Judges 21:9 kjv
For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.
Judges 21:9 nkjv
For when the people were counted, indeed, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead was there.
Judges 21:9 niv
For when they counted the people, they found that none of the people of Jabesh Gilead were there.
Judges 21:9 esv
For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.
Judges 21:9 nlt
For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-gilead was present.
Judges 21 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jdg 20:1 | Then all the children of Israel came out… from Dan to Beersheba, and the land of Gilead, to the LORD at Mizpah. | Israel's call to assembly |
| Jdg 20:8 | And all the people arose as one man, saying, "None of us will return to his tent, nor will any of us go to his house." | Collective decision to act |
| Jdg 21:1 | Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, "Not one of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife." | The solemn, binding oath |
| Jdg 21:3 | And the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly, saying, "O LORD God of Israel, why has this come to pass... | Distress over Benjamin's near extinction |
| Num 1:3 | From twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their divisions. | National muster for war |
| Num 32:20-23 | And Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you take up arms before the LORD for the war… you shall be guiltless before the LORD and before Israel…" | Duty to join Israel's battles |
| Deut 13:12-18 | If you hear within one of your cities… that scoundrels have gone out… and enticed the inhabitants of their city to serve other gods… you shall surely strike the inhabitants… | Command to utterly destroy wicked cities |
| Deut 23:21 | When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you… | Gravity of making and keeping vows |
| Josh 22:19-20 | "Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of the LORD… only do not rebel against the LORD, nor rebel against us…." | Corporate responsibility; rebellion's cost |
| 1 Sam 11:1-11 | Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh-Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh-Gilead said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us…" | Jabesh-Gilead's later vulnerability |
| 1 Sam 31:11-13 | Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose… and took the body of Saul… | Jabesh-Gilead's loyalty to Saul |
| Jdg 5:23 | "Curse Meroz," said the angel of the LORD, "Curse its inhabitants bitterly, Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty." | Judgment on those who withhold help |
| 2 Chr 12:1 | Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. | National corporate responsibility |
| Ezra 10:1-2 | While Ezra was praying… a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. | Assembly of the people |
| Rom 13:1 | Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. | Submission to lawful authority |
| Jdg 21:10 | So the congregation sent out there twelve thousand of their most valiant men and commanded them, saying, "Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword…" | Israel's violent solution |
| Jdg 21:11-12 | And this is the thing that you shall do: You shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has known a man intimately… they found among the inhabitants… four hundred young | Capturing virgins for Benjamin |
| Num 31:17-18 | Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. But keep alive for yourselves all the young women who have not known a man. | Prescribed action in holy war |
| 1 Sam 14:24-27 | Now the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, "Cursed is every man who eats any food until evening…" | Example of rash oaths and consequences |
| Psa 15:4 | …He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; He who does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent… | Keeping painful oaths |
| Prov 29:18 | Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he. | Lack of leadership and clear guidance |
| Jdg 17:6 | In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. | Explains Israel's moral chaos |
| Josh 7:1-5 | But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan… took some of the accursed things… and the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel. | Corporate responsibility for one's actions |
| Gen 49:7 | Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel. | Prophecy of dispersion (relevant to Benjamin's fate) |
| Jud 20:2-3 | The leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men on foot who drew the sword. | Scope of the national muster |
Judges 21 verses
Judges 21 9 Meaning
Judges 21:9 explains that when the assembly of Israelites took a count of those present for the battle against Benjamin, no one from the city of Jabesh-Gilead was found among them. This absence was not merely an oversight but a serious dereliction of their covenantal duty, as all tribes were called to participate in the judgment against Gibeah's grave sin. This verse pinpoints the source of Israel's subsequent solution for providing wives to the surviving Benjamite men.
Judges 21 9 Context
Judges chapter 21 concludes the grim account of Israel's descent into moral and social chaos during the period of the Judges. It immediately follows the devastating civil war initiated due to the atrocity committed in Gibeah by Benjamites, which resulted in the near annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 19-20). The other eleven tribes, united by outrage and a sense of collective purity, had fought fiercely against Benjamin, virtually eradicating all its males. However, a desperate problem arose: at the beginning of the campaign, they had sworn a solemn oath at Mizpah (Jdg 21:1) not to give their daughters to any surviving Benjamite man as wives. Now, seeing only 600 Benjamite men remaining and fearing the complete extinction of a tribe from Israel, the people were filled with deep remorse and sought a way to both keep their oath and preserve Benjamin. This verse (Judges 21:9) details a critical step in their devised, albeit unconventional and morally questionable, solution to that dilemma. They undertook a thorough census, or "mustering," to identify who among all Israel had not come up to Mizpah for the war.
