Key Verse Spotlight
Judges 21:23 - Meaning and Application
Understand how this verse speaks to what you're facing and how to apply it today
Translation: World English Bible — Catholic Edition
" The children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them. "
Judges 21:23
Verse in Context
Understanding the surrounding verses prevents misinterpretation:
21 and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’”
23 The children of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them.
24 The children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there to his own inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
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Judges 21:1
"Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”"
Judges 21:2
"The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely."
Judges 21:3
"They said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”"
Judges 21:4
"On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings."
Judges 21:5
"The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to the LORD?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”"
Judges 21:6
"The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today."
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