Judges 21:19

_THEN THEY SAID, BEHOLD, THERE IS A FEAST OF THE LORD IN SHILOH YEARLY IN A PLACE WHICH IS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BETHEL, ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY THAT GOETH UP FROM BETHEL TO SHECHEM, AND ON THE SOUTH OF LEBONAH._ On the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem. The exact site of the place was described evidently for the direction of the Benjamites, who would know it (see the note at Joshua 18:1)....

Verse Judges 21:19. _THERE IS A FEAST OF THE LORD_] What this feast was is not known: it might be either the passover, pentecost, or the feast of tabernacles, or indeed some other peculiar to this place. All the above feasts were celebrated at that time of the year when the vines were in full _leaf_; therefore the Benjamites might easily conceal themselves in the vineyards; and the circumstances will answer to any of those feasts. _ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, C._] I can see no reason for this minute description, unless it intimates that this feast was to be held this year in rather a _different_ place to that which was usual: and, as the Benjamites had been shut up in their strong hold in Rimmon, they might not have heard of this alteration and it was necessary, in such a case, to give them the most circumstantial information, that they might

The Feast was probably the Passover, or one of the three great Jewish Feasts. In these unsettled times men went up to Shiloh (Seilun) only once a year 1 Samuel 1:3 instead of thrice; only the males kept the Feasts, and therefore the virgins of Shiloh would naturally be the only maidens present, and the public festival would be a likely occasion for their festive dances. It is, however, possible that some particular feast unique to Shiloh is meant, like the yearly sacrifice of David’s family in Bethlehem 1 Samuel 20:29....

THEN THEY SAID,.... Some of the elders that sat in council debating this matter, and considering of ways and means to assist their brethren the Benjaminites, and preserve their tribe from being lost: BEHOLD, THERE IS A FEAST OF THE LORD IN SHILOH YEARLY; where the tabernacle then was, and before which the males of Israel were obliged to appear three times of the year; and this was one of them, as is clear by its being called a feast of the Lord; and therefore cannot design any civil festival or fair kept for trade and commerce. Some have thought of the feast of the passover, but it is most likely to be the feast of tabernacles, as Abarbinel takes it to be; which in Jewish writings is emphatically called "the feast"; and the time of year when that was kept was a time of great rejoicing, on account of the fruits of the earth being gathered in, and the reading of the law and especially at...

CHAPTER 21 THE REPENTANCE ABOUT BENJAMIN _ 1. Sorrow of the people and Jabesh-Gilead smitten (Judges 21:1)_ 2. The restoration of Benjamin (Judges 21:16) A tribe of the nation was almost entirely exterminated. Then the oath they had made not to give their daughters to wife to the Benjamites left assured the complete extinction of the tribe. The dreadful work they had done dawned suddenly upon them and weeping before Jehovah they said, “Why is this come to pass in Israel that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?” The answer surely was, it came to pass on account of their departure from God and their sins. Thus people ask when they behold the scenes of bloodshed and war, as we see in our times, why is this? and are even ready to blame God, instead of thinking of sin and

JUDES 21. BENJAMIN SAVED FROM EXTINCTION. Two versions of this story have been editorially combined. The second is evidently the older. It was stated that the children of Israel came together as one man (Judges 20:1; Judges 20:11), but it now appears that Jabesh-gilead, the city that was so loyal to Saul the Benjamite (1 Samuel 11:1 f; 1 Samuel 31:11 f., 2 Samuel 2:5 f; 2 Samuel 21:12 f.), did not send a single man to fight against Benjamin. For this sin, all the inhabi

A FEAST OF THE LORD. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "a feast to Jehovah". YEARLY. The three feasts had come down to one. Apostasy was the cause of all their internal disorders. NORTH SIDE, &C. Shiloh and the house of Jehovah were so neglected that these minute instructions were necessary to enable an Israelite to find it. We have the same difficulty to-day; and when we find it we too often find, not the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. but what answers to that which we find in Judges 21:21. LEBONAH. AUTHORIZED VERSION 1611 reads "Lebanon" by an error. Modern "Lubban", about. miles north-west of Shiloh....

_there is a feast_ THE _feast_(marg.). The word rendered _feast_(_ḥag_) strictly implies a pilgrimage to a sanctuary; the three chief _ḥaggim_were 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

BEHOLD, THERE IS A FEAST OF THE LORD IN SHILOH YEARLY— The three great festivals were always to be held in the place where God fixed his habitation, which was now at Shiloh. Some have supposed, that this festival was that of the _passover;_ but, from the festivity attending it, it is much more reasonable to suppose, that it was that of _tabernacles._ "Kane-laban," says Mr. Maundrell, "stands on the east side of a delicious vale, having a village of the same name standing opposite to it on the other side of the vale. One of these places, either the _Kane_ or the village, is supposed to have been the _Lebonah_ here mentioned; to which both the name and situation seem to agree." Voyage to Aleppo, p. 63. Concerning the solemn oath of the Israelites, and their manner of dispensing with it, related at the close of this chapter, see Grotius de Bell. et Pace, lib. 2: cap. 13 sect. 5....

_Wives for the Benjamites Judges 21:8-25_ 8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the Lord? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. 9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there. 10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children. 11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. 13 And the whole c