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Judges 21:5-7
The assembly reviews a death oath for absentees and voices regret for Benjamin, framing the problem of finding wives.
Meaning in context
Israel asks who failed to “come up” to the assembly at Mizpah; the question matters because a prior oath demanded execution for non-participants.
The people express sorrow for Benjamin, describing the tribe as a “brother” and lamenting the effective loss of one tribe from Israel.
They ask how to secure wives for Benjamin’s surviving men, since they have sworn not to give their daughters to Benjamin as wives.
Section 2 of 7
A second oath creates a dilemma
The assembly reviews a death oath for absentees and voices regret for Benjamin, framing the problem of finding wives.
Movement
Life before Israel had a king
Artifact
Cycles of rebellion and deliverance
Biblical Timeline
Exodus & Settlement
Judges context: 1500 BC - 1000 BC
Biblical Timeline
Exodus & Settlement
Judges context
Exodus & Settlement / 1500 BC - 1000 BC
Judges context is set in the exodus and settlement period, where Moses, the exodus, wilderness, covenant instruction, conquest, and judges.
Scripture Text
Thesis
The assembly reviews a death oath for absentees and voices regret for Benjamin, framing the problem of finding wives.
Plain Meaning
Israel asks who failed to “come up” to the assembly at Mizpah; the question matters because a prior oath demanded execution for non-participants.
The people express sorrow for Benjamin, describing the tribe as a “brother” and lamenting the effective loss of one tribe from Israel.
They ask how to secure wives for Benjamin’s surviving men, since they have sworn not to give their daughters to Benjamin as wives.
Literary Context
These verses belong to the closing crisis of Judges after the civil war sparked by events at Gibeah. The narrative turns from battle to consequences and problem-solving, highlighting how layered vows create new dilemmas. The questions raised here propel the next scene toward finding wives for Benjamin without directly violating sworn commitments (continued in Judges 21:8).
Historical Context
The setting reflects a pre-monarchic tribal coalition in the central highlands, where assemblies could be convened for collective decisions and enforcement actions. Mizpah functions as a rallying and deliberation site, and oaths carried binding social force for inter-tribal relations. Kinship language (“brother”) frames Benjamin’s losses as a shared national crisis even after internal conflict.
Theological Significance
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death (mō·wṯ)