Judges 21:17 - They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
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What does "Judges 21:17" mean?
This verse from Judges 21:17 refers to a crisis facing the tribe of Benjamin in ancient Israel. Here's a breakdown of its meaning:
Context: The preceding chapters of Judges (especially Judges 19-21) describe a horrific civil war that almost completely wiped out the tribe of Benjamin. This war was a result of a heinous crime committed by men from Gibeah, a city of Benjamin.
"They said...": "They" refers to the elders of Israel, the leaders of the other tribes. They recognized that the decimation of Benjamin was a serious problem for the overall integrity of Israel.
"There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin...": The core issue is that almost all the men of Benjamin had been killed. The few "escaped" men (only 600) needed a way to rebuild their families and ensure the tribe's survival. "Inheritance" refers to the land and the right to carry on the tribal line. Without women to marry, these men could not have children, and the land assigned to Benjamin would be meaningless.
"...that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.": This is the key motivation. The other tribes understood that the complete extinction of one of the twelve tribes would be a disaster for Israel. The tribes believed that the twelve tribes were divinely ordained, and losing one would have serious implications for their identity, unity, and relationship with God. "Blotted out" means to be completely erased from existence, to lose all identity and future.
In summary, the verse highlights the other tribes' concern that the tribe of Benjamin was on the verge of extinction due to the civil war. They believed it was essential to find a way for the surviving men of Benjamin to marry and have children, so that the tribe could be preserved and not be wiped out of Israel.
The rest of Judges 21 describes the rather desperate (and morally questionable) measures the other tribes took to provide wives for the surviving Benjaminites, including attacking the city of Jabesh Gilead (because they did not participate in the war against Benjamin) and allowing the Benjaminites to abduct women from Shiloh.
Judges 21:17 - They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
What does "Judges 21:17" mean?
This verse from Judges 21:17 refers to a crisis facing the tribe of Benjamin in ancient Israel. Here's a breakdown of its meaning:
Context: The preceding chapters of Judges (especially Judges 19-21) describe a horrific civil war that almost completely wiped out the tribe of Benjamin. This war was a result of a heinous crime committed by men from Gibeah, a city of Benjamin.
"They said...": "They" refers to the elders of Israel, the leaders of the other tribes. They recognized that the decimation of Benjamin was a serious problem for the overall integrity of Israel.
"There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin...": The core issue is that almost all the men of Benjamin had been killed. The few "escaped" men (only 600) needed a way to rebuild their families and ensure the tribe's survival. "Inheritance" refers to the land and the right to carry on the tribal line. Without women to marry, these men could not have children, and the land assigned to Benjamin would be meaningless.
"...that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.": This is the key motivation. The other tribes understood that the complete extinction of one of the twelve tribes would be a disaster for Israel. The tribes believed that the twelve tribes were divinely ordained, and losing one would have serious implications for their identity, unity, and relationship with God. "Blotted out" means to be completely erased from existence, to lose all identity and future.
In summary, the verse highlights the other tribes' concern that the tribe of Benjamin was on the verge of extinction due to the civil war. They believed it was essential to find a way for the surviving men of Benjamin to marry and have children, so that the tribe could be preserved and not be wiped out of Israel.
The rest of Judges 21 describes the rather desperate (and morally questionable) measures the other tribes took to provide wives for the surviving Benjaminites, including attacking the city of Jabesh Gilead (because they did not participate in the war against Benjamin) and allowing the Benjaminites to abduct women from Shiloh.