Judges 21:15 Meaning and Explanation
“And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The people grieved for Benjamin, for the LORD had made a breach among the tribes of Israel.
What Does Judges 21:15 Mean?
Again the people relent and grieve for Benjamin, and the verse names the deeper truth: the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. The near-loss of a tribe is not seen as mere accident but as a wound within the body of God's people, felt in the providence of God who governs the whole story even amid human sin.
To call it a breach is to picture Israel as one structure, one people, now cracked. The grief is for the whole, not just a part. This is how God teaches His people to feel the wounds of any member as a wound to all. It foreshadows the New Testament vision of one body where, if one part suffers, all suffer together, and where God labors to heal every breach and make His people whole again in Christ.
Judges 21:15 in the Original Language
perets (פֶּרֶץ), 'breach' -- a gap or break torn in a wall, here a rupture within the unity of Israel.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 21:15
What does Judges 21:15 mean?
The people grieved for Benjamin, for the LORD had made a breach among the tribes of Israel.