Judges 21:8 Meaning and Explanation
“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 Jabeshgilead to the assembly.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Searching for a tribe that had stayed away from Mizpeh, they found that no one had come from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
What Does Judges 21:8 Mean?
Pursuing their plan, Israel asks again who failed to come to Mizpeh, and the answer falls on Jabesh-gilead, a city east of the Jordan whose people had sent no one to the assembly. Because of the earlier oath against absentees, this discovery becomes the doorway to Israel's grim solution for finding wives for Benjamin.
The verse reads like a search for a loophole, and the cost of that search will be terrible. Israel seeks to keep one oath by invoking another, and a whole city lies in the path. It is a study in how rash human reasoning, cut loose from God's guidance, can lead good intentions toward dark deeds. The reader feels the absence of the King who later would teach His people that mercy, not mere oath-keeping, lies at the heart of God's law.
Judges 21:8 in the Original Language
Jabeshgilead (יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד), 'Jabesh of Gilead' -- a town in the highlands east of the Jordan river.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 21:8
What does Judges 21:8 mean?
Searching for a tribe that had stayed away from Mizpeh, they found that no one had come from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.