Judges 21 6

Judges 21:6 kjv

And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

Judges 21:6 nkjv

And the children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, "One tribe is cut off from Israel today.

Judges 21:6 niv

Now the Israelites grieved for the tribe of Benjamin, their fellow Israelites. "Today one tribe is cut off from Israel," they said.

Judges 21:6 esv

And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother and said, "One tribe is cut off from Israel this day.

Judges 21:6 nlt

The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, "Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.

Judges 21 verses

Judges 21 6 Meaning

The verse articulates the deep remorse and regret of the Israelite tribes concerning the near annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin. They recognize the severe and irreversible consequence of their actions, acknowledging that one of the divinely ordained twelve tribes of Israel has been effectively severed from their nation due to the intense civil war. It marks a moment of sobering realization regarding the profound loss and the precarious state of their national unity.

Judges 21 6 Context

Judges 21:6 occurs immediately following the almost complete annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin by the other Israelite tribes in response to a horrific crime (the gang rape and murder of the Levite's concubine in Gibeah of Benjamin, detailed in Jdg 19-20). The preceding chapters describe the civil war where Israel fought Benjamin, nearly wiping them out in two initial defeats before a decisive victory. Chapter 21 opens with the shocking realization by the Israelites, particularly when they gather at Bethel, that one of their twelve foundational tribes has effectively ceased to exist, contrary to God's covenant structure for His people. Their repentance here is not necessarily over the war itself, but the tragic outcome that disrupted the very fabric of Israel as a complete nation. This lament sets the stage for the desperate and ethically compromised measures they take in the subsequent verses to try and preserve Benjamin. The phrase "in those days there was no king in Israel, and every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Jdg 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25) underlies the chaos and the deeply flawed decision-making that led to this catastrophic internal conflict.

Judges 21 6 Word analysis

• And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin

  • And: Hebrew "waw" (וְ) – Connects this verse directly to the preceding events of war and assembly, indicating a progression from action to reaction.
  • the children of Israel: Hebrew "bĕnê yiśrā’ēl" (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). This is the collective identity of the nation, emphasizing that the remorse is shared by all the other tribes who participated in the punitive war against Benjamin. It signifies their unity in collective responsibility and sorrow, even after devastating Benjamin. It reinforces their identity as the covenant people, tracing their lineage back to Jacob (Israel).
  • repented them: Hebrew "wayyinnāḥămû" (וַיִּנָּחֲמוּ), from the root "nakham" (נחם). This term often carries the meaning of being sorry, grieved, comforting oneself, or having compassion. Here, it denotes a strong sense of remorse, lament, and regret over the consequence of their actions, rather than necessarily repentance for the initial sin of warfare, but for the outcome of nearly losing a tribe. It implies a change of mind due to profound sorrow over the state of Benjamin. This is a common biblical expression for feeling deeply disturbed or sorrowful about a past event or situation.
  • for Benjamin their brother: Hebrew "binyāmîn 'āḥîhem" (בִּנְיָמִן אֲחִיהֶם). This phrase highlights the crucial familial tie. Benjamin was not an external enemy but a "brother" tribe, a kin. This emphasis underscores the tragedy and the irony of Israel engaging in fratricidal war. It stresses the internal breakdown of the tribal confederacy and the desecration of the family bond that was meant to unite them as God's people.

