Judges 21:10
So the congregation sent 12,000 of their bravest men there and commanded them, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The text states the congregation sent "twelve thousand men of the valiantest," which scholars suggest implies a thousand from each of the twelve tribes. This detail highlights how the Israelites drew on their collective strength, following a precedent set in Numbers, to address this grave crisis.
Following a disastrous war against the tribe of Benjamin that nearly wiped them out, the Israelites discovered they had sworn an oath not to give their daughters to any Benjamite men. To solve this, they brutally attacked the town of Jabesh-gilead, killing all the men, married women, and children because they hadn't participated in the Israelites' call to arms against Benjamin. This brutal act was intended to provide wives for the remaining 600 Benjamite men and to enforce the consequences of the oath.
In a desperate situation, the Israelites made a rash oath. Now, they're enforcing it with brutal efficiency, but at what cost?
The story in Judges reaches a desperate point. To solve the problem of a near-extinct tribe (Benjamin), the Israelites had sworn an oath that no one would give their daughters to them. When they realized they needed wives for the remaining Benjamites, they devised a plan to steal women from another town. However, to fulfill their oath's spirit and prevent future issues, they first needed to eliminate another town: Jabesh-gilead.
This verse reveals the command given: "Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones." This wasn't a targeted strike against combatants; it was a directive for complete annihilation. This reflects a concept in the Old Testament called 'devotion to destruction' (herem), often invoked in warfare to completely remove an enemy deemed utterly wicked, or in this case, to fulfill a severe oath. The text emphasizes the total nature of the command: men, women, and children were all to be put to the sword.
This action, though framed by an oath, stands as a stark example of how vows made in haste or anger can lead to horrifying consequences when rigidly applied, even to the innocent.
Twelve thousand men – that's a massive force! Where did this number come from, and what does it tell us about how Israel organized for war?
The number 'twelve thousand men' is significant. Many commentators suggest this was organized as a thousand men from each of the eleven tribes that were present and not allied with Benjamin. This military structure mirrors previous campaigns described in the Old Testament, particularly the campaign against the Midianites (Numbers 31).
This organized military response highlights several things:
Understand the original words
edah · Hebrew Noun
The religious and social body of God's covenant people, often functioning as a legal entity to execute judgment or perform corporate worship.
chereb · Hebrew Noun
The military weapon representing judgment, execution of justice, or destruction, often used metaphorically for the authority to inflict death.
This passage depicts a brutal, almost unimaginical act of retribution, highlighting the dire consequences of a society without strong, righteous leadership. The command to annihilate Jabesh-gilead, including women and children, stems from a complex web of oaths, tribal honor, and a desperate attempt to rectify a previous, devastating mistake.
c. 1100 BC
The Crime at Gibeah
A Levite's concubine is brutally assaulted and killed in Gibeah, a city of the tribe of Benjamin, leading to a national outcry.
c. 1100 BC
Israelite Tribal Assembly and Oath
All the tribes of Israel gather at Mizpah and swear an oath not to give their daughters to the Benjamites as wives.
c. 1100 BC
Civil War Against Benjamin
The other tribes of Israel wage war against the tribe of Benjamin to punish them for harboring the criminals of Gibeah.
c. 1100 BC
Near Extermination of Benjamin
The tribes of Israel nearly wipe out the tribe of Benjamin, leaving only 600 men alive, causing great distress.
c. 1100 BC
This passage provides a precedent for the command given in Judges 21:10, as it instructs Israel to 'strike down all the males among the little ones, and strike down every woman who has known no union with a man.' This highlights a recurring, harsh pattern in the Old Testament when dealing with those deemed enemies or those who harbored sin.
Deuteronomy 13:15This verse speaks to the severity of God's judgment against entire cities that turn to idolatry, commanding them to 'utterly destroy' all inhabitants and livestock. Judges 21:10 echoes this totality of destruction, showing how such severe measures were sometimes applied in cases of perceived communal sin or violation of oaths.
Joshua 6:21The destruction of Jericho, including 'men and women, children and old men, oxen, sheep, and donkeys,' exemplifies the total destruction commanded in the conquest of Canaan. This parallels the command in Judges 21:10 to utterly destroy the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, reflecting a pattern of 'devoted' destruction.
1 Samuel 11:7This passage shows the consequence of the events in Judges, as Saul's anger is kindled against Israel for not coming to the aid of Jabesh-gilead. It reveals how the aftermath of the violence described in Judges continued to impact the nation's unity and leadership.
pooleJudges 21:10: "And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children."
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 Deu 13:15 Joshua 7:24 , &c.
ellicottJudges 21:10: "And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children."
(10) Twelve thousand men. —The Vulgate has 10,000, but it is doubtless meant to imply that each tribe sent a thousand “valiant men” ( Genesis 47:6 , &c.), as in the war against the Midianites, in which Balaam was slain and at which Phinehas had been present ( Numbers 31:6 ).
The text states the congregation sent "twelve thousand men of the valiantest," which scholars suggest implies a thousand from each of the twelve tribes. This detail highlights how the Israelites drew on their collective strength, following a precedent set in Numbers, to address this grave crisis.
Following a disastrous war against the tribe of Benjamin that nearly wiped them out, the Israelites discovered they had sworn an oath not to give their daughters to any Benjamite men. To solve this, they brutally attacked the town of Jabesh-gilead, killing all the men, married women, and children because they hadn't participated in the Israelites' call to arms against Benjamin. This brutal act was intended to provide wives for the remaining 600 Benjamite men and to enforce the consequences of the oath.
Following a disastrous war against the tribe of Benjamin that nearly wiped them out, the Israelites discovered they had sworn an oath not to give their daughters to any Benjamite men. To solve this, they brutally attacked the town of Jabesh-gilead, killing all the men, married women, and children because they hadn't participated in the Israelites' call to arms against Benjamin. This brutal act was intended to provide wives for the remaining 600 Benjamite men and to enforce the consequences of the oath.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Judges 21:10 is available in the Sola app.
The Oath to Find Wives for Benjamin
The congregation of Israel realizes their oath has endangered the tribe of Benjamin and devises a plan to find wives for the remaining men.
c. 1100 BC— this verse
Attack on Jabesh-gilead
The Israelite congregation commands 12,000 men to attack Jabesh-gilead, killing all its inhabitants because they did not participate in the assembly to find wives for Benjamin.
c. 1100 BC
Abduction of Women from Shiloh
To provide wives for the surviving Benjamites, young women from Shiloh are captured during a festival, with the consent of their fathers.
"So the congregation sent 12,000 of their bravest men there and commanded them, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones." — The text states the congregation sent "twelve thousand men of the valiantest," which scholars suggest implies a thousand from each of the twelve tribes. This detail highlights how the Israelites drew…
