King James Version

What Does Judges 21:24 Mean?

Judges 21:24 in the King James Version says “And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out fro...” — study this verse from Judges chapter 21 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.”

Judges 21:24 · KJV

Context

22

And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty. Be favourable: or, Gratify us in them

23

And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.

24

And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.

25

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance. This verse describes the assembly's dissolution—every man to his tribe... to his family... to his inheritance (ish lishveto u-lemishpachto... ish lenachalato, אִישׁ לְשִׁבְטוֹ וּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ... אִישׁ לְנַחֲלָתוֹ). The threefold repetition emphasizes return to normal life after the crisis. The phrase mirrors Israel's ideal state—each tribe in its God-given territory, families intact, inheritances secure (Micah 4:4). Yet this apparent restoration masks profound moral failure.

From a Reformed perspective, this return to normalcy without genuine repentance or addressing the root spiritual problems prefigures Israel's repeated pattern throughout the monarchy period. They resolved immediate crises through human wisdom but never addressed the heart issues driving covenant unfaithfulness. The narrative's silence about the kidnapped women's suffering or consequences for the perpetrators demonstrates moral blindness—Israel's leaders considered the problem "solved" because Benjamin survived and their oath remained technically unbroken.

The verse's positioning immediately before the book's final condemnation (21:25) is significant. The apparent resolution—tribes preserved, inheritances restored, normal life resumed—is immediately undercut by the diagnosis: "every man did that which was right in his own eyes." This teaches that pragmatic solutions to moral crises without genuine repentance and return to God's law provide only superficial resolution. The problems that led to the Gibeah atrocity, civil war, and kidnapping scheme—rejection of God's authority, moral relativism, corrupt leadership—remained unaddressed, setting the stage for continued decline until the monarchy period.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Israel's return to their inheritances after the assembly at Shiloh marked the end of the crisis that consumed Judges 19-21: the Gibeah atrocity, Benjamin's near-extinction, Jabesh-gilead's destruction, and the Shiloh kidnapping. From the narrative's perspective, the tribal structure was preserved—all twelve tribes survived with territorial inheritances intact. However, this came at devastating human cost the text doesn't acknowledge: the Levite's murdered concubine, 65,000+ dead in civil war, Jabesh-gilead's slaughtered inhabitants, and 200 kidnapped women from Shiloh.

The period of the Judges (approximately 1375-1050 BC) was characterized by this cyclical pattern: sin, judgment, deliverance, return to normalcy, followed by renewed sin. The book's conclusion (21:25) points forward to the monarchy as one (imperfect) solution to the chaos of "every man doing what was right in his own eyes." Yet 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings demonstrate that human kingship alone couldn't solve Israel's fundamental problem—the need for heart transformation through the new covenant in Christ (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Reflection Questions

  1. How do we sometimes mistake temporary resolution of crisis symptoms for genuine repentance and spiritual transformation?
  2. What does Israel's return to normalcy without addressing root problems teach about the inadequacy of pragmatic solutions to spiritual issues?
  3. In what ways does contemporary church or cultural life mirror the Judges pattern of crisis-response-normalcy without heart change?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 13 words
וַיִּתְהַלְּכ֨וּ1 of 13

“departed”

H1980

to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

מִשָּׁ֤ם2 of 13
H8033

there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thence

בְּנֵֽי3 of 13

“And the children”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

יִשְׂרָאֵל֙4 of 13

“of Israel”

H3478

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

בָּעֵ֣ת5 of 13

“thence at that time”

H6256

time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc

הַהִ֔יא6 of 13
H1931

he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo

אִ֖ישׁ7 of 13

“every 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)

לְשִׁבְט֖וֹ8 of 13

“to his tribe”

H7626

a scion, i.e., (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan

וּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתּ֑וֹ9 of 13

“and to his family”

H4940

a family, i.e., circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people

וַיֵּֽצְא֣וּ10 of 13

“and they went out”

H3318

to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim

מִשָּׁ֔ם11 of 13
H8033

there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thence

אִ֖ישׁ12 of 13

“every 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)

לְנַֽחֲלָתֽוֹ׃13 of 13

“to his inheritance”

H5159

properly, something inherited, i.e., (abstractly) occupancy, or (concretely) an heirloom; generally an estate, patrimony or portion

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 21:24 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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