| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Judges Chapter
Twenty-one
Judges 21
Chapter Contents
The Israelites lament for the Benjamites.
Israel lamented for the Benjamites
and were perplexed by
the oath they had taken
not to give their daughters to them in marriage. Men
are more zealous to support their own authority than that of God. They would
have acted better if they had repented of their rash oaths
brought
sin-offerings
and sought forgiveness in the appointed way
rather than attempt
to avoid the guilt of perjury by actions quite as wrong. That men can advise
others to acts of treachery or violence
out of a sense of duty
forms a strong
proof of the blindness of the human mind when left to itself
and of the fatal
effects of a conscience under ignorance and error.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Judges》
Judges 21
Verse 1
[1] Now
the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh
saying
There shall not any of us give
his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
Had sworn — In
the beginning of this war
after the whole tribe had espoused the quarrel of
the men of Gibeah.
Saying —
They do not here swear the utter extirpation of the tribe
which fell out
beyond their expectation
but only not to give their daughters to those men who
should survive; justly esteeming them for their villainy
to be as bad as
Heathens
with whom they were forbidden to marry.
Verse 4
[4] And it came to pass on the morrow
that the people rose early
and built
there an altar
and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
An altar —
Not for a monument of the victory
but for sacrifices
as the next words shew.
There might be in that place more altars than one
when the multitude of
sacrifices be required
which was the case
1 Kings 8:64
and probably at this time
when
all the tribes being met
they had many sacrifices to offer
some in common for
all
and some peculiar to every tribe.
Verse 5
[5] And
the children of Israel said
Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that
came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath
concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh
saying
He shall surely
be put to death.
Great oath —
That is a solemn oath joined with some terrible execration against the offenders
herein.
Put to death —
Because by refusing to execute the vengeance due to such malefactors
they were
justly presumed guilty of the crime
and therefore liable to the same
punishment
as was the case of that city that would not deliver up an Idolater
dwelling among them
to justice.
Verse 6
[6] And
the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother
and said
There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
Repented —
Not for the war
which was just and necessary
but for their immoderate
severity in the execution of it. That is no good divinity which swallows up
humanity. Even necessary justice is to be done with compassion.
Verse 15
[15] And the people repented them for Benjamin
because that the LORD had made
a breach in the tribes of Israel.
The Lord
… —
The Benjamites were the only authors of the sin
but God was the chief author
of the punishment
and the Israelites were but his executioners.
Verse 17
[17] And
they said
There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin
that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
An inheritance —
The inheritance promised by Jacob and Moses
and given by Joshua to the tribe
of Benjamin
doth all of it belong to those few who remain of that tribe
and
cannot be possessed by any other tribe; and therefore we are obliged to procure
wives for them all
that they may make up this breach
and be capable of
possessing and managing all their land: that this tribe
and their inheritance
may not be confounded with
or swallowed up by any of the rest.
Verse 19
[19] Then
they said
Behold
there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place
which is on the north side of Bethel
on the east side of the highway that
goeth up from Bethel to Shechem
and on the south of Lebonah.
A feast —
Probably it was the feast of tabernacles
which they celebrated with more than
ordinary joy. And that feast was the only season
at which the Jewish virgins
were allowed to dance. But even this was not mixed dancing. No men danced with
these daughters of Shiloh. Nor did the married women so forget their gravity
as to join with them. However their dancing thus in public
made them an easy
prey: whence Bishop Hall observes
"The ambushes of evil spirits carry
away many souls from dancing to a fearful desolation."
Verse 21
[21] And
see
and
behold
if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances
then
come ye out of the vineyards
and catch you every man his wife of the daughters
of Shiloh
and go to the land of Benjamin.
Daughters of Shiloh — By
whom we may understand not those only who were born or settled inhabitants
there
but all those who were come thither upon this occasion
and for a time
sojourned there: for although only the males were obliged to go up to the three
solemn feasts; yet the women had liberty to go
and those who were most devout
did usually go.
Vineyards —
Which were near to the green where they danced.
Catch —
Take them away by force
which they might the better do
because the women
danced by themselves.
Verse 23
[23] And
the children of Benjamin did so
and took them wives
according to their
number
of them that danced
whom they caught: and they went and returned unto
their inheritance
and repaired the cities
and dwelt in them.
And took
… —
That is
each man his wife. By which we may see
they had no very favourable
opinion of polygamy
because they did not allow it in this case
when it might
seem most necessary for the reparation of a lost tribe.
Repaired — By
degrees
increasing their buildings as their number increased.
Verse 25
[25] In
those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in
his own eyes.
Right in his own eyes — What wonder was it then
if all wickedness overflowed the land? Blessed
be God for magistracy!
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Judges》
21 Chapter 21
Verses 1-25
The men of Israel had sworn.
