Judges 21:8

"How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?”"

Key Reflection

In Judges 21:8, the Israelites face a dilemma after the massacre at Gibeah and the subsequent victory over Benjamin. They have sworn an oath before the Lord not to give their daughters in marriage to the surviving Benjaminites. Now, they must find a way to provide wives for these men, highlighting the severity of their earlier vow and its immediate consequences. This situation underscores the cultural importance placed on lineage and the need for the tribe of Benjamin to continue, even when their own customs and oaths threaten this continuation.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Jabesh-Galead -Is here mentioned for the first time. (See marginal references.) The name of Jabesh survives only in the Wady Yabes (running down to the east bank of the Jordan), near the head of which are situated the ruins called Ed-Deir, which are identified with Jabesh-Gilead.

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