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
This verse comes at the end of the tragic account of Israel's civil war against the tribe of Benjamin, which nearly led to Benjamin's extinction. The other tribes had sworn not to give their daughters in marriage to the surviving Benjamites, but they also didn't want Benjamin to completely disappear. This created a moral dilemma that led to desperate and questionable solutions.
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