Judges 21:1

1 When the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, they had made a solemn promise to the Lord: "None of us will allow a Benjaminite to marry a daughter of ours."

Judges 21:1 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 21:1

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh
Where they were there convened, before the war began; after they had heard the account the Levite gave of the affair, which brought them thither; and after they had sent messengers to Benjamin to deliver up the men of Gibeah, that had committed the wickedness; and after they perceived that Benjamin did not hearken to their demand, but prepared to make war with them; then, as they resolved on the destruction of Gibeah, and of all the cities that sent out men against them, even all the inhabitants of them, men, women, and children, entered into an oath, that they would use those men that remained as Heathens, and not intermarry with them, as follows:

saying, there shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to
wife;
seeing those that used the wife of the Levite in such a base manner, and those that protected and defended them, deserved to have no wives.

Judges 21:1 In-Context

1 When the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, they had made a solemn promise to the Lord: "None of us will allow a Benjaminite to marry a daughter of ours."
2 So now the people of Israel went to Bethel and sat there in the presence of God until evening. Loudly and bitterly they mourned:
3 "Lord God of Israel, why has this happened? Why is the tribe of Benjamin about to disappear from Israel?"
4 Early the next morning the people got up and built an altar there. They offered fellowship sacrifices and burned some sacrifices whole.
5 They asked, "Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in the Lord's presence at Mizpah?" (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.)
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.