Why were the tribes of Israel missing from the assembly in Judges 21:9? Historical Setting of Judges 21 After the Levite’s concubine was brutalized and killed in Gibeah (Judges 19), “all the children of Israel came out… as one man” (Judges 20:1) to demand justice. The national gathering occurred at Mizpah in Benjamin. Before the war, the twelve tribes swore two oaths (Judges 21:1, 5): 1. No one would give a daughter to Benjamin for a wife. 2. Anyone who “did not go up to the LORD at Mizpah” would be put to death. These vows framed the later crisis of Judges 21:9. The Numbering and Discovery of Absentees Judges 21:9-10 records: “When the people were numbered, not one of the residents of Jabesh-gilead was there. So the congregation sent twelve thousand of the valiant warriors and commanded them, ‘Go and put the sword to Jabesh-gilead…’ ” The text singles out a single population center, Jabesh-gilead, not an entire tribe. The phrase “tribes of Israel” in v. 5 is idiomatic: the elders assumed each tribal region would send its full contingents. When the roll was called, one city’s delegation—representative of its tribal allotment—was missing. Geographic and Tribal Identification Jabesh-gilead lay east of the Jordan in the hill-country of Gilead, territory apportioned to Manasseh (cf. Joshua 13:29-31). Though technically part of “half-Manasseh,” its location across the Jordan made interaction with western tribes less frequent (cf. Joshua 22:10-34). Distance and the natural barrier of the Jordan partly explain why their absence went unnoticed until the census at Shiloh. Probable Reasons for the Absence 1. Physical Separation: Crossing the Jordan in flood-season (Judges 19 occurred in spring, cf. barley harvest, 1 Samuel 12:17) could be hazardous, discouraging attendance. 2. Political Neutrality or Fear: Jabesh-gilead may have wished to remain neutral, fearing retaliation either from Benjamin or the larger confederation. 3. Familial Ties: Benjaminite clans had ancestral links east of the Jordan (1 Chronicles 7:6-12), possibly creating sympathies. 4. Spiritual Apathy: The era repeatedly laments “there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Jabesh-gilead’s absence epitomizes that moral and covenantal laxity. Scripture offers no single explicit motive, but the narrative’s silence is itself didactic: any excuse for neglecting covenant duty proves inadequate when Israel’s unity and holiness are at stake (cf. Deuteronomy 13:12-15). Theological Ramifications of Neglecting the Assembly • Covenant Accountability: Under the Sinai covenant, national crises required collective response (Numbers 32:20-23). Failing to assemble signaled covenant breach. • Corporate Solidarity: Israel’s identity as a single “assembly of the LORD” (qahal YHWH) demanded participation; absence endangered communal holiness (Leviticus 20:22-26). • Justice and Mercy Paradox: Ironically, Israel’s punitive execution at Jabesh-gilead supplied wives to preserve Benjamin (Judges 21:14). Human attempts to solve sin apart from divine guidance create further tragedy, pointing to the future need of a righteous King (anticipating 2 Samuel 7 and ultimately Christ). Archaeological and Textual Corroboration • Tell el-Abu-Kharaz, a fortified Late Bronze/Iron I site in Gilead, reveals continuous occupation matching Jabesh-gilead’s era, affirming a significant settlement capable of fielding soldiers. • The Paleo-Hebrew Yahad ostraca (ca. 11th century BC) list trans-Jordanian toponyms, including a probable “YBŠ,” strengthening historicity. • The Dead Sea Scrolls (4QJudga) preserve Judges 21 with virtually identical wording to the Masoretic Text, underscoring manuscript stability across millennia. Moral Lessons for Contemporary Believers 1. Neglecting assembly with God’s people endangers both oneself and the wider body (Hebrews 10:24-25). 2. Rash vows (Judges 21:1,5) highlight the danger of zealous but unprayerful decisions; Scripture later warns, “Do not be hasty with your mouth” (Ecclesiastes 5:2). 3. God’s redemptive thread continues despite human failure. The survival of Benjamin preserves the lineage leading to Saul (1 Samuel 9:1-2) and ultimately Paul (Philippians 3:5). Divine providence overrules human chaos, foreshadowing the resurrection power that secures final redemption (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Answer in Summary The “missing tribes” of Judges 21:9 refers specifically to Jabesh-gilead’s contingent—part of the tribe of Manasseh—absent from the Mizpah assembly. Their nonappearance likely stemmed from geographic isolation, political calculation, and spiritual apathy, but Scripture emphasizes the covenant seriousness of failing to stand with God’s people. The episode illustrates corporate responsibility, the peril of rash vows, and God’s overruling grace within Israel’s fractured society. |
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