JUDGES CHAPTER 21 The people bewail the desolation of Benjamin, JUDGES 21:1. The inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, for not coming up to this battle, are all destroyed, excepting four hundred damsels, whom the Israelites bestow for wives on the remaining Benjamites, JUDGES 21:8. They advise the rest to s... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE CAME TO THE HOUSE OF GOD; partly to mourn for the common loss, and partly to ask counsel from God about the repairing of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Why hast thou given them up to such wickedness, and us to such rage, that the whole tribe should be in a manner lost? Hence it appears that they did not swear to root them all out, as is further manifest from the different matter and words of this oath, JUDGES 21:1, which only denied them their daug... [ Continue Reading ]
BUILT THERE AN ALTAR; not for a monument of the victory, as some say, but for sacrifices, as the next words show. QUEST. What need was there of this, when the ordinary altar was there, to which also they seem to be restrained, DEUTERONOMY 16:2 ? ANSW. They are not there restrained to one altar, but... [ Continue Reading ]
A GREAT OATH. i.e. a solemn oath, joined with some terrible execration against the offenders herein. HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH; because by refusing to execute the vengeance due to such malefactors, they were justly presumed guilty of the crime, and therefore liable to the same punishment, as w... [ Continue Reading ]
CHILDREN OF ISRAEL REPENTED THEM; not for the war, which was just, and necessary, and good; but for their immoderate severity in the execution of it, and for thee dreadful consequences of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
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A city in Gilead, and in the tribe of Manasseh; of which see 1 SAMUEL 11:1,3,9, &c.; 1 SAMUEL 31:11, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
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Who in such public and scandalous crimes were, for the greater terror of such transgressors, and prevention of the like sins, oft involved in the same punishment with the men, as DEUTERONOMY 13:15 JOSHUA 7:24, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 God's express command concerning devoted persons, such as these certainly were, that they should _surely be put to death_. LEVITICUS 27:29, whi... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUNG VIRGINS; not married, yet marriageable. It is probable there were other and younger virgins; but whether they were slain or spared Scripture determines not, and the learned do not agree. But these could not serve the present and urgent occasion, and therefore he takes notice only of these four... [ Continue Reading ]
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BENJAMIN; the poor remainders of the tribe of Benjamin.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE REPENTED THEM FOR BENJAMIN; were yet more grieved upon this unhappy disappointment, for they supposed here would have been wives sufficient for them. The Lord had made a breach; the Benjamites were the only authors of the sin, but God was the chief author of the punishment, and the Israel... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEM THAT REMAIN; for the two hundred who are yet unprovided of wives.... [ Continue Reading ]
The inheritance promised by Jacob and Moses, and given by Joshua to the tribe of Benjamin, doth all of it belong to those few which remain of that tribe, and cannot be possessed by any other tribe; and therefore we are obliged to procure wives for them all, that they may make up this breach, and be... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. To this generation of Benjamites who have made themselves guilty of this foul wickedness; but this oath did not extend to their posterity. And some think it had another exception, to wit, unless the surviving Benjamites could not otherwise be supplied with wives.... [ Continue Reading ]
YEARLY; on the three solemn feasts, in which they used some honest and holy recreations; among which dancing was one, EXODUS 15:20 1 SAMUEL 18:6 2 SAMUEL 6:14; and probably it was the feast of tabernacles, which they did celebrate with more than ordinary joy, DEUTERONOMY 16:13. WHICH IS ON THE NORTH... [ Continue Reading ]
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THE DAUGHTERS OF SHILOH; by whom he may possibly understand not those only who were born or settled inhabitants there, (as many conceive,) but all those who were come thither upon this occasion, and for a time sojourned there; for although only the males were obliged to go up to the three solemn fea... [ Continue Reading ]
BE FAVOURABLE UNTO THEM; pass by their offence, if not for their sakes, whom necessity forced to this course; yet for our sakes, and indeed for your own sakes; for both you and we have done them a great injury in prosecuting them with so much fury, as to endanger the utter extinction of the whole tr... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO THEIR NUMBER, i.e. each man his wife, as is said, JUDGES 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... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]