What is the meaning of Judges 21:23? The Benjamites did as instructed “ So the Benjamites did as instructed ” (Judges 21:23). After Israel’s civil war had nearly wiped them out (Judges 20:48), Benjamin’s remaining men accepted the elders’ unusual plan instead of resisting or devising their own fix. Their compliance shows: •A recognition that the assembly’s counsel carried legitimate authority (compare Judges 21:13–14; Romans 13:1). •A desire to preserve their tribe in line with God’s covenant promises about each tribe’s enduring place in the land (Numbers 26:54; Joshua 18:20-28). They carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught Following the elders’ instruction (Judges 21:19-21), the men waited for the annual feast at Shiloh and “carried off the women” who were dancing. While the method appears troubling, Scripture records it without condoning every detail; it simply narrates how God worked even through flawed human solutions. Key observations: •The whole nation had vowed not to give daughters to Benjamin (Judges 21:1), so this plan avoided openly breaking that oath while still providing wives. •Benjamin acted under the wider assembly’s sanction, illustrating God’s ability to preserve a remnant despite sin-warped circumstances (cf. Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28). •The number matched the tribe’s need—God did not let Benjamin vanish (Deuteronomy 33:12). They went back to their own inheritance Once the wives were secured, the men “went back to their inheritance.” The land allotted to Benjamin centuries earlier (Joshua 18:20-28) still belonged to them. Returning shows: •Confidence that God’s original boundaries remained valid despite recent devastation. •A practical faith—Benjamin expected God to restore normal life, echoing promises like Deuteronomy 30:3-5 that He brings His people back to their land after judgment. Rebuilt their cities The war had left Benjamite towns in ruins (Judges 20:48). Rebuilding demonstrated: •Repentance expressed in constructive action rather than despair (Nehemiah 2:17). •Trust that God gives second chances; Amos 9:14 pictures ruined cities being rebuilt as a sign of divine mercy. Practical steps likely included repairing walls, homes, and infrastructure—tangible evidence that the tribe believed God still had a future for them. Settled in them Finally, they “settled in them.” The cycle of judgment was giving way to stability: •Settling signals peace replacing conflict, answering the earlier chaos where “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). •It also mirrors God’s covenant heart to “make His dwelling among” His people (Leviticus 26:11) and see them flourish in the land. •By raising families in those restored towns, Benjamin ensured the tribe’s ongoing participation in Israel’s story, paving the way for notable descendants like Saul (1 Samuel 9:1-2) and ultimately the apostle Paul (Romans 11:1). summary Judges 21:23 captures a turning point for a nearly extinct tribe. Obedient to communal guidance, the Benjamites seized wives, returned to their God-given territory, rebuilt what war had ruined, and settled down to begin again. The verse underscores the Lord’s faithful preservation of every part of His covenant people, even when human solutions are messy, reminding us that He can redeem fractured situations and restore hope where ruin once reigned. |
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