The Meaning of Judges 21:21 Explained

Judges 21:21

KJV: And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

YLT: and have seen, and lo, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances -- then ye have gone out from the vineyards, and caught for you each his wife out of the daughters of Shiloh, and gone to the land of Benjamin;

Darby: and watch; if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and seize each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

ASV: and see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And see,  and, behold, if the daughters  of Shiloh  come out  to dance  in dances,  then come ye out  of the vineyards,  and catch  you every man  his wife  of the daughters  of Shiloh,  and go  to the land  of Benjamin. 

What does Judges 21:21 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Judges 21:21 mean?

and watch and just when if come out the daughters of Shiloh to perform their dances then come out from the vineyards and catch for himself every man a wife from the daughters of Shiloh then go to the land of Benjamin
וּרְאִיתֶ֗ם וְ֠הִנֵּה אִם־ יֵ֨צְא֥וּ בְנוֹת־ שִׁילוֹ֮ לָח֣וּל בַּמְּחֹלוֹת֒ וִֽיצָאתֶם֙ מִן־ הַכְּרָמִ֔ים וַחֲטַפְתֶּ֥ם לָכֶ֛ם אִ֥ישׁ אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מִבְּנ֣וֹת שִׁיל֑וֹ וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֖ם אֶ֥רֶץ בִּנְיָמִֽן

וּרְאִיתֶ֗ם  and  watch 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וְ֠הִנֵּה  and  just  when 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
יֵ֨צְא֥וּ  come  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
בְנוֹת־  the  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
שִׁילוֹ֮  of  Shiloh 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁילֹו 
Sense: a city in Ephraim and temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, the place where Samuel grew up.
לָח֣וּל  to  perform 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: חוּל 
Sense: to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained.
בַּמְּחֹלוֹת֒  their  dances 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְחֹלָה  
Sense: dancing, dance.
וִֽיצָאתֶם֙  then  come  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הַכְּרָמִ֔ים  the  vineyards 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
וַחֲטַפְתֶּ֥ם  and  catch 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: חָטַף  
Sense: (Qal) to catch, seize.
לָכֶ֛ם  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
אִ֥ישׁ  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ  a  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
מִבְּנ֣וֹת  from  the  daughters 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
שִׁיל֑וֹ  of  Shiloh 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁילֹו 
Sense: a city in Ephraim and temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, the place where Samuel grew up.
וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֖ם  then  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אֶ֥רֶץ  to  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בִּנְיָמִֽן  of  Benjamin 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.