King James Version

What Does Judges 21:12 Mean?

Judges 21:12 in the King James Version says “And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any...” — study this verse from Judges chapter 21 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. young: Heb. young women virgins”

Judges 21:12 · KJV

Context

10

And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest , and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.

11

And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. hath lain: Heb. knoweth the lying with man

12

And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. young: Heb. young women virgins

13

And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them. to speak: Heb. and spake and called call: or, proclaim peace

14

And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead : and yet so they sufficed them not.

Read Judges 21 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. The phrase "found... four hundred young virgins" (betulot, בְּתוּלוֹת, "virgins") who "had known no man" (the verb yada, יָדַע, "to know," used biblically for sexual relations) indicates Israel sorted survivors by sexual history, preserving only those suitable as wives for Benjamin. The emphatic "by lying with any male" (mishkav zachar, מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר) shows thoroughness in verification—these were genuinely unmarried virgins, not widows or divorcees.

The location "Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan" is geographically strange—the narrator identifies Shiloh's location as if to foreign readers, possibly indicating the text's compilation during later Babylonian exile when geographical markers were needed. Shiloh housed the tabernacle (Joshua 18:1), making it central to Israelite worship, yet this sacred location became the staging ground for distributing war spoils (virgin women) taken from fellow Israelites. From a Reformed perspective, this juxtaposition of sacred space and profane action illustrates how religious infrastructure can exist alongside moral bankruptcy. Israel brought enslaved women to God's tabernacle to solve problems created by their own rash vows, showing complete disconnect between religious form and righteousness. The 400 virgins left 200 Benjamites still needing wives, requiring yet another violent solution (verses 19-23), demonstrating how sin compounds when pursued through human wisdom rather than godly repentance and humble dependence on divine guidance.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

Shiloh was located in Ephraim's territory, north of Bethel, and served as Israel's religious center during the Judges period. The tabernacle remained at Shiloh until the ark's capture by Philistines (1 Samuel 4), after which the city was apparently destroyed (Jeremiah 7:12-14, 26:6 refer to Shiloh's ruins as warning to Jerusalem). The mention of "land of Canaan" suggests the text's final form dates from exile when such geographical markers were necessary for readers unfamiliar with the land.

The treatment of the 400 virgins as war spoils parallels ancient Near Eastern practices where victorious armies took women from conquered cities as slaves, concubines, or wives. However, this was fellow Israelites, not foreign enemies. Deuteronomy 21:10-14 provided regulations for marrying female captives from actual warfare, requiring a month's mourning and prohibiting slave treatment. Here, women torn from families massacred before their eyes were immediately distributed to men from the tribe that had been nearly destroyed through civil war. The psychological and spiritual trauma is unimaginable. The entire episode reveals how far Israel fell from God's standards for treatment of women, covenant community, and justice. That this occurred at Shiloh, God's dwelling place, shows complete moral dissonance between religious practice and righteous living.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does the juxtaposition of God's tabernacle at Shiloh with the distribution of enslaved women reveal the disconnect between religious form and righteousness?
  2. What does the treatment of these 400 women as commodities to solve Israel's oath-created problem reveal about their failure to see people as God sees them?
  3. How might we sometimes maintain religious practices and infrastructure while tolerating or perpetuating injustice that fundamentally contradicts God's character?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 22 words
וַֽיִּמְצְא֞וּ1 of 22

“And they found”

H4672

properly, to come forth to, i.e., appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e., find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present

מִיּֽוֹשְׁבֵ֣י׀2 of 22

“among the inhabitants”

H3427

properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry

יָבֵ֣ישׁ3 of 22

“of Jabeshgilead”

H3003

jobesh, the name of an israelite and of a place in palestine

גִּלְעָ֗ד4 of 22
H1568

gilad, a region east of the jordan; also the name of three israelites

אַרְבַּ֤ע5 of 22

“four”

H702

four

מֵאוֹת֙6 of 22

“hundred”

H3967

a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction

נַֽעֲרָ֣ה7 of 22

“young”

H5291

a girl (from infancy to adolescence)

בְתוּלָ֔ה8 of 22

“virgins”

H1330

a virgin (from her privacy); sometimes (by continuation) a bride; also (figuratively) a city or state

אֲשֶׁ֧ר9 of 22
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

לֹֽא10 of 22
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

יָדְעָ֛ה11 of 22

“that had known”

H3045

to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o

אִ֖ישׁ12 of 22

“no man”

H376

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

לְמִשְׁכַּ֣ב13 of 22

“by lying”

H4904

a bed (figuratively, a bier); abstractly, sleep; by euphemism, carnal intercourse

זָכָ֑ר14 of 22

“with any male”

H2145

properly, remembered, i.e., a male (of man or animals, as being the most noteworthy sex)

וַיָּבִ֨אוּ15 of 22

“and they brought”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

אוֹתָ֤ם16 of 22
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

אֶל17 of 22
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

הַֽמַּחֲנֶה֙18 of 22

“them unto the camp”

H4264

an encampment (of travellers or troops); hence, an army, whether literal (of soldiers) or figurative (of dancers, angels, cattle, locusts, stars; or e

שִׁלֹ֔ה19 of 22

“to Shiloh”

H7887

shiloh, a place in palestine

אֲשֶׁ֖ר20 of 22
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

בְּאֶ֥רֶץ21 of 22

“which is in the land”

H776

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

כְּנָֽעַן׃22 of 22

“of Canaan”

H3667

kenaan, a son a ham; also the country inhabited by him

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Judges. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Judges 21:12 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Judges 21:12 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Joshua 18:1Judges 20:18Jeremiah 7:12Psalms 78:60Judges 20:23

Places in This Verse

CanaanRegion · Modern: Canaan · 32.77°N, 35.33°E101 verses across 16 books
Jabesh-gileadSettlement · Modern: Tell el Maqlub · 32.40°N, 35.68°E20 verses across 4 books
ShilohSettlement · Modern: Khirbet Seilun · 32.06°N, 35.29°E37 verses across 8 books
View all places in Judges 21 →

Test Your Knowledge

Judges 21 QuizTest your knowledge of this chapterJudges Book QuizComprehensive quiz for the entire book

Continue Your Study

Read Judges 21 with CommentaryAll Judges ChaptersComplete Judges QuizBible CharactersNave's Topical BibleAll Bible Quizzes