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Bible study · Judges 21:1-25

Judges 21: One tribe lacking

Read Judges 21:1-25 before you meet.

In a few lines

The oath that kept Benjamin from wives was told only after the war (21:1), and the elders' plan kept its word gives by having Benjamin's men take instead (21:18, 21:22). The Hebrew verb behind "one tribe lacking" (21:3) is the count that found no one from Jabesh Gilead (21:9). And the book's last words are 17:6's, word for word (21:25).

The verse to carry

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.”

Judges 21:25

To talk about

  1. 1. Israel swore an oath at Mizpah (21:1) and the rest of the chapter turns on its words (21:7, 21:18, 21:22). Have you ever made a promise in a hard moment that you later found hard to keep? What did you learn about your words?

  2. 2. The people wept before God and asked, "why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?" (21:3). When something goes badly wrong, what helps you bring God an honest "why"?

  3. 3. Judges ends, "Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes" (21:25). Where in your life do you most need something beyond your own eyes to show you what is right? Who or what helps you see it?

Prayer requests