Every man to his tribe - Though this must have been four months after the war with Benjamin, Judges 20:47 ; yet it appears the armies did not disband till they had got the remnant of Benjamin settled, as is here related. read more
The Feast was probably the Passover, or one of the three great Jewish Feasts. In these unsettled times men went up to Shiloh (Seilun) only once a year 1 Samuel 1:3 instead of thrice; only the males kept the Feasts, and therefore the virgins of Shiloh would naturally be the only maidens present, and the public festival would be a likely occasion for their festive dances. It is, however, possible that some particular feast unique to Shiloh is meant, like the yearly sacrifice of David’s family in... read more
Ye did not give ... - i. e., they had not broken the oath mentioned in Judges 21:1, so as to be guilty of taking the Lord’s name in vain. They did not give their daughters to Benjamin: the Benjamites had taken them by force. Such casuistry as this condemns the system of oaths, and illustrates the wisdom of our Lord’s precept Matthew 5:33-37. read more
Compare the very similar account of the rape of the Sabine women by the Romero youths at the festival of the Consualia, as related by Livy. read more
Judges 21:19. A feast Probably it was the feast of tabernacles, which they celebrated with more than ordinary joy. And that feast was the only season at which the Jewish virgins were allowed to dance. But even this was not mixed dancing. No men danced with these daughters of Shiloh. Nor did the married women so forget their gravity as to join with them. However, their dancing thus in public made them an easy prey: whence Bishop Hall observes, “The ambushes of evil spirits carry away many... read more
Judges 21:21. Daughters of Shiloh By whom we may understand not those only who were born or settled inhabitants there, but all those who were come thither upon this occasion, and for a time sojourned there: for although only the males were obliged to go up to the three solemn feasts, yet the women had liberty to go, and those who were most devout did usually go. Vineyards Which were near to the green where they danced. Catch Take them away by force, which they might the better do,... read more
Judges 21:23. They took them wives according to their number That is, each man took his wife. By which we may see, they had no very favourable opinion of polygamy, because they did not allow it in this case, when it might seem most necessary for the reparation of a lost tribe. And repaired the cities By degrees, increasing their buildings as their number increased. read more
The war with Benjamin (19:1-21:25)A Levite whose concubine had run away from him came to Judah looking for her. When they were reunited, her father was so pleased he did not want them to leave. They therefore stayed with him a few days, then set out to return to the Levite’s home in Ephraim (19:1-9).The route back to Ephraim took the couple through the tribal territory of Benjamin. Looking for somewhere to sleep the night, they preferred not to stay in Jerusalem, which was inhabited by... read more
a feast of the LORD. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "a feast to Jehovah". yearly. The three feasts had come down to one. Apostasy was the cause of all their internal disorders. north side, &c. Shiloh and the house of Jehovah were so neglected that these minute instructions were necessary to enable an Israelite to find it. We have the same difficulty to-day; and when we find it we too often find, not the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. but what answers to that... read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 21:23
They went and returned unto their inheritance - It appears that the Benjamites acted in the most honorable way by the women whom they had thus violently carried off; and we may rest assured they took them to an inheritance at least equal to their own, for it does not appear that any part of the lands of the Benjamites was alienated from them, and the six hundred men in question shared, for the present, the inheritance of many thousands. read more