And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
Parallel translations
- WEB The children of Israel asked Yahweh (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
- BSB And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,
- NKJV So the children of Israel inquired of the Lord (the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
- NASB And the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
- NLT The Israelites went up seeking direction from the Lord. (In those days the Ark of the Covenant of God was in Bethel,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel inquired of Yahweh, for the ark of the covenant was at Bethel in those days.
Overview
The narrator notes that the ark, the visible sign of God's covenant presence and throne, was present, lending weight to the inquiry. This detail also dates the events early in the period of the judges, near the time of the conquest generation. The ark points forward to Christ, in whom God truly dwells among his people and through whom we draw near to God (Hebrews 9:11-12).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Sam 4:3–4And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
- Josh 18:1And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.
- Judg 20:18And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.
- Num 27:21And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
- Judg 20:23(And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)
- Ps 78:60–61So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;
- Isa 59:1Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
- Jer 7:12But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 20:27 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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