And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.
And when their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will say to them, 'Please show them favor for our sake, because we didn't save a wife for each man during the war. And since you didn't give your daughters to them willingly, you won't be guilty of breaking your oath.'
The Israelite leaders are planning what to say to defend the men of Benjamin who will take wives from among the dancing women, arguing it's justified because of the dire circumstances.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Judges, during a time of tribal conflicts in ancient Israel, the other tribes had waged war against the tribe of Benjamin over a grave moral offense, nearly wiping them out and then realizing they needed to preserve Benjamin's lineage. The Israelites had sworn an oath not to give their daughters as wives to the Benjamites, leading to a desperate plan to let the Benjamites seize women from a festival at Shiloh to rebuild their tribe. This verse outlines how the leaders would respond to complaints from the families of the taken women, by appealing for mercy since they hadn't directly violated the oath during the war.
Explore Similar Verses
Ask the AI Assistant
Have a question about this chapter or verse? Ask below for a clear explanation.