Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
So they told the men of Benjamin, 'Go and hide in the vineyards and wait there.'
The writer is describing how the Israelite leaders gave the Benjamin tribe instructions to hide and wait in vineyards as part of a plan to help them find wives.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Judges, the Israelites had waged a civil war against the tribe of Benjamin due to a horrific crime committed in the city of Gibeah, which led to widespread violence and near annihilation of the Benjamites. After their victory, the other tribes regretted their actions and sought ways to preserve Benjamin's lineage without violating an oath they had made not to give their daughters in marriage to them. As part of this plan, they instructed the Benjamites to hide in the vineyards and capture wives from the young women at a festival in Shiloh.
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