• their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

  • and said: Indicates their collective vocalization of their sorrow and realization.
  • There is one tribe: Hebrew "šēbheṭ ’eḥād" (שֵׁבֶט אֶחָד).
    • tribe: Hebrew "šēbheṭ" (שֵׁבֶט), literally "rod" or "staff," symbolically representing a tribe, a scepter, or a lineage. It emphasizes one of the foundational twelve divisions of Israel. The loss of a shebet affects the stability of the entire "rod" or nation.
    • one: Hebrew "'eḥād" (אֶחָד), means "one" in number. Its use here highlights the specific unit of loss and the sacred number of the covenant nation (twelve tribes). Losing even "one" (echad) disrupts the entirety (echad often carries implications of unity).
  • cut off: Hebrew "niḵraṯ" (נִכְרַת), from the root "karat" (כרת) – to cut, cut off, destroy, make a covenant (lit. "cut a covenant"). In this Niphal form, it means "to be cut off" or "exterminated." This is a severe term, often used for being "cut off from the people" due to sin or judgment, implying a permanent severance or destruction. Here, it reflects the perception that Benjamin, as a distinct tribal entity, had been functionally extinguished.
  • from Israel: Reaffirms the larger national body from which Benjamin has been separated. It's not just a tribal loss, but a national mutilation.
  • this day: Hebrew "hayyōm" (הַיּוֹם). Conveys immediacy and finality. It emphasizes the present, devastating reality of their actions and its direct impact on their identity as God's twelve-tribe nation. It makes the tragic event acutely real and pressing for them.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother": This phrase encapsulates the recognition of kin-slaying and the ensuing remorse. The national entity is shown grieving for one of its integral parts, emphasizing the tragedy of internal strife. Their sorrow is specific to Benjamin's fate, underlining the shattered bonds of fraternity within the covenant community.
  • "and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day": This declaration is the profound, public articulation of their dawning realization. It confirms the catastrophic impact of the civil war on the national structure of Israel. The emphasis on "one tribe" (singular) and "cut off" conveys the dire reality and the threat to the numerical integrity and theological significance of the twelve tribes. "This day" grounds the tragedy in immediate, tangible experience. The solemn, almost mournful tone highlights the existential crisis facing the Israelite confederation.

Judges 21 6 Bonus section

The lament over Benjamin being "cut off" speaks to a foundational aspect of Israelite theology: the number twelve representing completeness and divine order for the tribes of Israel, echoing God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The potential loss of a tribe directly challenged this understanding and raised questions about God's plan and promises to the patriarchs concerning a numerous people. This event can be seen as an early national trauma that underscored the fragility of their unity without strong, God-ordained leadership, leading directly into the repeated refrain of "no king in Israel." The drastic measures taken subsequently, such as seizing wives for Benjamin from Jabesh-Gilead and Shiloh, reveal the profound despair and the extent to which the Israelites would go to preserve the tribal integrity, even if it meant perpetuating more violence and compromise, because the thought of only eleven tribes was utterly unthinkable for their national identity and covenant future. This scenario stands in stark contrast to the divine order seen when the tribes were counted in the wilderness, or assigned their inheritance in Canaan.

Judges 21 6 Commentary

Judges 21:6 serves as a pivotal moment, marking a profound shift from the bloody zeal of retribution to a chilling realization of the consequences. The preceding conflict saw the Israelite tribes, in their fervor for justice against a heinous crime in Gibeah, nearly eradicate Benjamin. However, in this verse, their collective emotional state pivots to "repented," reflecting not just sorrow, but a deep, sorrowful relenting regarding the severity of their own actions. They come face to face with the grim reality that in pursuing justice, they themselves have brought about an outcome contrary to God's design: the decimation of one of the twelve tribes that constitute their very identity as a nation.

The description of Benjamin as "their brother" highlights the tragic fratricidal nature of the conflict. This internal wound, this self-mutilation, resonates deeply with their covenant identity, which was rooted in the twelve sons of Jacob. The statement, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day," is an admission of national diminishment. It reveals a dawning theological crisis: if God’s chosen people are meant to be a full complement of twelve tribes, how can their covenant identity and future be preserved if one is effectively extinguished? This profound recognition of national loss prompts a desperate, if morally ambiguous, search for solutions in the remainder of the chapter to prevent Benjamin's permanent disappearance. The verse implicitly underscores the period's profound moral decline and the dangers of pursuing righteousness without wisdom, mercy, or a proper understanding of unity under God's ultimate authority—an authority tragically absent during the time of the Judges.