Judges 21:18

In the midst of Israel’s turmoil at the end of the period of the judges, we encounter these words in Judges 21:18: *“But we cannot give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.’” (v.18)*. This statement reveals the oath-bound predicament of the Israelite tribes, who had vowed not to let the surviving men of Benjamin marry their own daughters after a bloody civil conflict nearly eradicated the Benjamite tribe. Historically, this takes place around 1100 BC, a time when there was no centralized monarchy yet in Israel, and the tribes were governed by various judges. The tribe of Benjamin was centered in the central highlands of Canaan, just north of Jerusalem, indicating their territory was intimately entwined with Israel’s broader struggle to maintain unity.

The vow itself—*“Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin” (v.18)*—underscores both the gravity of Israel’s promises and the lengths they went to defend national holiness and corporate identity. Yet it creates a moral dilemma, because the other tribes wish to preserve the tribe of Benjamin from dying out. This sworn oath leads to the creative, if not ethically questionable, solution of acquiring wives by other means (seen later in Judges 21). It illustrates how binding promises, once made before the Lord, were not easily revoked. Jesus later teaches about the seriousness of making vows (Matthew 5:33 NASB-95), reminding believers that haste in swearings or vows can entangle people in unintended consequences.

Through *“we cannot give them wives” (v.18)*, the people of Israel acknowledge their self-imposed limitations while also desperately trying to rescue Benjamin from extinction. They are bound by their earlier oath, reflecting their understanding of loyalty to God and their peers. Their anxiety demonstrates the tension between compassion for a ravaged tribe and strict adherence to a corporate vow. This tension resonates with the broader biblical theme that the eternal rule and mercy of God transcend even the most stringent human commitments, ultimately finding perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who offers grace and restoration alongside justice (John 1:17 NASB-95).

Though sworn and guided by conviction, the Israelites found themselves in a severe conundrum that required them to seek a lawful path for Benjamin to continue.