Judges 21:22

And when their fathers and brothers arrive, and they begin to complain against you and to argue, we will say to them: ‘Take pity on them. For they have not seized them by right of war or conquest. Instead, begging to receive them, you did not give them, and so the sin was on your part.’”

Catholic Public Domain Version

In The 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.

In Context

21And when you will have seen daughters of Shiloh being led out to dance, according to custom, go forth suddenly from the vineyards, and let each one seize one wife from among them, and travel into the land of Benjamin.

23And so the sons of Benjamin did just as they had been ordered. And according to their number, they seized for themselves one wife each, out of those who were led out dancing. And they went into their own possession, and they built up their cities, and they lived in them.

Read all of Judges 21

Cross References

Genesis 7:13On the very same day, Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark.

Judges 21:7From where shall they receive wives? For we have all sworn in common that we will not give our daughters to them.”

Judges 21:18As for our own daughters, we are not able to give them, being bound by an oath and a curse, when we said, ‘Accursed is he who will give any of his daughters to Benjamin as a wife.’”

Mark 10:6But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.

Philemon 1:9but I beg you instead, for the sake of charity, since you are so much like Paul: an old man and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Matthew Henry on Judges 21:17-25

The Virgins of Shiloh Surprised. ( b. c. 1409.) 16 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? 17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel. 18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin. 19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Judges 21:22