Judges 21 24

Judges 21:24 kjv

And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.

Judges 21:24 nkjv

So the children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family; they went out from there, every man to his inheritance.

Judges 21:24 niv

At that time the Israelites left that place and went home to their tribes and clans, each to his own inheritance.

Judges 21:24 esv

And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

Judges 21:24 nlt

Then the people of Israel departed by tribes and families, and they returned to their own homes.

Judges 21 verses

Judges 21 24 Meaning

Judges 21:24 describes the departure of the Israelites from their assembly, each person returning to their tribal territory and ancestral land. It marks the concluding action after the severe inter-tribal conflict involving Benjamin and the desperate measures taken to provide wives for the surviving Benjaminites. The verse signifies a dispersal and a return to the established order of tribal living and inheritance, yet it implicitly carries the weight of the moral decay and lack of unified leadership characteristic of the era depicted throughout the Book of Judges. While they returned to their assigned land, their actions underscored a society largely adrift from God's clear statutes, reflecting a profound moral and spiritual decentralization.

Judges 21 24 Context

Judges 21:24 concludes the darkest narrative arc in the Book of Judges, spanning chapters 19-21. This segment details the horrendous sin committed by the men of Gibeah against a Levite's concubine, leading to a brutal inter-tribal war where almost the entire tribe of Benjamin was annihilated by the other tribes of Israel. Following this devastating conflict, the Israelites realized they had sworn an oath not to give their daughters in marriage to any Benjaminite, which threatened the extinction of one of their tribes. The solutions devised to rectify this dire situation – massacring the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead to provide 400 wives, and then encouraging the remaining Benjaminites to abduct virgins from Shiloh during a festival – reveal the depths of their moral depravity and their desperate, man-made solutions to covenant issues. The verse marks the end of these tumultuous events, as the tribes disperse back to their homes. Historically, this period reflects the complete decentralization of power in Israel after the death of Joshua and the elders, a time when there was no consistent central spiritual or governmental authority, leading to social breakdown, violence, and compromise, epitomized by the recurring phrase "in those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judg 17:6; 21:25).

Judges 21 24 Word analysis

• And the children of Israel departed thence:

  • And: Hebrew waw (וְ) conjoining particle. Connects the concluding action to the preceding events, showing causality and outcome.
  • the children of Israel: Hebrew Beney Yisra’el (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). This refers to the collective body of the twelve tribes. This designation typically evokes the covenant people, highlighting the contrast between their identity as God's chosen and their ungodly behavior in this period.
  • departed: Hebrew wayyelḵû (וַיֵּלְכוּ). A verb of movement, specifically "to go, walk." Signifies a physical removal from the gathering place, implying a scattering.
  • thence: Hebrew miššām (מִשָּׁם). Refers to the location where the assembly had convened, primarily Shiloh (where the Tabernacle was and the final plot for wives was executed). It emphasizes leaving the collective (albeit fractured) national gathering.

• at that time: Hebrew bā‘ēt hahî’ (בָּעֵת הַהִיא). Specifies the precise moment or period when these events occurred. It underlines the completion of the "solution" to the Benjamin problem, bringing a sense of finality to the grim saga.

• every man to his tribe:

  • every man: Hebrew ’îš ’îš (אִישׁ אִישׁ). Repetitive and emphatic, stressing the individual nature of their return. It signifies that there was no central, unified command directing a coordinated movement; rather, each person acted autonomously within their tribal affiliation. This reinforces the pervasive lack of national cohesion.
  • to his tribe: Hebrew lešibṭô (לְשִׁבְטוֹ). Refers to the patriarchal, familial lineage groups that constituted the larger nation. The tribe was the primary social and political unit. Their allegiance was still deeply rooted in these localized divisions rather than a broader national identity under God.

• and to his family: Hebrew ûlemišpaḥtô (וּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ). This denotes the smaller, extended family or clan unit within the tribe. It further delineates the basic structures to which individuals retreated, emphasizing their fundamental allegiances were not national but familial and tribal.

