Judges 21:4 Meaning and Explanation
“And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The next morning the people rose early, built an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.
What Does Judges 21:4 Mean?
At daybreak the people act on their grief by building an altar and presenting burnt offerings and peace offerings. The burnt offering speaks of full surrender to God; the peace offering of restored fellowship and shared communion. Before they devise any plan, they seek to set things right with the LORD whose presence they have sought all night.
Worship rises before strategy. Israel knows that no human solution will hold unless God is first approached in sacrifice and reconciliation. The altar reminds the reader that the way back from ruin runs through offering, through giving God His due and seeking peace with Him. These offerings foreshadow the one perfect sacrifice in whom burnt offering and peace offering meet, who makes full atonement and grants lasting peace between God and His people.
Judges 21:4 in the Original Language
olah (עֹלָה), 'burnt offering' -- an offering wholly consumed on the altar, signifying complete devotion to God.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 21:4
What does Judges 21:4 mean?
The next morning the people rose early, built an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.