An unreasonable oath
1. It was an oath that flowed from rash rage rather than from real
zeal. Men must swear in judgment (Jeremiah 4:2)
not when transported with
passion
as Israel was now against Benjamin; their fiery spirits stood now in
more need of a bridle than of a spur.
2. It was an uncharitable oath
as it was against the repairing of a
perishing tribe
which the law of charity bound them to support
and not to see
it perish out of the land through the want of their helping hand.
3. It appears unlawful
as it crossed the revealed will of God in
Jacob’s prophetical blessing upon this tribe (Genesis 49:27)
and that of Moses also (Deuteronomy 33:12)
both which prophecies
had been spoiled had this one of the twelve tribes been extinguished.
4. The performance of this unreasonable oath was likewise bloody and
barbarous
for by virtue of their oath their blind zeal transported them to
destroy many persons in all those cities of Benjamin who had no hand in that
foul act of the men of Gibeah. (C. Ness.)
One tribe lacking.
One lacking
This inquiry represents the spirit of the whole Bible; that is all
that I have to say. It is indeed not so much an inquiry as a wail
a burst of
sorrow
a realised disunion
a shattered kinship. Israel was meant to be
foursquare--twelve
without flaw
at every point a noble integer. Benjamin is
threatened with extinction
Benjamin is not in the house of God
Bethel
a city
literally
but a sanctuary spiritually
and Benjamin is outside. Men should not
take these facts with indifference. I have no faith in your indifferent piety
in your piety that can allow any man to be outside
and never ask a question
about him or send a message to him. That is not Christianity. From the first
Benjamin was a little one
having only some thirty or forty thousand fighting
men
a figure that went for nothing in the numbering of old Israel
and over a
very delicate and difficult question he came into collision with the rest of
Israel. He was alone
and after an almost superhuman resistance he was
overborne
all but extirpated
and he went away and hid himself some four
months in the rock Rimmon
the inviolable rock of the pomegranate
and there he
took account of himself. How many am I? Thousands fell and thousands more;
eighteen thousand fell
all men of valour
over against Gibeah towards the sun
rising
and we are now dwindled into some six hundred men
and nobody cares for
us
and nobody seeks us out. Wait a moment. Perhaps at that very time all
Israel was saying
“Are we all here? All but Benjamin. And why is Benjamin not
here? O Lord God of Israel
why is this come to pass in Israel
that there
should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?” But you are eleven! Yes. What of
one? What of one? “What man of you
having a hundred sheep
and one of them
being gone astray
doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness
and go
alter the one that is lost
until he find it?” Thrice repeated--that is the way
of the dear old Scriptures. Whenever the proper name is repeated
the
repetition is the sign of concern
solicitude
anxiety. “Martha
Martha”;
“Simon
Simon”; “O Jerusalem
Jerusalem”--the same pathos. “O Lord God of
Israel
why is this come to pass in Israel
that there should be to-day one
tribe lacking in Israel?” We see from Bethel what we never saw from the
battlefield. Until you have seen the world from the house of God you have never
seen it. You have never seen man till you have seen him from the Cross. Keep up
the Church. That is the specular tower that is the point of vision. Until you
have seen the world religiously you have not seen it
you twaddling
tinkering
niggling reformer. Now you can look at this text as a sentiment
as a
discipline
as an encouragement.
I. A sentiment.
Why? Is not this the human aspect of the solicitude of God’s heart? In this
respect as well as in others is man made after the image and likeness of God.
In all such emotion there is a suggestion infinite in scope and tenderness
a
suggestion of humility
family completeness
absolute unselfishness
redemption
forgiveness
reconstruction
everlasting joy
the gathered
fractions consolidated into an everlasting integer. But you will have that lost
man. And Paul
that marvellous compound of Moses and Christ
honouring the
majesty of the law as he always did
yet feeling its weakness in the presence
of sin
did he not tremble under the same emotion? He says
“I am in continual
sorrow.” Great heavens! what is the matter? It is not enough for him that the
forces of the Gentiles are moving towards the Cross
that from Midian
Ephraim
and Sheba men are rising to show forth the praises of the Lord. Not enough;
what more do you want? “I could wish myself accursed; anathema from Christ and
my brethren
my kinsmen according to the flesh. My heart’s desire and prayer to
God is that Israel might be saved. For see how the doves are flocking to the
windows! I know
I know: beautiful! Thank God for it
but”--and who is it that
speaks thus?--I would know this man. “I am of the seed of Israel.” What tribe?
