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Easy-to-Read Version

Judges 21:1

At Mizpah, the men of Israel made a promise. This was their promise: "Not one of us will let his daughter marry a man from the tribe of Benjamin."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Rashness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Benjamin, Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mizpah or Mizpeh;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gibeah;   Mizpah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jabesh (1);   Mizpah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bethel;   Dancing;   Judges, Book of;   Shiloh;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Jabesh, Jabesh-Gilead;   Marriage;   Mizpah, Mizpeh;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Mizpah, Mizpeh ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;   Mizpah;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Shiloh;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Mizpah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah: “None of us will give his daughter to a Benjaminite in marriage.”
Hebrew Names Version
Now the men of Yisra'el had sworn in Mitzpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to Binyamin as wife.
King James Version
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
Lexham English Bible
The men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, saying, "None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife."
English Standard Version
Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, "No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin."
New Century Version
At Mizpah the men of Israel had sworn, "Not one of us will let his daughter marry a man from the tribe of Benjamin."
New English Translation
The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, "Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite."
Amplified Bible
Now the men of Israel had sworn [an oath] at Mizpah, "None of us shall give his daughter in marriage to [a man of] Benjamin."
New American Standard Bible
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, "None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Moreouer, the men of Israel sware in Mizpeh, saying, None of vs shall giue his daughter vnto the Beniamites to wyfe.
Legacy Standard Bible
Maar die manne van Israel het al in Mispa gesweer en gesê: Niemand van ons mag sy dogter aan 'n Benjaminiet as vrou gee nie.
Contemporary English Version
When the Israelites had met at Mizpah before the war with Benjamin, they had made this sacred promise: "None of us will ever let our daughters marry any man from Benjamin."
Complete Jewish Bible
The men of Isra'el had sworn in Mitzpah that none of them would let his daughter marry a man from Binyamin.
Darby Translation
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to the Benjaminites as wife.
George Lamsa Translation
NOW the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpeh, saying, None of us shall give his daughter in marriage to the Benjamites.
Good News Translation
When the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, they had made a solemn promise to the Lord : "None of us will allow a Benjaminite to marry a daughter of ours."
Literal Translation
And the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, Not one of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The men of Israel had swore at Mispa, and sayde: Noman shal geue his doughter to the BenIamites to wife.
American Standard Version
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
Bible in Basic English
Now the men of Israel had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, Not one of us will give his daughter as a wife to Benjamin.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the men of Israel sware in Mispah, saying: Ther shal none of vs geue his daughter vnto any of Beniamin to wife.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying: 'There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.'
King James Version (1611)
Nowe the men of Israel had sworne in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of vs giue his daughter vnto Beniamin to wife.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Now the children of Israel swore in Massephath, saying, No man of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.
English Revised Version
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
Berean Standard Bible
Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, "Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Also the sones of Israel sworen in Maspha, and seiden, Noon of vs schal yyue to the sones of Beniamyn a wijf of his douytris.
Young's Literal Translation
And the men of Israel have sworn in Mizpeh, saying, `None of us doth give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.'
Update Bible Version
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, Not any of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as wife.
Webster's Bible Translation
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.
World English Bible
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin as wife.
New King James Version
Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, "None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife."
New Living Translation
The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, "We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin."
New Life Bible
The men of Israel had made a promise in Mizpah, saying, "None of us will give his daughter in marriage to a man of Benjamin."
New Revised Standard
Now the Israelites had sworn at Mizpah, "No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, the men of Israel, had sworn in Mizpah, saying, - Not a man from among us, shall give his daughter unto Benjamin, to wife.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the children of Israel had also sworn in Maspha, saying: None of us shall give of his daughters to the children of Benjamin to wife.
Revised Standard Version
Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, "No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin."
THE MESSAGE
Back at Mizpah the men of Israel had taken an oath: "No man among us will give his daughter to a Benjaminite in marriage."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, "None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage."

Contextual Overview

1 At Mizpah, the men of Israel made a promise. This was their promise: "Not one of us will let his daughter marry a man from the tribe of Benjamin." 2 The Israelites went to the city of Bethel. There they sat before God until evening. They cried loudly as they sat there. 3 They said to God, " Lord , you are the God of the Israelites. Why has this terrible thing happened to us? Why has one tribe of the Israelites been taken away?" 4 Early the next day, the Israelites built an altar. They put burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God on that altar. 5 Then the Israelites said, "Are there any tribes of Israel who did not come here to meet with us before the Lord ?" They asked this question because they had made a serious promise. They had promised that anyone who did not come together with the other tribes at the city of Mizpah would be killed. 6 Then the Israelites felt sorry for their relatives, the people of Benjamin. They said, "Today, one tribe has been separated from Israel. 7 We made a promise with an oath before the Lord . We promised not to allow our daughters to marry a man from Benjamin. How can we make sure that the men of Benjamin will have wives?" 8 Then the Israelites asked, "Which one of the tribes of Israel did not come here to Mizpah? We have come together before the Lord . Surely one family was not here!" Then they found that no one from the city of Jabesh Gilead had met together with the other Israelites. 9 The Israelites counted everyone to see who was there and who was not. They found that no one from Jabesh Gilead was there. 10 So the Israelites sent 12,000 soldiers to the city of Jabesh Gilead. They told the soldiers, "Go to Jabesh Gilead, and use your swords to kill everyone who lives there, even the women and children.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

had sworn: Judges 20:1, Judges 20:8, Judges 20:10, Jeremiah 4:2

There: Judges 21:5, Judges 11:30, Judges 11:31, 1 Samuel 14:24, 1 Samuel 14:28, 1 Samuel 14:29, Ecclesiastes 5:2, Mark 6:23, Acts 23:12, Romans 10:2

his daughter: Exodus 34:12-16, Deuteronomy 7:2, Deuteronomy 7:3

Reciprocal: Judges 11:35 - I cannot Judges 21:7 - sworn Judges 21:18 - sworn Judges 21:22 - give unto Jeremiah 40:6 - Mizpah Matthew 14:9 - the oath's

Cross-References

Genesis 17:16
I will bless her. I will give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many new nations. Kings of nations will come from her."
Genesis 17:19
God said, "No, I said that your wife Sarah will have a son. You will name him Isaac. I will make my agreement with him that will continue forever with all his descendants.
Genesis 17:21
But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son who Sarah will have. He will be born at this same time next year."
Genesis 18:10
Then one of them said, "I will come again in the spring. At that time your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening in the tent and heard these things.
Genesis 18:14
But is anything too hard for the Lord ? I will come again in the spring, just as I said I would, and your wife Sarah will have a son."
Genesis 21:17
God heard the boy crying, and God's angel called to Hagar from heaven. He said, "What is wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid! God has heard the boy crying there.
Genesis 21:20
God continued to be with the boy while he grew up. Ishmael lived in the desert and became a hunter. He learned to shoot a bow very well.
Genesis 50:24
When Joseph was near death, he said to his brothers, "My time to die is almost here. But I know that God will take care of you and lead you out of this country. God will lead you to the land he promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Exodus 3:16
"Now go and call together the elders of the people. Tell them that Yahweh , the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—appeared to you. Give them this message from me: ‘I have been watching over you and have seen what people in Egypt have done to you.
Exodus 4:31
and they believed what they had heard. Then the Israelites understood that the Lord had seen their troubles and had come to help them. So they bowed down and worshiped God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh,.... Where they were there convened, before the war began; after they had heard the account the Levite gave of the affair, which brought them thither; and after they had sent messengers to Benjamin to deliver up the men of Gibeah, that had committed the wickedness; and after they perceived that Benjamin did not hearken to their demand, but prepared to make war with them; then, as they resolved on the destruction of Gibeah, and of all the cities that sent out men against them, even all the inhabitants of them, men, women, and children, entered into an oath, that they would use those men that remained as Heathens, and not intermarry with them, as follows:

saying, there shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife; seeing those that used the wife of the Levite in such a base manner, and those that protected and defended them, deserved to have no wives.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XXI

The Israelites mourn because of the desolation of Benjamin, and

consult the Lord, 1-4.

They inquire who of Israel had not come to this war, as they had

vowed that those who would not make this a common cause should

be put to death, 5, 6.

They consult how they shall procure wives for the six hundred

men who had fled to the rock Rimmon, 7.

Finding that the men of Jabesh-gilead had not come to the war,

they send twelve thousand men against them, smite them, and

bring off four hundred virgins, which they give for wives to

those who had taken refuge in Rimmon, 8-14.

To provide for the two hundred which remained, they propose to

carry off two hundred virgins of the daughters of Shiloh, who

might come to the annual feast of the Lord, held at that place,

15-22.

They take this counsel, and each carries away a virgin from the

feast, 23-25.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXI

Verse Judges 21:1. Now the men of Israel had sworn — Of this oath we had not heard before; but it appears they had commenced this war with a determination to destroy the Benjamites utterly, and that if any of them escaped the sword no man should be permitted to give him his daughter to wife. By these means the remnant of the tribe must soon have been annihilated.


 
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