King James Version

What Does Judges 21:16 Mean?

Judges 21:16 in the King James Version says “Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed...” — study this verse from Judges chapter 21 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”

Judges 21:16 · KJV

Context

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.

15

And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16

Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

17

And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.

18

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.

Read Judges 21 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin? The elders' question reveals their dilemma: the women are destroyed out of Benjamin (nishmadah ishah miBinyamin, נִשְׁמְדָה אִשָּׁה מִבִּנְיָמִן). Israel's scorched-earth campaign against Benjamin (20:48) had killed women and children, leaving no Benjamite brides for the 600 surviving men. Combined with their oath forbidding giving their own daughters to Benjamin (21:1), they faced an apparently insoluble problem of their own making.

From a Reformed perspective, this verse demonstrates how human pride and rash decisions create moral tangles requiring increasingly compromised solutions. The elders should have recognized their oath as sinful—God never commanded refusing reconciliation with a repentant brother tribe. Leviticus 5:4-6 provided procedures for rash oaths, allowing confession and atonement. Instead, they sought loopholes to keep their foolish vow while "solving" the problem through violence against Jabesh-gilead and Shiloh.

The question How shall we do (mah na'aseh, מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה) echoes Israel's repeated pattern of seeking human solutions to spiritual problems. Rather than genuine repentance, seeking God's wisdom, and making restitution, they pursued pragmatic schemes. This warns against the casuistry that evades moral principles through technical compliance while violating the spirit of God's law (compare Jesus's condemnation of Pharisaic oath-keeping in Matthew 23:16-22).

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Historical & Cultural Context

The destruction of Benjamin's women and children during the civil war followed the practice of herem (חֵרֶם, devoted destruction) that God had commanded against Canaanite cities (Deuteronomy 7:2, 20:16-18). However, applying herem to a fellow Israelite tribe was a profound perversion of this command's purpose—eliminating pagan influence to preserve covenant purity. Instead, Israel nearly eliminated an entire covenant tribe, creating the very breach in God's people that herem was meant to prevent.

The elders' deliberation reflects ancient Near Eastern council procedures where tribal leaders convened to address communal crises. However, their focus on preserving their oath rather than seeking God's will through the high priest (using Urim and Thummim) demonstrates reliance on human wisdom. The subsequent schemes—destroying Jabesh-gilead and condoning kidnapping from Shiloh—reveal moral bankruptcy where technical oath-keeping justified egregious injustice.

Reflection Questions

  1. What rash commitments have you made that now require compromised solutions rather than honest confession and restitution?
  2. How does legalistic adherence to the letter of commitments sometimes violate the spirit of righteousness and mercy?
  3. When have you sought loopholes to avoid admitting error rather than humbly confessing sin and seeking God's forgiveness?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 11 words
וַיֹּֽאמְר֨וּ1 of 11

“said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

זִקְנֵ֣י2 of 11

“Then the elders”

H2205

old

הָֽעֵדָ֔ה3 of 11

“of the congregation”

H5712

a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd)

מַה4 of 11
H4100

properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and

נַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה5 of 11

“How shall we do”

H6213

to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

לַנּֽוֹתָרִ֖ים6 of 11

“for them that remain”

H3498

to jut over or exceed; by implication, to excel; (intransitively) to remain or be left; causatively to leave, cause to abound, preserve

אִשָּֽׁה׃7 of 11

“for wives”

H802

a woman

כִּֽי8 of 11
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

נִשְׁמְדָ֥ה9 of 11

“are destroyed”

H8045

to desolate

מִבִּנְיָמִ֖ן10 of 11

“out of Benjamin”

H1144

binjamin, youngest son of jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory

אִשָּֽׁה׃11 of 11

“for wives”

H802

a woman

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 21:16 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

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