Judges 21 9 Word analysis
- For: Introduces the reason or explanation for the upcoming action, showing cause and effect in the narrative flow.
- when: Establishes the temporal context; it specifies when the discovery was made.
- the people: Refers to the "congregation" or "assembly" (Hebrew: ha'edah) of Israel, implying a formal, collective body representing the nation. This was not a random gathering but a covenantal assembly.
- were mustered: (Hebrew: נִפְקְדוּ - nipqedu) From the root פָּקַד (paqad), which means "to count, appoint, visit, muster, inspect." Here, it specifically denotes a formal military census or roll call to ascertain who had joined the holy war. The passive voice ("were mustered") indicates that they were being checked or inspected. The gravity of such a muster in Israel's history (e.g., Num 1, 26) highlights its significance as an act of obedience to God and national unity.
- none: Emphasizes the absolute absence. It wasn't just a few; literally no one was found.
- of the inhabitants: (Hebrew: יֹשְׁבֵי - yoshevei) Literally, "dwellers" or "those who sit." Refers to the permanent residents of a place.
- of Jabesh-Gilead: (Hebrew: יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד - Yabesh Gil'ad) A city in Transjordan (east of the Jordan River), within the territory of Manasseh (though some suggest Gad or even Manasseh-Reuben border). Its non-participation was a serious violation of the national covenant, punishable by utter destruction (compare Deut 13:12-18 and Jdg 5:23 for Meroz). The irony here is that this city later became famously loyal to King Saul (1 Sam 11), a Benjamite, by rescuing his and his sons' bodies for honorable burial (1 Sam 31). This earlier omission set the stage for a unique resolution to the Benjamite problem.
- were there: Confirms their complete absence from the collective national effort at Mizpah.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "For when the people were mustered": This phrase highlights the systematic, meticulous nature of the Israelite assembly's actions. They were not acting haphazardly but attempting to establish accountability among all tribal members. The mustering itself reflects Israel's awareness of their communal obligations during a time of holy war and national crisis.
- "none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were there": This shocking revelation reveals a critical breach of the covenant. While the assembly might have expected some individuals or smaller groups to be missing, the total absence of an entire city or tribal contingent implied a profound neglect or outright rebellion against the collective divine mandate. Their isolation and disengagement from the national assembly was a capital offense within the context of the sacred war. This deliberate omission by Jabesh-Gilead directly paved the way for the desperate solution of seizing wives for Benjamin.
Judges 21 9 Bonus section
The specific choice of Jabesh-Gilead is highly significant for the overall narrative of Judges and later Samuel. Their dereliction of duty in Judges 21 provides a means for the other tribes to solve their problem without technically breaking their original vow not to give their daughters. The 400 virgins from Jabesh-Gilead (Jdg 21:12) served as an initial partial solution. This city later became famous for its staunch loyalty to Israel's first king, Saul, a Benjamite (1 Sam 11). They bravely rescued his body from the Philistines and gave it a respectful burial (1 Sam 31:11-13). This act of later fidelity from a city that once failed in its duty presents a poignant twist and may suggest a providential thread even within Israel's most chaotic period. The meticulous check of the muster further underlines Israel's organizational, albeit not always righteous, diligence. It speaks to a deep sense of corporate responsibility that could be leveraged for justice, yet also for acts that might seem brutal.
Judges 21 9 Commentary
Judges 21:9 serves as a pivot point in the tragic narrative of Israel's self-destruction and awkward recovery. After almost completely wiping out Benjamin, the remaining tribes faced a severe theological and practical dilemma: their solemn oath forbidding intermarriage with Benjamin versus the divine promise to maintain all twelve tribes of Israel. The discovery that Jabesh-Gilead failed to join the punitive holy war offered a peculiar loophole. The law dictated that any city in Israel that refused to join a Divinely ordained holy war (which the campaign against Gibeah was deemed to be) must itself be utterly destroyed (similar to a "banned" city). Thus, their absence made them liable for the very fate Benjamin had almost suffered. This justified Israel's subsequent, morally complex action of waging war against Jabesh-Gilead and seizing its unmarried women. This entire episode reflects the moral ambiguity and "doing what was right in their own eyes" (Jdg 21:25) mindset characteristic of the Judges period, even while trying to uphold previous oaths. It demonstrates Israel's deep, albeit flawed, commitment to oaths, yet their solutions often involved further violence and questionable ethics, relying on human wisdom rather than direct divine guidance to navigate unprecedented challenges.