Judges 21:18 Meaning and Explanation
“Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Yet they could not give their own daughters as wives, for Israel had sworn a curse on anyone who gave a wife to Benjamin.
What Does Judges 21:18 Mean?
The obstacle is restated in its full severity. Israel may not give their daughters, for they have sworn a curse upon anyone who does so. The oath is not merely a promise but a self-imposed curse, and that is why it grips them so tightly. They will go to great lengths rather than fall under the curse they themselves pronounced.
Here the danger of binding oneself with a curse becomes vivid. Israel is held captive by words they cannot now unsay, and so they grope for a way around them. The verse warns against the rashness of cursing and vowing beyond what wisdom would allow. It points the reader toward the better way of Christ, who taught simplicity of speech and who alone could bear and break every curse, setting His people free from the bondage of their own broken words.
Judges 21:18 in the Original Language
arar (אָרַר), 'cursed' -- to place under a curse or solemn ban, invoking judgment on the one who breaks the vow.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 21:18
What does Judges 21:18 mean?
Yet they could not give their own daughters as wives, for Israel had sworn a curse on anyone who gave a wife to Benjamin.