Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 21:11
And this [is] the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
11. And this is the thing do ] Similarly Jdg 20:9.
ye shall utterly destroy ] The city and all its inhabitants were to become rem, placed under the ban, for not taking part in the holy war against Benjamin; cf. Jdg 20:48 n. This episode is based upon Num 31:7; Num 31:17 f. (a late stratum of P). The writer again betrays his forgetfulness: he fails to copy his model in the important particular ye shall keep alive the virgins for yourselves Num 31:18. The words are accordingly supplied by LXX. cod. B and mss.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ye shall utterly destroy – More exactly, Ye shall devote to utter destruction, or cherem (Lev 27:28 note).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
But not the virgins, as appears from the next verses. It is questionable whether they were not obliged to destroy these also by virtue of their oath, and of Gods express command concerning devoted persons, such as these certainly were, that they should surely be put to death. Lev 27:29, which was also particularly enjoined and practised in such cases, as Deu 13; Jos 7, &c. But the natural and necessary duty of preserving a tribe from total ruin, might seem to render the case difficult and doubtful, and incline their opinions, as well as their affections, to the more favourable side. And it may be, the Lord, whom they were here consulting with upon all their occasions, gave them a dispensation thus to do, though that be not expressed; which is the case of many other things which were done, though not recorded; as this very oath was omitted in its proper place, and had not been recorded if this extraordinary occasion had not been offered.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And this is the thing that ye shall do,…. Which they gave them in charge to execute:
ye shall utterly destroy every male; without any reserve, young or old, married or unmarried:
and every woman that hath lain by man; whether lawfully or unlawfully, in a married or unmarried state.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(11) Ye shall utterly destroy.The verb is tacharmi.e., Ye shall place under the ban (cherem), ye shall devote to destruction. The words of the cherem are almost identical with those of the indignant command of Moses after the war with Midian alluded to in the last verse (Num. 31:17-18), and there the same exception is made. (Comp. Lev. 27:21-28; Num. 21:2-3.) The words are easy to read; it is needless to dwell on the horror of the massacre which they describe. We are dealing throughout with the fierce passions of men living in times of gross spiritual darkness; for we cannot doubt that the oath against Jabesh-Gilead was carried out, though the writer drops a veil over all but the result. The vow of destruction (cherem, anathema, Lev. 27:28-29) was quite different from the vow of devotion (neder) and the vow of abstinence (corban).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(11) To dance in dances.Possibly the dances of the vintage festival. There is a fountain in a narrow dale, at a little distance from Shiloh, which was very probably the scene of this event. It is a needless conjecture that the feast was the Passover, and the dances a commemoration of the defeat of the Egyptians, like those of Miriam. There seems to have been no regular town at Shiloh; at least, no extensive ruins are traceable. It was probably a community like the Beth-Micah (see Note on Jdg. 18:2), which was mainly connected with the service of the Tabernacle. The daughters of Shiloh would naturally include many women who were in one way or other employed in various functions about the Tabernacle, and not only those who came there to worship (1Sa. 2:22, where assembled should be rendered served, as in Num. 4:23; the handmaid of the priests is mentioned in 2Sa. 17:17). But the traces of female attendants in the sanctuary are more numerous in Jewish traditions than in Scripture.
Catch you every man his wife.The scene is very analogous to the famous seizure of the Sabine women at the Consualia, as described in Liv. i. 9. St. Jerome (adv. Jovin, 1 41) quotes another parallel from the history of Aristomenes of Messene, who once, in a similar way, seized fifteen Spartan maidens, who were dancing at the Hyacinthia, and escaped with them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 21:11. Every woman that hath lien by man This exception for the preservation of virgins was received in all nations, and was in time the source of the many prerogatives wherewith virgins were honoured; those which they received among the Romans were extraordinary. See Martin’s Explication des Textes, p. 130.
REFLECTIONS.Their zeal for the destruction of Benjamin was scarcely so great as is their anguish now that their warmth has subsided. What increases their grief is, that, at Mizpeh, they bound themselves by a solemn oath, not only to destroy every city that should neglect their summons, but also never to give their daughters in marriage to a Benjamite; so that, having slain all the women, and being by their oath disabled from giving them others, while it was forbidden them to marry with the nations around them, though the six hundred men have escaped, the tribe is in danger of being extinct: Note; (1.) Even true zeal may be carried too far. (2.) When our spirits are exasperated, we too often speak and do what, in cooler moments, we wish unsaid and undone. On this mournful occasion,
1. They wept before God in bitterness of soul. More affected with Benjamin’s destruction, than pleased with their own victory, they spread their complaints before the sanctuary, and offer up their sacrifices in such abundance, that they built a temporary altar for that service. Note; (1.) Our distresses should drive us to God. (2.) Under all our griefs, the blood of atonement will afford us relief. (3.) They, who pour out their complaints to the God of all grace, will usually find a way to extricate themselves from their difficulties.
2. The method which they took to prevent the ruin of the tribe. On reviewing the troops, the men of Jabesh-gilead were found absent. As bound by their oath, they immediately detach twelve thousand of their most valiant troops to smite men, women, and children, except such as had not known man; these are to be reserved for their distressed brethren. Having performed this service in the utter ruin of Jabesh-gilead, they returned with four hundred young virgins to the camp in Shiloh. Messengers are now dispatched to the men who remained in the rock Rimmon; they, glad to embrace the offer of peace, come down to their brethren, and thankfully receive the wives provided for them, though there yet remained a great deficiency. Note; (1.) The quarrels of brethren are usually bitter, and seldom end thus in bands of firmer friendship. (2.) They who make rash vows have only themselves to blame for the difficulties in which they may afterwards be involved.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jdg 21:11 And this [is] the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
Ver. 11. Ye shall utterly destroy every male. ] This also was a barbarous and bloody decree, Eze 18:20 not unlike Draco’s laws, whereof Aristotle giveth this commendation, that they are not worth remembrance, but only for their severity.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
man = male. Hebrew. zakar.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
every male: Num 31:17, Num 31:18, Deu 2:34
hath lain by man: Heb. knoweth the lying with man
Reciprocal: Lev 27:28 – no devoted Num 31:7 – all Jer 44:7 – to cut
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 21:11. Ye shall utterly destroy every male, &c. Strange infatuation of the human mind! That they should imagine the Divine Majesty would be more honoured and pleased by an action quite contrary to, and abhorrent from, his essential nature and attributes, than if they had implored his pardon for a rash oath, and honoured him by not keeping it! Would to God that this had been the only time that the human race have thought to honour God by acts which are the most hateful to him! The cruel havocs made by religious persecution in different ages and countries have, alas! too fully witnessed how far the mind of man is capable of erring in this respect! O shocking blindness and infatuation! that men should think that the God of love, he who is love itself, can be pleased or honoured by acts of the most barbarous cruelty!
As Jabesh-gilead was beyond Jordan, and at a great distance, it is probable the inhabitants thereof had not heard of the vow which the Israelites had made. But if they had been guilty of neglect and disaffection to the common cause, as Mr. Scott argues, they had not assisted the Benjamites: and yet when the people were lamenting the desolations of that tribe, they proceeded to treat those who were far less criminal with equal rigour!