The Israelites asked, “Is there anyone from all the tribes of Israel who failed to come up to the assembly before GOD?” For a solemn oath had been taken concerning anyone who did not go up to GOD at Mizpah: “He shall be put to death.”
They inquired, “Is there anyone from the tribes of Israel who did not go up to GOD at Mizpah?” Now no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp, to the assembly.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמרו
263
מי
50
אחד
13
משבטי
361
ישראל
541
אשר
501
לאעלה
136
אליהוה
57
המצפה
220
והנה
66
לא
31
באאיש
314
אלהמחנה
139
מיביש
362
גלעד
107
אלהקהל
171
Judges 21:9
Gematria: 2280
ויתפקדהעםוהנהאיןשםאישמיושבייבשגלעד
For, when the roll of the troops was taken, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was present.
So the assemblage dispatched 12,000 of the warriors, instructing them as follows: “Go and put the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead to the sword, women and children included.
Word-by-Word Analysis
וישלחושם
700
העדה
84
שניםעשר
970
אלף
111
איש
311
מבני
102
החיל
53
ויצוו
118
אותם
447
לאמר
271
לכו
56
והכיתם
481
אתיושבי
729
יבש
312
גלעד
107
לפיחרב
330
והנשים
411
והטף
100
Judges 21:11
Gematria: 3882
וזההדבראשרתעשוכלזכרוכלאשהידעתמשכבזכרתחרימו
This is what you are to do: Proscribe every male, and every woman who has known a man carnally.”
They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 maidens who had not known a man carnally; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.ain the land of Canaan I.e., west of the Jordan, while Jabesh-gilead is east of the Jordan.
Thereupon the Benjaminites returned, and they gave them the maidensbmaidens Heb. “women”; cf. v. 12. who had been spared from the women of Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough of them.cBut there were not enough of them Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Word-by-Word Analysis
וישב
318
בנימן
152
בעת
472
ההיא
21
ויתנו
472
להם
75
הנשים
405
אשר
501
חיו
24
מנשי
400
יבש
312
גלעד
107
ולאמצאו
174
להם
75
כן
70
Judges 21:15
Gematria: 2066
והעםנחםלבנימןכיעשהיהוהפרץבשבטיישראל
Now the people had relented toward Benjamin, for GOD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
Word-by-Word Analysis
והעם
121
נחם
98
לבנימן
182
כיעשה
405
יהוה
26
פרץ
370
בשבטי
323
ישראל
541
Judges 21:16
Gematria: 3077
ויאמרוזקניהעדהמהנעשהלנותריםלנשיםכינשמדהמבנימןאשה
So the elders of the community asked, “What can we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed off?”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמרו
263
זקני
167
העדה
84
מהנעשה
470
לנותרים
736
לנשים
430
כינשמדה
429
מבנימן
192
אשה
306
Judges 21:17
Gematria: 2481
ויאמרוירשתפליטהלבנימןולאימחהשבטמישראל
For they said, “There must be a saving remnant for Benjamin, that a tribe may not be blotted out of Israel;
They said, “The annual feast of GOD is now being held at Shiloh.” (It lies north of Bethel, east of the highway that runs from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.)
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמרו
263
הנה
60
חגיהוה
37
בשלו
338
מימים
140
ימימה
105
אשר
501
מצפונה
271
לביתאל
473
מזרחה
260
השמש
645
למסלה
165
העלה
110
מביתאל
483
שכמה
365
ומנגב
101
ללבונה
123
Judges 21:20
Gematria: 2133
ויצוויצוואתבניבנימןלאמרלכווארבתםבכרמים
So they instructed the Benjaminites as follows: “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards.
As soon as you see the daughters of Shiloh coming out to join in the dances, come out from the vineyards; let each of you seize a wife from among the daughters of Shiloh, and be off for the land of Benjamin.
And if their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we shall say to them, ‘Be generous to them for our sake! We could not provide any of them with a wife on account of the war, and you would have incurred guilt if you yourselves had given them [wives].’”dBe generous … given them [wives]. Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
The Benjaminites did so. They took to wife, from the dancers whom they carried off, as many as they themselves numbered. Then they went back to their own territory, and rebuilt their towns and settled in them.