Judges 21:19

there is a feast the feast(marg.). The word rendered feast(ḥag) strictly implies a pilgrimage to a sanctuary; the three chief ḥaggimwere festivals at which every male Israelite was required to appear before Jehovah (Exodus 23:14-17); cf. also the Mohammedan ḥaj= the pilgrimage to Mecca. What the particular feast here was we are not told; most probably it was a vintage festival to celebrate the ingathering; for this was an occasion of special rejoicing, cf. the Canaanite feast at Shechem Judges 9:27, and marked the end of the year (September); note that the vines were still in leaf, Judges 21:20.

of the Lord … in Shiloh Shiloh was a centre of Jehovah-worship at this early period, Judges 18:31. A topographical gloss (cf. Judges 21:12; Judges 20:31) defines the situation in such a way as to leave no doubt that Shiloh is to be identified with the modern Seilûn, some 2 miles E.S.E. of Lubbân= Lebonah; in later times, after the exile, it was probably necessary to tell readers where the ancient sites were. Obviously this addition cannot come from the author of Judges 21:12, where Shiloh is first mentioned. 19a may be taken as addressed to the Benjamites: 20b gives the rest of the speech.