Ah
what tribe? Hush! You want music now--not the blare of the organ but the
whisper of the harp. “Of the tribe of Benjamin.” Why
that is the tribe that is
lacking in the text. Yes. Thus history rolls round in ennobled and amplified
repetition and variety--evolution unimaginable in vastness and variety. He is
of the tribe of Benjamin. In Judges all Israel mourns that Benjamin was
lacking. In the Romans Benjamin mourns that all Israel is away. If you have
lost your tears
you have lost your Christianity. The Bible varies a good deal
in historical and even moral colour
but it never varies in pity
love
and
mercy. From the first God loved man with atoning and redeeming love. We want
all the genius
all the poetry
all the letters; we want them and welcome them
all if they will be servants in the house of God
and help us in the expression
of an inexpressible pity--a contradiction in words
a harmony in experience. I
challenge you--graciously and lovingly--and I think you will not find one bare
place in all the area of the Book. Let us try it. In Eden there is a promise;
in the wilderness there is a tabernacle--a mercy-seat. In Genesis there is “a
covenant.” In Malachi there is “a book of remembrance.” In Exodus “the Lord
keeps mercy for thousands
and forgives iniquity
transgression
and sin.” In
Numbers there will be nothing! Yes
in Numbers “the Lord is long-suffering and
of great mercy
forgiving iniquity and transgression.” Why
what more could He
do on Calvary? And that in Numbers
which you thought a bare place. In Judges
“the Lord is grieved for the memory of Israel.” In Samuel
when the
avenging angel had gone forth He recalled the angel
and “let the lifted
thunder drop.” But Chronicles--they will be all details
annals
and a field
for the higher critics rather to pull to pieces. There will be nothing
I
think
in the Chronicles. Will there not? In the Chronicles
God says
“If His
people will seek His face and turn away from their wicked ways
He will hear
them from heaven. He will forgive their sins. He will heal their land.”
And as for the Psalms.
What need we say of them
or of Isaiah
or Jeremiah
or Ezekiel? They are golden
with the love of God. In Hosea God heals the backsliding of His people
and
loves them freely. Even James
a man without poetry
a church without a spire
wrote his letter to the twelve tribes--twelve. They were scattered
abroad--but no scattering can kill the household of faith. Now is it possible
for any tribe to be lacking
to become extinct? Where
for example
is the
tribe of Dan? It disappeared beyond record in the 1st Chronicles
and is not named in the Apocalypse
but its few thousand members amalgamated
with some other tribe
say
with this very tribe of Benjamin. Yet even in the
Apocalypse the number of the tribes is twelve
twelve foundations
and twelve
gates of twelve pearls. And we may be absentees
but God’s house shall
be filled. Now that is the text as a sentiment. A great moan
a most tender
passionate
evangelistic feeling.
II. This high
feeling has also a disciplinary aspect
and therefore there is a whole field of
complete and ardent loyalty. When Deborah sang her triumphant song she
disclosed the sterner aspect of this case. She mentioned the absentees by name
and consigned them to the withered immortality of oblivion. “Why should there?”
said that mother heart
“why should there have been one tribe lacking on that
day of the battle? Why?” “Reuben remained among the sheepfolds” and listened to
the bleatings of his flock when he ought to have answered the call of the
trumpet
and helped to repulse the nine hundred chariots of Sisera. “The Lord
will have hold of him yet.” Why was he lacking on that day? Oh
he was
preoccupied; he sent promises
but he remained at home among the flocks when he
ought to have been serving with the army. And some are criticising the sermon
who ought to be out saving sinners. Oh
these prior engagements
these domestic
excuses
these parliament and council and other engagements that prevent our
being at the war. And Gilead abode beyond Jordan
and Dan was concealed in
ships
and Asher peered from behind the creeks and wondered how the war was
going on. Is it not so with you? Do not hinder your fellow-soldiers if you
cannot help them. Any fool can do mischief. Stupidity can sneer at enthusiasm
and we may remain away from the battle. Do you think that is going to interfere
with the success of these great evangelistic movements and missionary
movements? There is another variety
oh
very singular indeed! There is a
lacking
or an absence
which affects great indignation because it has not been
sent for. Do you know nothing about that? You do! They stand back for a space
that they may see whether they will be missed. You have heard of these men?
They say
“We are just waiting to see whether a circular will be sent to us.
One has been sent next door
and we are simply waiting to see.” You are not!