• and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance:

  • and they went out from thence: Hebrew wayyēṣ’û miššām (וַיֵּצְאוּ מִשָּׁם). A repetition and reinforcement of the initial "departed thence," stressing the finality and widespread nature of the dispersal from the site of assembly and conflict resolution.
  • every man: Hebrew ’îš ’îš (אִישׁ אִישׁ). Repeated from earlier, reiterating the individual nature of their return and the lack of overarching authority.
  • to his inheritance: Hebrew le’ăḥuzzātô (לְאֲחֻזָּתוֹ). This is the allotted portion of land assigned to each tribe, clan, and family after the conquest of Canaan, guaranteed by God through Joshua. This land was the divine gift, symbolizing God's faithfulness to His covenant. Returning to their inheritance implied a resumption of normalcy and the daily activities of agrarian life. However, the juxtaposition of their flawed conduct and their return to this sacred, divinely granted land subtly highlights the profound disconnect between their lives and God's holy standard. Their sin stained the land, demonstrating their failure to live righteously upon God's generous gift.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family": This phrase emphasizes the return to fragmented, localized tribal and family units after a period of collective (albeit disunited) action. It underscores the lack of a central government or spiritual authority strong enough to unify them under God's law. Their actions throughout Judges are a testament to their self-reliance and the failure to rely on God's guidance, manifesting in a retreat to what was familiar but also limited in scope.

• "and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance": This segment reiterates the dispersal and, crucially, connects it to their inherited land. The land, their divine possession, was the anchor of their existence and identity. However, returning to it after morally questionable acts reveals the tension between God's steadfast covenant faithfulness in granting them the land and Israel's repeated unfaithfulness in how they lived upon it. It's a return to status quo, but a broken status quo where personal morality and tribal interests often superseded national adherence to the divine law.

Judges 21 24 Bonus section

The concluding verse of Judges functions as a powerful rhetorical device. It completes the cycle of sin, oppression, deliverance, and apostasy by demonstrating Israel's moral low point without unified leadership. The return to their inheritance, while signifying normalcy, simultaneously highlights their unholiness contaminating God's sacred gift of the land. The book as a whole, ending with this verse, provides a foundational argument for the subsequent need for a king (as chronicled in Samuel). The chaotic events and fragmented solutions found in Judges are direct evidence of what happens when the people of God lack a righteous, central authority to guide them by His law. The solution the Israelites eventually chose—a human king like other nations—was a step towards unifying, but also introduced its own challenges if the king himself did not faithfully obey the Lord. This ending of Judges serves as a cautionary tale for all who attempt to live according to their own moral compass, rather than under the supreme rule and guidance of God.

Judges 21 24 Commentary

Judges 21:24 serves as a poignant conclusion to the Book of Judges, a period marked by anarchy and moral decay. The verse, on the surface, describes a simple act of dispersal after a national gathering, but it resonates with the deep implications of Israel's spiritual state. Having grappled with and "solved" the severe crisis concerning the tribe of Benjamin through means that gravely violated Mosaic Law and common decency, the Israelites retreat into their isolated tribal and family units. There is no unified spiritual or national introspection, no repentance, and no renewed commitment to God's covenant as a single people.

The emphasis on "every man to his tribe and to his family" and "every man to his inheritance" highlights the deep-seated tribal autonomy and lack of national unity. In an era without a king to unify them under God's law, individual tribes and even families became their own moral arbiters. This led to a society where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes," resulting in internal strife, spiritual apostasy, and ultimately, moral compromise and violence. The final dispersal means they carried these corrupting influences back into the very heart of the promised land—God's sacred inheritance. The absence of a righteous king, coupled with their consistent failure to seek divine guidance or live by covenant standards, left Israel vulnerable to internal division and external pressures, ultimately underscoring the urgent need for a divinely appointed leader to guide them according to God's righteous standards. This verse thus functions as both a conclusion to the turbulent period of the judges and a stark argument for the eventual monarchy, especially one led by a king committed to the Lord.