Bible Commentaries

had sworn: i.e. before the fighting of Jdg 20.

the house of God. Probably Shiloh, Compare Judges 21:12 with Judges 18:31.

God. Hebrew. ha-"Elohim, "the [true] God". App-4.

wept sore. Figure of speech Polyptoton (App-6), "wept a great weeping". See note on Genesis 26:28. Benjamin is indeed, now, "a son of sorrow" (Ben-oni, a son of sorrow. Genesis 35:18).

LORD God = Jehovah Elohim. App-4.

offered. Hebrew. "alah. App-43.

children = sons.

congregation = military assembly.

children = little children. Hebrew. taph. Compare Judges 13:5.

man = male. Hebrew. zakar.

young virgins. Hebrew young women, virgins.

virgins. Hebrew. bethulah.

Shiloh. See note on Judges 18:31.

call peaceably = proclaim peace.

a feast of the LORD. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "a feast to Jehovah".

yearly. The three feasts had come down to one. Apostasy was the cause of all their internal disorders.

north side, &c. Shiloh and the house of Jehovah were so neglected that these minute instructions were necessary to enable an Israelite to find it. We have the same difficulty to-day; and when we find it we too often find, not the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. but what answers to that which we find in Judges 21:21.

Lebonah. AUTHORIZED VERSION 1611 reads "Lebanon" by an error. Modern "Lubban", about 3 miles north-west of Shiloh.

dance in dances. This is what "religion" had come to in those days of apostasy, by which we must judge it.

man. Heb, "ish. App-14.

at this time, &c.: i.e. "at the time when ye would have incurred guilt [by so doing]".

repaired = rebuilt, or built up.

no king. Note the structural arrangement of the four occurrences of this expression. See note on Judges 18:1.

did = did continually. This is the Divine summing up of the whole book, by way of Epilogue. All the evil follows as the result of the disobedience in Judges 1:27-36.