You are grieving the Spirit of God. Now
there was a band in old Israel who
tried this trick in three instances
but I think the third was the last. Once
Gideon overthrew the Midianites
and held in his one hand the head of Prince
Oreb and in his other hand the head of Prince Zeeb. The Ephraimites chided him
severely because they were not sent for--they would have been very glad to have
held somebody’s dead head in their hands. It was the trick of Ephraim. They
tried it once upon the son
of the harlot of Gilead. Ephraim said to Jephthah
“When thou passedst over to
fight against the children of Ammon
why didst thou not call on us to go with
thee?” One can be fully valorous the day after the fight
and when all is dead
and gone they say
“Why were not we sent fort” And Jephthah was a bold and
plain-spoken man--base-born
but he could not help that--but the Spirit of the
Lord was in him
and the wrath of the Divine fire burned in his bones
and he
said I will tell you. “Ephraim
hear me; I did once send for you
and you did not
come. You did not come
and now that you are trying this stale trick upon
others I will put an end to you
at least to a considerable extent
” and that
day he choked the passages of the Jordan with the carcases of forty-two
thousand Ephraimites. So there are two kinds of lacking--a lacking that excites
pity and emotion and compassion
and a lacking that excites indignation. Find
opportunities. Be on the alert for chances. Watch; thou knowest not when the
enemy may come
or the Lord. Be faithful. Remember that Christianity is a
battlefield as well as a contemplation and doctrine. Is the whole fighting
strength of the Church on the field? Are any enjoying delights of civilisation
who ought to be taking part in the war?
III. Now
we are
looking at it as a discipline
but we may look at it next and finally as an
encouragement. Some are no longer in the battle
yet they are not lacking in
the sense of the text. They are not here--they are here. Even the mighty David
waxed faint. He was but seventy when he died. When I say “but seventy” do I not
speak carelessly? What a seventy! When he tottered under his weakness in one of
his closing battles he nearly fell. In one of his closing battles there was a
Philistine who had a sword and was pressing the king most heavily
and it was
going badly with King David. The Philistine was hard upon him; hard upon him
who slew the lion and the bear and the giant of Gath; hard upon him who made
Jerusalem rich with the golden shields of Hadad; and the royal captains rushed
to falling David and got around him and said
“Thou shalt go out with us no
more to the battle
that they quench not the light of Israel
” and they stood
up as iron might stand
and to the foe they said
“God save the king
” and to
David they said--they whispered--“You shall not go with us any more to the
battle
that they quench not the light of Israel.” Henceforth he was to be
lacking
yet not lacking. My dear old septuagenarian or octogenarian
or
whatever your age may be
no more to the battle. We would not say that to the enemy; but you shall
go out to no more wars; you shall still be with us; you shall pray for us and
help us in the Council Chamber
and give us the benefit of your rich
experience; but no more to the battle. No
my old friends
we still have you
you are with us as reminiscences
examples
memories
inspirations. “I look
round my table
” says one and says another; “my boys are not with me as they
used to be. I miss them. They used to go with me to the village chapel
but
they are lacking now. O Lord God of Israel
why is my son lacking? He is taken
up with a language I do not understand. I was trained very simply
believingly
in the great redeeming truths of the gospel
but he talks to me now in a
language I cannot understand
and he no more sings the old hymns and goes to
the dear old house of prayer.” Lacking! Have you brought no word for me this
morning? Yes
I have a word for you. He may return. He is going through a very
difficult process now; you know your son is a very prosperous man
and prosperity
takes a good deal of chastening in order to remain pious. But he may return. I
will tell you how he may return. He will have a little child
and she will be
the delight of his heart
and when she is about five or six she will sicken
and in the deep dark night she will say to him
“Father
give me one long
long
kiss
” and she will pass away; and he will look round for some of his books.
They will have nothing to say to him
and he will alight upon an old
old book
and he will read
“And Jesus called unto Him a little child”; and he will read
“Suffer little children to come unto Me”; and in secret and in darkness he will
drop on his knees at the bedside
and angels will say
“Behold he prayeth.”
Adversity will do what prosperity cannot do. Loss will be gain. So he may
return. (J. Parker
D. D.)
Every man did that which
was right in his own eyes.--
Confusion and misery through want of orders
A visitor was once standing at a friend’s door. He knocked
and
knocked; but there was nobody to open. Perhaps no one was at home? Oh
yes;
there was a noise within
which plainly showed that more than one or two or
three were there. Again he knocked
and waited; then at last a servant came.
“She was very sorry
but she had been with the children who were all quarrelling.”
This
then
explained the noise. Sounds of crying and anger were now heard from
a room upstairs
while a little fellow ran forward to welcome the visitor.
“Why
what’s the matter?” “Oh
sir
father and mother are both out
and it is
so miserable!” “How so?” “Why
we are all left to do as we like; there is
nobody to manage us!” This was strange
was it not? Doing “as they liked”
seemed to bring nothing but disorder and misery until father came home again!
Now
I do not know whether those parents were wise and careful or not
or
whether they could have done better with their family than to leave it so. But
I know that at one time the people of God
dwelling in the promised land
were
left by Him very much as those children were left. This was perhaps partly a
punishment for their wilfulness and sin. They had thought they could manage for
themselves very well
and now God let them try. Then there was wisdom and kindness
too
in thus showing them that they needed the care and power of a wiser
mightier One than they. (S.
G. Green
D. D.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》