Judges 21:20
New International Version
So they instructed the Benjamites, saying, “Go and hide in the vineyards

New Living Translation
They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, “Go and hide in the vineyards.

English Standard Version
And they commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in ambush in the vineyards

Berean Standard Bible
So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards

King James Bible
Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

New King James Version
Therefore they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go, lie in wait in the vineyards,

New American Standard Bible
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

NASB 1995
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

NASB 1977
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

Legacy Standard Bible
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

Amplified Bible
So they instructed the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go, set an ambush in the vineyards,

Christian Standard Bible
Then they commanded the Benjaminites, “Go and hide in the vineyards.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then they commanded the Benjaminites: “Go and hide in the vineyards.

American Standard Version
And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

Contemporary English Version
The leaders told the men of Benjamin who still did not have wives: Go to Shiloh and hide in the vineyards near the festival.

English Revised Version
And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So they told the men of Benjamin, "Hide in the vineyards and

Good News Translation
They told the Benjaminites, "Go and hide in the vineyards

International Standard Version
So they told the descendants of Benjamin, "Go and hide in the vineyards.

Majority Standard Bible
So they commanded the Benjamites: ?Go, hide in the vineyards

NET Bible
So they commanded the Benjaminites, "Go hide in the vineyards,

New Heart English Bible
They commanded the people of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go, and lie in wait in the vineyards;

World English Bible
They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they command the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go—and you have laid wait in the vineyards,

Young's Literal Translation
And they command the sons of Benjamin, saying, 'Go -- and ye have laid wait in the vineyards,

Smith's Literal Translation
And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go, and lie in wait in the vineyards;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they commanded the children of Benjamin, and said: Go, and lie hid in the vineyards,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they instructed the sons of Benjamin, and they said: “Go, and hide in the vineyards.

New American Bible
And they instructed the Benjaminites, “Go and set an ambush in the vineyards.

New Revised Standard Version
And they instructed the Benjaminites, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So they commanded the Benjamites, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they commanded the children of Benjamin and they said to them: “Go lie in wait in the vineyards
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying: 'Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they charged the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wives for the Benjamites
19“But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” 20So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards 21and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.…

Cross References
Judges 20:48
And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and put to the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.

Judges 19:29-30
When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel. / And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”

Deuteronomy 12:5
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.

Joshua 18:1
Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,

1 Samuel 11:7
He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out together as one man.

1 Samuel 14:24-30
Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food. / Then all the troops entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. / And when they entered the forest and saw the flowing honey, not one of them put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. ...

1 Kings 12:16
When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home,

2 Chronicles 30:6
At the command of the king, the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.

Hosea 9:9
They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.

Hosea 10:9
Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?

Matthew 22:9
Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’

Matthew 25:1-13
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. / Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. / The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil. ...

Luke 14:23
So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.

John 4:4-26
Now He had to pass through Samaria. / So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. / Since Jacob’s well was there, Jesus, weary from His journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. ...

Acts 15:19-21
It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God. / Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood. / For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

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Benjamin Benjaminites Benjamites Children Command Commanded Hide Instructed Lie Secretly Vine-Gardens Vineyards Wait Waiting
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Judges 21
1. The people bewail the desolation of Benjamin
8. By the destruction of Jabesh Gilead they provide them four hundred wives.
16. They advise the remainder to surprise the virgins that danced at Shiloh














So they commanded
This phrase indicates a directive given with authority. The Hebrew root for "commanded" is צָוָה (tsavah), which implies an order or charge given with the expectation of obedience. In the context of Judges, this command comes from the leaders of Israel, who are seeking to resolve the crisis of the near extinction of the tribe of Benjamin. Historically, this reflects the period of the Judges, a time characterized by decentralized leadership and moral chaos, where such commands were necessary to maintain tribal unity and survival.

the Benjamites
The Benjamites were one of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob. The tribe had been decimated due to a civil war sparked by a grievous sin committed in Gibeah, a Benjamite city. This historical context highlights the themes of sin, judgment, and redemption. The Benjamites' near destruction and subsequent restoration serve as a powerful reminder of God's mercy and the importance of repentance and reconciliation within the community of God's people.

Go and hide
The instruction to "go and hide" suggests a strategy of stealth and caution. The Hebrew word for "hide" is חָבָא (chabah), which means to conceal or withdraw from sight. This reflects the precarious situation of the Benjamites, who needed to act with wisdom and discretion to ensure their survival. Spiritually, this can be seen as a metaphor for seeking refuge and protection under God's guidance, emphasizing the need for divine wisdom in times of crisis.

in the vineyards
Vineyards in ancient Israel were places of agricultural significance, often associated with abundance and blessing. The choice of vineyards as a hiding place is strategic, providing natural cover and sustenance. Biblically, vineyards are also symbolic of God's provision and the fruitfulness of His promises. In this context, the vineyards represent a place of hope and potential restoration for the Benjamites, underscoring the theme of God's providence even in dire circumstances.

(20) They commanded.--Rather, they gave notice. This is the keri or marginal reading of the Hebrew; the kethib, or written text, has the verb in the singular, in which case we must take it impersonally, "It was bidden," and suppose that some leading personage--probably Phinehas, the impress of whose character and reminiscences is observable throughout--is the speaker.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So they commanded
וַיְצַוּ֕וּ‪‬ (way·ṣaw·wū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

the Benjamites:
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

“Go,
לְכ֖וּ (lə·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

hide
וַאֲרַבְתֶּ֥ם (wa·’ă·raḇ·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 693: To lie in wait

in the vineyards
בַּכְּרָמִֽים׃ (bak·kə·rā·mîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard


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OT History: Judges 21:20 They commanded the children of Benjamin saying (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 21:19
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