And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
Among the people of Jabesh-gilead, they found four hundred young women who had never been intimate with a man. They brought these women to their camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
The Israelites found four hundred unmarried young women from Jabesh-gilead and brought them to their camp to serve as wives for the surviving men of Benjamin.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes from the aftermath of a devastating civil war where eleven tribes of Israel nearly wiped out the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites had sworn not to give their daughters in marriage to Benjamin, but then realized this would cause the tribe to disappear forever. They attacked Jabesh-gilead because that city hadn't joined the war effort, and took the unmarried women to provide wives for the surviving Benjamite men.
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