Judges 21:3
New International Version
“LORD, God of Israel,” they cried, “why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?”

New Living Translation
“O LORD, God of Israel,” they cried out, “why has this happened in Israel? Now one of our tribes is missing from Israel!”

English Standard Version
And they said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?”

Berean Standard Bible
“Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”

King James Bible
And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?

New King James Version
and said, “O LORD God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that today there should be one tribe missing in Israel?”

New American Standard Bible
And they said, “Why, LORD, God of Israel, has this happened in Israel, that one tribe is missing today from Israel?”

NASB 1995
They said, “Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?”

NASB 1977
And they said, “Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?”

Legacy Standard Bible
And they said, “Why, O Yahweh, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today from Israel?”

Amplified Bible
They said, “O LORD, God of Israel, why has this come about in Israel, that there should be today one tribe missing from Israel?”

Christian Standard Bible
and cried out, “Why, LORD God of Israel, has it occurred that one tribe is missing in Israel today? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and cried out, “Why, LORD God of Israel, has it occurred that one tribe is missing in Israel today?”

American Standard Version
And they said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?

Contemporary English Version
and prayed, "Our LORD, you are the God of Israel. Why did you let this happen? Now one of our tribes is almost gone."

English Revised Version
And they said, O LORD, the God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"LORD God of Israel, why has this happened among us? Why should one tribe be missing today in Israel?"

Good News Translation
"LORD God of Israel, why has this happened? Why is the tribe of Benjamin about to disappear from Israel?"

International Standard Version
"Why, LORD God of Israel," they asked him, "is one tribe missing from Israel?"

Majority Standard Bible
“Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”

NET Bible
They said, "Why, O LORD God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?" An entire tribe has disappeared from Israel today!"

New Heart English Bible
They said, "LORD God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?

World English Bible
They said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and say, “Why, O YHWH, God of Israel, has this been in Israel—to be lacking one tribe from Israel today?”

Young's Literal Translation
and say, 'Why, O Jehovah, God of Israel, hath this been in Israel -- to be lacking to-day, from Israel, one tribe?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will say, Wherefore, Jehovah, God of Israel, was this in Israel to miss one tribe this day from Israel?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
O Lord God of Israel, why is so great an evil come to pass in thy people, that this day one tribe should be taken away from among us?

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Why, O Lord, God of Israel, has this evil happened among your people, so that this day one tribe would be taken away from us?”

New American Bible
They said, “LORD, God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel that today one tribe of Israel should be lacking?”

New Revised Standard Version
They said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, why has it come to pass that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And said, O LORD God of Israel, why has this disaster come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe missing from Israel?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they said: “Why LORD JEHOVAH, God of Israel, did this happen in the household of Israel, that one tribe would be lost today from Israel?”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they said: 'O LORD, the God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and said, Wherefore, O Lord God of Israel, has this come to pass, that to-day one tribe should be counted as missing from Israel?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wives for the Benjamites
2So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly. 3“Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!” 4The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings.…

Cross References
Judges 20:23
They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.”

Judges 20:26-28
Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. / And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, / and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

1 Samuel 11:5-7
Just then Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen. “What troubles the people?” asked Saul. “Why are they weeping?” And they relayed to him the words of the men from Jabesh. / When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger. / 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 15:11
“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night.

2 Samuel 2:26-27
Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?” / “As surely as God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken up, the troops would have continued pursuing their brothers until morning.”

2 Samuel 21:1-2
During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.” / At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)

2 Chronicles 28:9-11
But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army that returned to Samaria. “Look,” he said to them, “because of His wrath against Judah, the LORD, the God of your fathers, has delivered them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. / And now you intend to reduce to slavery the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem. But are you not also guilty before the LORD your God? / Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives you took from your kinsmen, for the fierce anger of the LORD is upon you.”

Psalm 44:23-24
Wake up, O Lord! Why are You sleeping? Arise! Do not reject us forever. / Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?

Psalm 60:1
For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A Miktam of David for instruction. When he fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and struck down 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. You have rejected us, O God; You have broken us; You have been angry; restore us!

Psalm 74:1
A Maskil of Asaph. Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?

Psalm 80:4
O LORD God of Hosts, how long will Your anger smolder against the prayers of Your people?

