18 Howbeit we may H3201 not give H5414 them wives H802 of our daughters: H1323 for the children H1121 of Israel H3478 have sworn, H7650 saying, H559 Cursed H779 be he that giveth H5414 a wife H802 to Benjamin. H1144
Now the men H376 of Israel H3478 had sworn H7650 in Mizpeh, H4709 saying, H559 There shall not any H376 of us give H5414 his daughter H1323 unto Benjamin H1144 to wife. H802
And it came to pass, when he saw H7200 her, that he rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and said, H559 Alas, H162 my daughter! H1323 thou hast brought H3766 me very H3766 low, H3766 and thou art one of them that trouble H5916 me: for I have opened H6475 my mouth H6310 unto the LORD, H3068 and I cannot H3201 go back. H7725
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 21
Commentary on Judges 21 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 21
The ruins of the tribe of Benjamin we read of in the foregoing chapter; now here we have,
Jdg 21:1-15
We may observe in these verses,
Jdg 21:16-25
We have here the method that was taken to provide the 200 Benjamites that remained with wives. And, though the tribe was reduced to a small number, they were only in care to provide each man with one wife, not with more under pretence of multiplying them the faster. They may not bestow their daughters upon them, but to save their oath, and yet marry some of their daughters to them, they put them into a way of taking them by surprise, and marrying them, which should be ratified by their parents' consent, ex post facto-afterwards. The less consideration is used before the making of a vow, the more, commonly, there is need of afterwards for the keeping of it.
Lastly, In the close of all we have,