So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.
Parallel translations
- WEB The people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely.
- KJV And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
- NKJV Then the people came to the house of God, and remained there before God till evening. They lifted up their voices and wept bitterly,
- NASB So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, and raised their voices and wept profusely.
- NLT Now the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, weeping loudly and bitterly.
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
The people came to Bethel and wept bitterly before God over the near-loss of a tribe.
Overview
Gathered before God, Israel grieved deeply that their victory had nearly erased Benjamin from the nation. Their tears reveal genuine sorrow, yet also the bitter fruit of their own rash oath and excessive vengeance. The scene shows a people troubled by consequences they themselves set in motion, lacking the wisdom to act rightly.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Judg 20:26Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.
- 1 Sam 30:4So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep.
- Judg 20:18The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.
- Judg 21:12So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
- Judg 20:23They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.”
- Gen 27:38Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, O my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.
- Josh 18:1Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,
- Judg 2:4When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
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 21:2 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.