Judges 21 14

Judges 21:14 kjv

And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.

Judges 21:14 nkjv

So Benjamin came back at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead; and yet they had not found enough for them.

Judges 21:14 niv

So the Benjamites returned at that time and were given the women of Jabesh Gilead who had been spared. But there were not enough for all of them.

Judges 21:14 esv

And Benjamin returned at that time. And they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead, but they were not enough for them.

Judges 21:14 nlt

Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the 400 women of Jabesh-gilead who had been spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them.

Judges 21 verses

Judges 21 14 Meaning

Judges 21:14 describes a phase in the efforts to reconstitute the tribe of Benjamin. After the war with the other tribes, 600 Benjamite men survived. The Israelite assembly, bound by an oath not to give their own daughters in marriage to Benjamin, sought an alternative. They had discovered that Jabesh-gilead had not participated in the punitive war against Benjamin, and consequently destroyed the city, saving only 400 virgin women. These 400 women were then given as wives to the returning Benjamites, but the verse concludes that this number was insufficient, leaving 200 Benjamite men still without wives and highlighting the continuing dilemma faced by the tribe and Israel as a whole.

Judges 21 14 Context

Judges chapter 21 concludes the grim account of Israel's moral decay following the story of the Levite's concubine. The other Israelite tribes, united in a rash and ill-conceived punitive war, had nearly annihilated the tribe of Benjamin, leaving only 600 men. Faced with the unintended consequence of effectively eradicating one of Jacob's twelve tribes, and having bound themselves by a rash oath not to intermarry with the Benjamites, the Israelites desperately sought a way to preserve the remaining survivors. This desperation led them to engage in morally questionable actions: first, the near-total destruction of Jabesh-Gilead for not joining the war (from which the 400 women were taken), and subsequently, planning the abduction of women from Shiloh (to remedy the shortfall shown in verse 14). This historical period is characterized by a lack of central authority ("no king in Israel"), leading each individual or group to act according to their own judgment, resulting in violence, tribal fragmentation, and deviation from Mosaic Law, demonstrating the need for proper leadership and adherence to divine guidance.

Judges 21 14 Word analysis

• And the Benjamites: בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin). Refers to the remaining 600 men of the tribe of Benjamin. They were in hiding at the rock of Rimmon. This highlights the narrow escape of an entire tribe from extinction.

• came again: וַיָּשֻׁבוּ (vayashuvu). From the root שׁוּב (shuv), meaning "to return" or "to turn back." Signifies their emergence from their hiding place after the tribes had developed a plan for them. It indicates a restoration of a presence, even if severely diminished.

• at that time: בָּעֵת הַהִיא (ba'et hahi). A common chronological marker in the book of Judges, often emphasizing a distinct moment or phase within the unfolding narrative. Here, it marks the completion of the "first phase" of providing wives for the Benjamites.

• and they gave them: וַיִּתְּנוּ לָהֶם (vayitt'nu lahem). From the verb נָתַן (natan), "to give." This indicates the active provision by the rest of Israel. It portrays their solution as an act of bestowing wives, albeit procured through violent means, underscoring Israel's corporate responsibility in the matter.

• the women whom they had saved alive: הֶחֱיוּ (hecheyu), Hiphil form of חָיָה (chayah), "to live," meaning "to cause to live, preserve alive." This specifies the 400 virgins from Jabesh-gilead. Their lives were specifically preserved out of an entire city's destruction, a pragmatic decision directly linked to solving Benjamin's need for wives. This selective mercy was a deviation from the prescribed herem for those who did not join the communal effort.

• of the women of Jabesh-gilead: יָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד (Yavesh Gil'ad). A city east of the Jordan River. Its entire population was annihilated by the other Israelite tribes for not participating in the war against Benjamin, with the exception of these 400 virgins.

• and yet so they sufficed them not: וְלֹא מָצָא לָהֶם דַּי (welo matsa lahem day). Literally, "and it was not found for them enough." This clearly states the quantitative inadequacy. With 400 women for 600 men, a deficit of 200 men remained without wives. This phrase drives the narrative toward the next, even more drastic, solution presented in the chapter.

• "And the Benjamites came again at that time, and they gave them": This grouping shows the decisive act of presenting the rescued women to the Benjamites immediately upon their return. It signals a move towards fulfilling the other tribes' stated intention to restore Benjamin.

• "the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead": This specifies the source of the women. It highlights the drastic and problematic method by which these wives were obtained: a ruthless and pragmatic slaughter of an Israelite city to secure spouses for a tribe they had almost wiped out. This exposes the deep moral compromises.

• "and yet so they sufficed them not": This concluding phrase powerfully states the continued shortfall. Despite the violent lengths to which the Israelites went, their initial solution was incomplete. It generates the tension for the rest of the chapter, necessitating a further, morally ambiguous plan to secure wives for the remaining Benjamite men. It underscores the severity of the demographic problem facing Benjamin and the depth of the previous destruction.

Judges 21 14 Bonus section

The desperate efforts of the Israelite tribes to save Benjamin underscore the ancient near Eastern societal importance of tribal continuity and the devastating impact of its near extinction. The careful count and distribution of women highlight a deeply pragmatic and almost mechanical approach to "problem-solving" without apparent consultation of the Lord. The selective preservation of women from Jabesh-Gilead demonstrates a calculated act that bent existing divine laws (like herem) to address a self-imposed dilemma (the rash oath). This narrative contrasts sharply with God's perfect provision and ordered systems for marriage and tribal continuity found in the Torah, emphasizing the moral abyss into which Israel had fallen.

Judges 21 14 Commentary

Judges 21:14 highlights the immediate but incomplete result of Israel's attempt to remedy the crisis concerning the Benjamite tribe. It reflects a series of human-devised, ethically dubious solutions undertaken during a period of spiritual and moral decline where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Jdg 21:25). The delivery of 400 virgins from Jabesh-gilead was a pragmatic response to the shortage of wives resulting from the Israelites' own rash oath and their punitive actions. However, the numeric insufficiency—400 women for 600 men—underscores the lingering consequences of their prior devastation and their inability to perfectly "fix" problems born of their disobedience and lack of reliance on divine counsel. The verse is a stark reminder of how human-driven strategies, even with good intentions (to prevent a tribe's extinction), can lead to further moral compromise and still fall short, necessitating more problematic interventions.