21:1 The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.” 21:2 So the people came to Bethel 1 and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably. 2 21:3 They said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel?” An entire 3 tribe has disappeared from Israel today!”
1 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
2 tn Heb “and they lifted up their voice[s] and wept with great weeping.” Both the cognate accusative בְּכִי (bekhi, “weeping”) and the attributive adjective גָדוֹל (gadol, “great”) emphasize their degree of sorrow.
3 tn Heb “one.”