Isaiah 63:17
Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.

Jeremiah 12:1
Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?

Lamentations 5:20-22
Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long? / Restore us to Yourself, O LORD, so we may return; renew our days as of old, / unless You have utterly rejected us and remain angry with us beyond measure.

Hosea 9:17
My God will reject them because they have not obeyed Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.


Treasury of Scripture

And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?

why is

Deuteronomy 29:24
Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?

Joshua 7:7-9
And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! …

Psalm 74:1
Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

Jump to Previous
Cried Cut Israel Lacking Missing Today To-Day Tribe
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Cried Cut Israel Lacking Missing Today To-Day Tribe
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














O LORD, God of Israel
This phrase begins with a direct address to Yahweh, the covenantal name of God, emphasizing His sovereignty and unique relationship with Israel. The Hebrew word for "LORD" is "YHWH," which is considered the most sacred name of God, reflecting His eternal and self-existent nature. The invocation of "God of Israel" underscores the special covenant relationship between God and the nation of Israel, reminding the reader of the promises and responsibilities that come with being God's chosen people. This address sets the tone for a heartfelt plea, acknowledging God's ultimate authority and the deep connection between Him and His people.

they cried
The Hebrew root for "cried" is "za'aq," which conveys a sense of deep distress and earnest supplication. This is not a casual request but a desperate outcry, reflecting the emotional turmoil and urgency of the situation. The Israelites are in a state of lament, seeking divine intervention and understanding. This word captures the intensity of their grief and the sincerity of their appeal to God, highlighting the human tendency to seek divine help in times of crisis.

why has this happened in Israel?
This question reveals a profound sense of confusion and bewilderment. The Israelites are grappling with the consequences of their actions and the unexpected outcome of their civil strife. The phrase "in Israel" emphasizes the communal aspect of their identity and the collective nature of their predicament. Historically, this reflects a period of moral and social chaos during the time of the Judges, when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). The question implies a search for meaning and accountability, urging the reader to consider the broader implications of disobedience and the breakdown of societal order.

Today in Israel one tribe is missing!
The phrase "one tribe is missing" refers to the near annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin, a consequence of the inter-tribal conflict described in the preceding chapters. This loss is not just numerical but represents a significant breach in the unity and wholeness of the nation. The word "today" underscores the immediacy and reality of the situation, inviting the reader to reflect on the present consequences of past actions. The historical context here is crucial, as it highlights the fragility of Israel's unity and the importance of each tribe in fulfilling God's covenantal promises. This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the cost of internal strife and the need for reconciliation and restoration within the community of God's people.

(3) Why is this come to pass . . .?--This is not so much an inquiry into the cause, which was indeed too patent, but a wail of regret, implying a prayer to be enlightened as to the best means of averting the calamity. The repetition of the name "Israel" three times shows that the nation had not yet lost its sense of corporate unity, often as that unity had been rent asunder by their civil dissensions. Their wild justice is mingled with a still wilder mercy.

One tribe lacking.--The number twelve had an almost mystic significance, and is always preserved in reckoning up the tribes, whether Levi is included or excluded.

Verse 3. - And said. Better, And they said. One tribe lacking. The existence of the twelve tribes was an essential part of their covenant existence as the people of God (Genesis 35:22; Genesis 49:28; Exodus 24:4; Numbers 1:5-15; Joshua 4:3, 4, etc.; Matthew 19:28; James 1:1; Revelation 7:4, etc.). With one tribe missing Israel would be no longer Israel.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Why,
לָמָ֗ה (lā·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

O LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

God
אֱלֹהֵ֣י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of Israel,”
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

they cried out,
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“has this
זֹּ֖את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

happened
הָ֥יְתָה (hā·yə·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

in Israel?
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (bə·yiś·rā·’êl)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

Today
הַיּ֛וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

in Israel
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (mî·yiś·rā·’êl)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

one
אֶחָֽד׃ (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

tribe
שֵׁ֥בֶט (šê·ḇeṭ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

is missing!”
לְהִפָּקֵ֥ד (lə·hip·pā·qêḏ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit


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OT History: Judges 21:3 They said Yahweh the God of Israel (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 21:2
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