Question 1

Why did Israel swear not to give their daughters as wives to Benjamin?

Accepted Answer

The men of Israel had just fought Benjamin because of a horrible crime that happened in Gibeah. In their anger and zeal for what was right, they swore that none of them would give his daughter as a wife to a Benjamite. This oath was meant to show how seriously they viewed the sin in Benjamin and to avoid close ties with those who had defended evil. Later they realized their oath, joined with the heavy losses in battle, almost wiped out a whole tribe and brought deep sorrow.

Question 2

Why were the Israelites weeping and asking God why this had happened?

Accepted Answer

After the battles, Israel saw how few men from Benjamin were left. They had wanted to judge sin, but now they faced the loss of an entire tribe from God’s people. So they went to the house of God, stayed there, lifted up their voices, and wept with great sorrow. They asked, “O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass… that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?” Their grief shows the tension between judging evil and mourning the heavy cost of their own actions.

Question 3

What was the purpose of destroying Jabesh gilead and taking the virgins?

Accepted Answer

When they counted the people, they saw that no one from Jabesh gilead had come to the earlier assembly to fight against Benjamin. Israel had made a strong oath that anyone who refused to come would be put to death. So they sent twelve thousand warriors to strike that town, sparing only young women who had not been with a man. These four hundred virgins were then given as wives to the surviving Benjamites. It was a harsh and troubled attempt to keep their oaths while rebuilding the tribe.

Question 4

Why did the elders tell Benjamin to seize wives from the daughters of Shiloh?

Accepted Answer

Even after taking the virgins from Jabesh gilead, there were still not enough wives for all the surviving men of Benjamin. The elders would not break their oath by openly giving their daughters, so they looked for another way. They knew there was a yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh where the daughters came out to dance. They told the Benjamites to hide in the vineyards and each seize a wife when the women came out. Then they planned to calm the angry fathers and brothers by saying they had not “given” their daughters, so their oath was not broken.

Question 5

What does the line "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" mean here?

Accepted Answer

The passage ends by saying there was no king in Israel and every man did what was right in his own eyes. This explains why so many twisted and painful things happened in this story. People were acting from their own judgment and strong feelings instead of steady, godly leadership. Even when they meant to do right, their solutions were mixed with harshness and compromise. That closing line is a warning about what happens when people follow their own ideas of right and wrong without clear guidance from God.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about oaths and their consequences?

Accepted Answer

The people’s oath not to give their daughters to Benjamin seemed right to them in a moment of hot anger and grief. Later they discovered that their own words trapped them. They could not easily help their brothers in Benjamin without twisting the situation or hurting others. This shows that making strong promises too quickly can lead to deep regret and tangled choices. It also shows that even when people make unwise vows, God can still work through their failures to preserve His people and bring some measure of restoration.

Question 7

How does this passage show both justice and mercy toward Benjamin?

Accepted Answer

First, Israel shows justice by punishing Benjamin for defending great wickedness in Gibeah. Many men of Benjamin fall in battle, and their cities are destroyed. Later, when the anger cools, the people weep for their brothers and fear losing a whole tribe. They seek ways to give the survivors wives and restore their inheritance. Their methods are flawed and harsh, yet behind them is a real desire to show mercy, keep the tribes together, and not let one branch of God’s people vanish from Israel.

Question 8

Why is this passage difficult and troubling to read?

Accepted Answer

This passage is hard to read because it includes mass killing, forced marriages, and plans that seem unfair and cruel. It shows people trying to fix one terrible situation by creating others. The Bible does not praise everything the people do here; it simply tells what happened in a time when there was no king and everyone followed their own sense of right. The story lays bare how human anger, fear, and rash promises can lead to tragic choices, and it pushes us to long for better guidance from God.

Question 9

What does this passage show about God’s care for His people?

Accepted Answer

Even though God’s name is not on every line, His care is seen in the concern that no tribe should disappear from Israel. The people cry out to Him, offer burnt and peace offerings, and speak of the Lord making “a breach” among the tribes. In their confusion and failure, God still preserves Benjamin from extinction. This points to a God who judges sin yet also guards the bigger purpose for His people, keeping them from tearing themselves apart beyond repair.

Question 10

How can believers today learn from Israel’s actions in this chapter?

Accepted Answer

Believers can learn to be slow in making strong promises, especially in anger or deep emotion, because such words can bring painful results. We see that dealing with sin is necessary, but it must be joined with humility and mercy. The story also shows the need to seek God early and carefully, not only after things fall apart. Finally, the closing words about everyone doing what is right in their own eyes warn us to look to God’s guidance instead of trusting our own feelings or group pressure.

Judges 21:1

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

Wives for the Benjamites

Mourning Lost Tribe

Provision for Their Survival

Wives for the Benjamites

Mourning Lost Tribe

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Judges 21:1

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

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Wives for the Benjamites

Mourning Lost Tribe

Provision for Their Survival

Wives for the Benjamites

Mourning Lost Tribe

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