And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;

JUDGES 21:2KJV
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Judges 21:2 (KJV)

What does Judges 21:2 mean?

Judges 21:2 describes the people of Israel gathering at the house of God, staying there until evening, and expressing deep sorrow by crying out loudly before God. The verse highlights a moment of collective grief and distress as the people seek God’s attention and help.

The setting is after a devastating civil conflict between the tribes of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. The “house of God” refers to the sanctuary at Shiloh, where the Israelites come together. Their loud weeping shows the seriousness of their regret and the emotional weight of the situation, as they realize the consequences of their actions and the near loss of an entire tribe.

The Hebrew behind Judges 21:2

  • "House" (בַּיִת, bayit) and "God" (אֱלֹהִים, Elohim): Together, these refer to the sanctuary or tabernacle at Shiloh, the central place of worship at the time. This detail grounds the scene in a specific, sacred location.
  • "Wept sore" (בָּכָה, bakah; גָּדוֹל, gadol): The Hebrew uses a word for weeping (bakah) combined with a word meaning "great" or "very much" (gadol), emphasizing the intensity and depth of the people’s mourning. This is not just sadness, but overwhelming grief.

Why Judges 21:2 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the Israelites’ sorrow was not casual but deeply emotional, showing the seriousness of the crisis after the near destruction of one of their own tribes.
  • The focus on gathering at the house of God highlights the Israelites’ desire to seek divine guidance and mercy in a moment of national crisis.
  • Understanding this verse helps explain the emotional and spiritual context for the decisions the Israelites make in the following verses, especially their efforts to address the consequences of their earlier actions.

Where else these words appear

“wept” Hebrew H1065 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 45:2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
  • Psalms 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
  • Isaiah 65:19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

“God” Hebrew H1008 · used in 63 verses

  • Genesis 12:8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
  • Judges 1:22 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them.
  • 2 Kings 2:23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

“wept” Hebrew H1058 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • Judges 20:26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
  • Esther 8:3 And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

“even” Hebrew H6153 · used in 130 verses

  • Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
  • Leviticus 15:18 The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even.
  • 1 Kings 17:6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.