Judges 21:16

THE PLAN FOR GETTING 200 MORE WIVES (Judges 21:16-21)

"Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? And there must be an inheritance for them that are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel. Howbeit, we may not give them wives of our daughters; for the children of Israel had sworn, saying; Cursed be he who giveth a wife to Benjamin. And they said, Behold, there is a feast from year to year at Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying; Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; and see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin."

"There must be an inheritance for them that are escaped" (Judges 21:17). Hervey pointed out that the meaning here is that the properties and territory allotted to Benjamin could not revert to the other tribes, but that it would be necessary for the Benjamites themselves to inherit it, hence, the extreme urgency that they should be provided with wives.

"Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin" (Judges 21:18). Their evil oath in this particular was an acute embarrassment to the whole congregation. In all generations, men have struggled with the problem of how to deal with a rash, thoughtless or unwise promise. An example of this is seen in the solemn vows that some parents make with regard to rearing any children they may have in the precepts and teachings of some particular religion, which they later find to be contrary to God's Word. Such vows or promises, of course, should be fearlessly repudiated. The only proof of this needed is the fact that God approved of the manner in which Israel avoided complying with the foolish oath mentioned here.

"There is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh" (Judges 21:19). Commentators seem to be in total disagreement concerning what feast is mentioned here. "Hengstenberg, Keil, and Delitzsch think it was the Passover. Bishop Patrick and others think it was the Feast of the Tabernacles, a more joyous feast."[10] Others believe it to have been a local festival peculiar to Shiloh. Moore said that, "This feast with its dances among the vineyards was doubtless, like that of Shechem (Judges 9:27), a local vintage festival at Shiloh."[11]

It is this writer's conclusion that the Feast of Tabernacles is the one meant, for the following reasons.

(1) Josephus tells us that when the people came together to discuss the situation, being very fearful to violate their oath, a certain man stood up and told them how to get around the problem. He said:

"Three times in the year, when we meet in Shiloh, our wives and daughters accompany us. Let the Benjamites be allowed to steal away and marry such women as they can catch."[12]

The significance of this is that the "festival" intended was definitely one of the three annual festivals of Israel at the central shrine, namely, Passover, Pentecost, and Feast of the Tabernacles.

(2) The problem of which one of those festivals is meant is clarified by the fact that, "The Feast of Tabernacles was the only feast at which Jewish maidens were permitted to dance."[13]

(3) Also, Moore's opinion that it was held at the time of the grape harvest also supports the view that the Feast of Tabernacles was meant, for it was the harvest festival. "It was at the Feast of Tabernacles that the grape harvest was celebrated in the vineyards with dancing and feasting."[14]

"To the north of Bethel on the east side of the highway, ..." (Judges 21:19). "This minute description of the situation of Shiloh shows how the situation was perfectly fitted for the carrying out of the advice given to the Benjamites."[15]