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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Updated Bible Version

Judges 21:20

And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Dancing;   Gibeah;   Grapes;   Shiloh;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Samuel;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dance;   Shiloh (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Music, Instruments, Dancing;   Shiloh;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Jabesh, Jabesh-Gilead;   Judges (1);   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Shiloh ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Dance;  

Encyclopedias:

- Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Benjamin;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jabesh;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then they commanded the Benjaminites: “Go and hide in the vineyards.
Hebrew Names Version
They commanded the children of Binyamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
King James Version
Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
Lexham English Bible
They instructed the descendants of Benjamin, saying, "Go, lie in ambush in the vineyards,
English Standard Version
And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards
New Century Version
So the elders told the men of Benjamin, "Go and hide in the vineyards.
New English Translation
So they commanded the Benjaminites, "Go hide in the vineyards,
Amplified Bible
So they instructed the sons of Benjamin, saying, "Go, set an ambush in the vineyards,
New American Standard Bible
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore they commaunded the children of Beniamin, saying, Goe, and lye in waite in the vineyardes.
Legacy Standard Bible
En hulle het die kinders van Benjamin bevel gegee en gesê: Gaan en lê en loer in die wingerde.
Contemporary English Version
The leaders told the men of Benjamin who still did not have wives: Go to Shiloh and hide in the vineyards near the festival.
Complete Jewish Bible
They ordered the men of Binyamin, "Go, hide in the vineyards,
Darby Translation
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
Easy-to-Read Version
So the elders told the men of Benjamin about their idea. They said, "Go and hide in the vineyards.
George Lamsa Translation
So they commanded the Benjamites, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
Good News Translation
They told the Benjaminites, "Go and hide in the vineyards
Literal Translation
They commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go, and you shall lie in wait in the vineyards.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they commaunded the children of BenIamin, & sayde: Go youre waye, and wayte in the vynyardes.
American Standard Version
And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
Bible in Basic English
And they said to the men of Benjamin, Go into the vine-gardens, waiting there secretly,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therfore they commaunded the children of Beniamin, saying: Go, and lye in wayte in the vineyardes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying: 'Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
King James Version (1611)
Therefore they commanded the children of Beniamin, saying, Goe and lie in wait in the vineyards.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they charged the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
English Revised Version
And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
Berean Standard Bible
So they commanded the Benjamites: "Go, hide in the vineyards
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei comaundiden to the sones of Beniamyn, and seiden, Go ye, be ye hid in the vyneris;
Young's Literal Translation
And they command the sons of Benjamin, saying, `Go -- and ye have laid wait in the vineyards,
Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go, and lie in wait in the vineyards;
World English Bible
They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
New King James Version
Therefore they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, "Go, lie in wait in the vineyards,
New Living Translation
They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, "Go and hide in the vineyards.
New Life Bible
They told the men of Benjamin, "Go and hide in the grape-fields. Wait there
New Revised Standard
And they instructed the Benjaminites, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, - Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they commanded the children of Benjamin and said: Go, and lie hid in the vineyards,
Revised Standard Version
And they commanded the Benjaminites, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
THE MESSAGE
So they told the Benjaminites, "Go and hide in the vineyards. Stay alert—when you see the Shiloh girls come out to dance the dances, run out of the vineyards, grab one of the Shiloh girls for your wife, and then hightail it back to the country of Benjamin. When their fathers or brothers come to lay charges against us, we'll tell them, ‘We did them a favor. After all we didn't go to war and kill to get wives for men. And it wasn't as if you were in on it by giving consent. But if you keep this up, you will incur blame.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

Contextual Overview

16 Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those that remain, seeing the women were destroyed out of Benjamin? 17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for the escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe shall not be blotted out from Israel. 18 Nevertheless we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, Cursed be he that gives a wife to Benjamin. 19 And they said, Look, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. 20 And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, 21 and see, and watch if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and you catch every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, Grant them graciously to us, because we did not take for each man [of them] his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, or else you would now be guilty. 23 And the sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives, according to their number, of those that danced, whom they carried off: and they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them. 24 And the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 10:9
He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh: therefore it is said, Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Yahweh.
Genesis 16:12
And he shall be [as] a wild donkey among man; his hand [shall be] against everyone, and everyone's hand against him; and he shall dwell across from all his brothers.
Genesis 17:20
And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: look, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes he shall beget, and I will make him a great nation.
Genesis 21:2
And Sarah became pregnant, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
Genesis 21:3
And Abraham called the name of his son that was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
Genesis 21:23
Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land wherein you have sojourned.
Genesis 21:24
And Abraham said, I will swear.
Genesis 21:25
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech's slaves had violently taken away.
Genesis 25:27
And the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. And Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.
Genesis 27:3
Now therefore take, I pray you, your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt venison for me.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin,.... The two hundred men of the tribe that wanted wives; they ordered them as follows, and which they spake with authority, being the elders of the congregation, Judges 21:16

saying, go and lie in wait in the vineyards; which might belong to Shiloh, or it may be to Lebonah, which perhaps is the same with Bethlaban, famous for its wine with the Misnic writers; who say g the second places for wine are Bethrimah and Bethlaban; and I suspect that Bethrimah is the same with Bethrimmon, near which was the rock Rimmon these men were in; now this being the time of year when the vintage was just over, the vines were full of branches and leaves, under which the men might the better hide themselves; and the grapes being gathered, there were no men in the vineyards, and so might lie in wait safely, and under cover.

g Misn. Menachot, c. 8. sect. 6.


 
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