Lectionary Calendar
Monday, July 28th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Judges 21:17

There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel is not wiped out.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Music, Instruments, Dancing;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Jabesh, Jabesh-Gilead;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Shiloh ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Blot;   Inheritance;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jabesh;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They said, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.
Hebrew Names Version
They said, There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Binyamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Yisra'el.
King James Version
And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
Lexham English Bible
And they said, "There must be a remnant for Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel.
English Standard Version
And they said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
New Century Version
These men must have children to continue their families so a tribe in Israel will not die out.
New English Translation
The remnant of Benjamin must be preserved. An entire Israelite tribe should not be wiped out.
Amplified Bible
They said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be wiped out from Israel.
New American Standard Bible
And they said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be wiped out from Israel.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they saide, there must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Beniamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
Legacy Standard Bible
Verder sê hulle: Die besitting van die wat oorgebly het, behoort aan Benjamin, sodat geen stam uit Israel mag uitgedelg word nie.
Contemporary English Version
If they don't have children, one of the Israelite tribes will die out.
Complete Jewish Bible
They said, "There has to be a way to help the survivors preserve Binyamin's inheritance, so that a tribe will not be eliminated from Isra'el.
Darby Translation
And they said, There must be a possession for those of Benjamin that have escaped, that a tribe be not blotted out of Israel.
Easy-to-Read Version
The men of Benjamin who are still alive must have children to continue their families. This must be done so that a tribe in Israel will not die out!
George Lamsa Translation
And they said, The remnant of Benjamin must be spared, that a tribe may not be missing from Israel.
Good News Translation
Israel must not lose one of its twelve tribes. We must find a way for the tribe of Benjamin to survive,
Literal Translation
And they said, The one who escaped shall be a legacy of Benjamin, that a tribe may not be blotted out from Israel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and they sayde: The enheritaunce of them of BenIamin that are escaped, must nedes remayne, that there be not a trybe destroyed out of Israel:
American Standard Version
And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.
Bible in Basic English
And they said, How is the rest of Benjamin to be given offspring so that one tribe of Israel may not be put out of existence,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they sayde: There must be an inheritaunce for them that be escaped of Beniamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they said: 'They that are escaped must be as an inheritance for Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.
King James Version (1611)
And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that bee escaped of Beniamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they said, There must be an inheritance of them that are escaped of Benjamin; and so a tribe shall not be destroyed out of Israel.
English Revised Version
And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
They added, "There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and it `is to vs to puruey `with greet cure and greet studie, that o lynage be not don awey fro Israel.
Young's Literal Translation
And they say, `A possession of an escaped party [is] to Benjamin, and a tribe is not blotted out from Israel;
Update Bible Version
And they said, There must be an inheritance for the escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe shall not be blotted out from Israel.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they said, [There must be] an inheritance for them that have escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
World English Bible
They said, There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.
New King James Version
And they said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe may not be destroyed from Israel.
New Life Bible
And they said, "There must be something that can be given to those of Benjamin who are left. Or a family will be taken out of Israel.
New Revised Standard
And they said, "There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, in order that a tribe may not be blotted out from Israel.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they said, There is an inheritance for the escaped of Benjamin, - and there must not be wiped out, a tribe, out of Israel.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And we must use all care, and provide with great diligence, that one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
Revised Standard Version
And they said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel.

Contextual Overview

16 So the elders of the assembly asked, "How can we find wives for the few who remain, since the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead? 17 There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel is not wiped out. 18 But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God's curse." 19 Then they thought of the annual festival of the Lord held in Shiloh, south of Lebonah and north of Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem. 20 They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, "Go and hide in the vineyards. 21 When you see the young women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to the land of Benjamin to be your wife! 22 And when their fathers and brothers come to us in protest, we will tell them, ‘Please be sympathetic. Let them have your daughters, for we didn't find wives for all of them when we destroyed Jabesh-gilead. And you are not guilty of breaking the vow since you did not actually give your daughters to them in marriage.'" 23 So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in the celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them. 24 Then the people of Israel departed by tribes and families, and they returned to their own homes. 25 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

an inheritance: Numbers 26:55, Numbers 36:7

Reciprocal: Judges 21:15 - repented

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great."
Genesis 16:9
The angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority."
Genesis 16:11
And the angel also said, "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears'), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress.
Genesis 21:1
The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.
Genesis 21:2
She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would.
Genesis 21:4
Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded.
Genesis 21:6
And Sarah declared, "God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me.
Genesis 21:13
But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar's son because he is your son, too."
Genesis 21:14
So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar's shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Genesis 46:3
"I am God, the God of your father," the voice said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they said, there must be an inheritance for them that be escaped Benjamin,.... The escaped are the six hundred men in the rock Rimmon; four hundred of them were supplied with wives, the other two wanted; and as there was an inheritance divided by lot to the tribe of Benjamin, to that tribe and to that only it belonged, and they must have it and no other; it now of right devolved on these six hundred men, and them only, and therefore provision must be made to increase their number, that they may occupy the inheritance they have a right to, rebuild their cities, till their land, cultivate their vineyards and oliveyards, and enjoy all the advantages of their possessions:

that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel; but the full number of the tribes be preserved, and their inheritances belonging to them, according to the predictions of Jacob and Moses, and the assignment of them by lot unto them by Joshua.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile