_testament_elders.htm">Who were the elders in the Old Testament?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_conflicting_accounts_of_jerusalem's_capture.htm">In Judges 1:8 versus 1:21, why does it say Judah captured Jerusalem but Benjamin couldn't drive out the Jebusites, leading to conflicting accounts about Jerusalem's conquest?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_promote_abduction_in_judges_21_20-23.htm">Why does the text promote the abduction of women as a solution for the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 21:20-23)?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_does_paul_restrict_women's_authority.htm">Why does Paul say women should not have authority over men (1 Timothy 2:12)?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/judges/21.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(16) <span class= "bld">How shall we do . . .<span class= "ital">?</span></span><span class= "ital">--</span>They want to keep their vow in the letter, while they break it in the spirit. The sense of the binding nature of the "ban" was intensely strong (<a href="/exodus/20-7.htm" title="You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain.">Exodus 20:7</a>; <a href="/context/ezekiel/17-18.htm" title="Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, see, he had given his hand, and has done all these things, he shall not escape.">Ezekiel 17:18-19</a>), but, as is so often the case among rude and ignorant people, they fancied that it was sufficient to keep it <span class= "ital">literally, </span>while in effect they violated it. Similarly in Herodotus (iv. 154), Themison having sworn to throw Phronima into the sea--the <span class= "ital">intention </span>having been that she should be drowned--feels himself bound to throw her into the sea, but has her drawn out of it again. Their want of moral enlightenment revealed itself in this way, and still more in having ever taken this horrible oath, which involved the butchery of innocent men, and of still more innocent women and children. In point of fact, the <span class= "ital">cherem </span>often broke down under the strain which it placed on men's best feelings (<a href="/1_samuel/14-45.htm" title="And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.">1Samuel 14:45</a>) as well as on their lower temptations. The guilt of breaking a guilty vow is only the original guilt of ever having made it. What the Israelites should have done was not to bathe their hands in more rivers of fraternal blood, but to pray to God to forgive the brutal vehemence which disgraced a cause originally righteous, and to have allowed the remnant of the Benjamites to intermarry with them once more. As it was, they were led by ignorance and rashness into several vows which could not be fulfilled without horrible cruelty and bloodshed, and the fulfilment of which they after all casuistically evaded, and that at the cost of still more bloodshed. As all these events took place under the guidance of Phinehas, they give us a high estimate indeed of the zeal which was his noblest characteristic (<a href="/psalms/106-30.htm" title="Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.">Psalm 106:30</a>), yet a very low estimate of his state of spiritual insight; and clearly to such a man the fulfilment of Jephthah's <span class= "ital">cherem </span>by sacrificing his daughter (see Note on <a href="/judges/11-39.htm" title="And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,">Judges 11:39</a>) would have seemed as nothing compared to the extermination of tribes and of cities, involving the shedding of rivers of innocent blood. But why should we suppose that the grandson of Aaron, in such times as these--when all was anarchy, idolatry, and restlessness, against which he either did not strive or strove most ineffectually--should stand on so much higher a level than his schismatical and semi-idolatrous cousin, the wandering grandson of Moses?<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/judges/21.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 16.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Seeing the women</span>. It is rather more in accordance with the Hebrew style to take the words as the narrator's explanation of the question, <span class="accented">What shall we do?</span> They said this because all the women of Benjamin had been destroyed. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/judges/21-16.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Then the elders</span><br /><span class="heb">זִקְנֵ֣י</span> <span class="translit">(ziq·nê)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - masculine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2205.htm">Strong's 2205: </a> </span><span class="str2">Old</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of the congregation</span><br /><span class="heb">הָעֵדָ֔ה</span> <span class="translit">(hā·‘ê·ḏāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5712.htm">Strong's 5712: </a> </span><span class="str2">A stated assemblage</span><br /><br /><span class="word">said,</span><br /><span class="heb">וַיֹּֽאמְר֨וּ</span> <span class="translit">(way·yō·mə·rū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> </span><span class="str2">To utter, say</span><br /><br /><span class="word">“What</span><br /><span class="heb">מַה־</span> <span class="translit">(mah-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Interrogative<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4100.htm">Strong's 4100: </a> </span><span class="str2">What?, what!, indefinitely what</span><br /><br /><span class="word">should we do</span><br /><span class="heb">נַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה</span> <span class="translit">(na·‘ă·śeh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6213.htm">Strong's 6213: </a> </span><span class="str2">To do, make</span><br /><br /><span class="word">about wives</span><br /><span class="heb">לְנָשִׁ֑ים</span> <span class="translit">(lə·nā·šîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_802.htm">Strong's 802: </a> </span><span class="str2">Woman, wife, female</span><br /><br /><span class="word">for those who remain,</span><br /><span class="heb">לַנּוֹתָרִ֖ים</span> <span class="translit">(lan·nō·w·ṯā·rîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3498.htm">Strong's 3498: </a> </span><span class="str2">To jut over, exceed, to excel, to remain, be left, to leave, cause to abound, preserve</span><br /><br /><span class="word">since</span><br /><span class="heb">כִּֽי־</span> <span class="translit">(kî-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the women</span><br /><span class="heb">אִשָּֽׁה׃</span> <span class="translit">(’iš·šāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_802.htm">Strong's 802: </a> </span><span class="str2">Woman, wife, female</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of Benjamin</span><br /><span class="heb">מִבִּנְיָמִ֖ן</span> <span class="translit">(mib·bin·yā·min)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1144.htm">Strong's 1144: </a> </span><span class="str2">Benjamin -- 'son of the right hand', youngest son of Jacob, also the name of two other Israelites</span><br /><br /><span class="word">have been destroyed?”</span><br /><span class="heb">נִשְׁמְדָ֥ה</span> <span class="translit">(niš·mə·ḏāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8045.htm">Strong's 8045: </a> </span><span class="str2">To be exterminated or destroyed</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/judges/21-16.htm">Judges 21:16 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/judges/21-16.htm">OT History: Judges 21:16 Then the elders of the congregation said (Jd Judg. Jdg) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/judges/21-15.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Judges 21:15"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Judges 21:15" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/judges/21-17.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Judges 21:17"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Judges 21:17" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>