Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 21:23
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.
23. took them wives carried off ] Render carried off wives seized. The expression to take wives in the sense of marry is found only in late writings; the reference here, however, is not to marriage, but to capture. This verse closes the narrative of A.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Compare the very similar account of the rape of the Sabine women by the Romero youths at the festival of the Consualia, as related by Livy.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. They went and returned unto their inheritance] It appears that the Benjamites acted in the most honourable way by the women whom they had thus violently carried off; and we may rest assured they took them to an inheritance at least equal to their own, for it does not appear that any part of the lands of the Benjamites was alienated from them, and the six hundred men in question shared, for the present, the inheritance of many thousands.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
According to their number, i.e. each man his wife, as is said, Jdg 21:22. By which we may see they had no very favourable opinion of polygamy, because they did not allow it is this case, when it might seem most necessary for the reparation of a lost tribe.
Returned into their inheritance; which being very near the place, they could speedily do before the parents could obtain redress.
Repaired the cities,
and dwelt in them; not at that instant, which could not be; but by degrees, increasing their buildings as their number increased.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the children of Benjamin did so,…. Went and laid wait in the vineyards, and when the daughters of Shiloh came out to dance, they rushed upon them:
and took them wives according to their number; two hundred of them, each man a wife, and no more; for though polygamy was in use in those times, and if at any time necessary, and could be excused, it might seem now; yet it was not indulged to, neither by the elders, nor by the children of Benjamin:
of them that danced whom they caught; the rape of the Sabine virgins by Romulus, at the arena plays and shows, mentioned by various authors h, and the carrying off of fifteen Spartan virgins from the dances by Aristomenes the Messenian i, are sometimes observed as parallel cases to this, and justified by it, particularly that of Romulus k:
and they went and returned unto their inheritance; the six hundred Benjaminites, with their wives, returned to their own tribe, which was their inheritance by lot; and these, being the only survivors, had a right to the whole:
and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them: in process of time they rebuilt the cities the Israelites had burnt in the late war, and repeopled them as their posterity increased. And the Jewish writers say, that in later times they were allowed to marry with other tribes as before, since the oath only bound those present at Mizpeh; for they observe, that it ran only,
there shall not any of us, c. not any of our sons they might give wives to Benjamin, and so in time they became numerous again.
h Liv. Hist. l. 1. p. 7, 8. Flor Hist. Rom. l. 1. c. 1. Aurel. Victor. de Vir Illustr. c. 2. Valer. Maxim. l. 1. c. 4. i Hierop adv. Jovinian. l. 1. fol. 17. B, C. k Vid. Albericum Gentil. de armis Roman l. 2. p. 114.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Benjaminites adopted this advice. They took to themselves wives according to their number, i.e., two hundred (according to Jdg 21:12, compared with Jdg 20:47), whom they caught from the dancing daughters of Shiloh, and returned with them into their inheritance, where they rebuilt the towns that had been reduced to ashes, and dwelt therein.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
23. Repaired the cities A great work for six hundred men to do, for all the cities of their tribe had been destroyed. Jdg 20:48.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jdg 21:23 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.
Ver. 23. And took them wives. ] Without consent of parents or parties, to the great grief of both no doubt. Much mischief hath followed upon such rapes, and many bloody wars: as between the Grecians and Trojans, the Romans and Sabines, the Emperor Maximilian and Charles VIII king of France, about Anne the only daughter of the Duke of Britanny, espoused to Maximilian, but violently taken away by Charles. The Britons, or Welsh, that, being driven out by the Saxons, first came into that dukedom, and gave the name to it, taking wives of that country, and finding them troublesome, are said to have cut out their tongues. It is likely there was somewhat to do, ere these couples could agree that came together so ungainly: but necessity, which is a hard weapon, and a later consent might heal all, and the women keep their tongues in their heads.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
repaired = rebuilt, or built up.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
and they went: It appears that the Benjamites acted in the most honourable way to the women they had thus violently carried off, and we may rest assured, that they took them to an inheritance more than equal to their own. But this transaction, as well as the indiscriminate massacre of the people of Jabesh-gilead, as Dr. Gray observes, was certainly stamped with injustice and cruelty; and must be condemned on those principles which the Scriptures elsewhere furnish.
repaired: Jdg 20:48
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 21:23. They took them wives according to their number That is, each man took 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. And repaired the cities By degrees, increasing their buildings as their number increased.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
21:23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took [them] wives, according to their {k} number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
(k) Meaning, two hundred.