How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them our daughters in marriage?”
Parallel translations
- WEB How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”
- KJV How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
- BSB What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”
- NKJV What shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them our daughters as wives?”
- NASB What are we to do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them any of our daughters as wives?”
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 wrestled with how to provide wives for Benjamin's survivors without breaking their oath.
Overview
The vow of 21:1 created a real dilemma: the 600 survivors needed wives, but no Israelite would give a daughter. Rather than repenting of the rash oath or seeking God's wisdom, Israel looked for loopholes. The episode warns against binding oaths made apart from God's will, which can entangle even well-intentioned people in further sin.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Judg 21:1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”
- 1 Sam 14:45The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God today!” So the people rescued Jonathan, that he didn’t die.
- 1 Sam 14:28–29Then one of the people answered, and said, “Your father directly commanded the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’” The people were faint.
- Judg 21:18However we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’”
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 21:7 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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