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Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

Now the men of Israel had sworn. — Rashly and uncharitably, out of rage rather than right zeal The fiery spirited man hath mettle in him, but base and reprobate, that never received the image and impress of God’s Spirit. Men must swear in judgment; Jeremiah 4:2 and as Minerva is said to put a golden bridle upon Pegasus, that he should not fly too fast, in like sort our Minerva, that is, our Christian discretion, must put a golden bridle on our earnest zeal, lest it make us follow too fast.

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

And the people came to the house of God. — That is, To Shiloh, for that was now their Bethel, there to praise God for their recent ctory; and to seek direction what to do, and how to wind out of that labyrinth whereinto they had inconsiderately cast themselves.

“ … qui non moderabitur irae,

Infectum velit esse dolor quod suaserit et mens. ” - Horat.

And abode there till even before God. — To the shame of such as, held but a while longer than ordinary at holy meetings, cry out, as Malachi 1:13 , "Behold, what a weariness it is! and snuff." They sit in the stocks when they are at prayers, and come out of the church, when the tedious sermon runs somewhat beyond the hour, like prisoners out of a jail.

And lifted up their voices, and wept sore. — Notwithstanding their recent victory, which now they met to praise God for, Adeo nihil est ex omni parte beatum. It is seldom seen that God alloweth men here a perfect contentment. Something they must have to complain of, that they may not set up their rest on this side heaven.

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And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?

Why is this come to pass in Israel? — q.d., Alas, Lord, that it should be so! Oh, show us some expedient for prevention of such a mischief. Oh, the sad effects of our rage and rashness, which now in cold blood we repent us off, but know not which way to remedy!

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And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

And built there an altar. — Either for a monument and memorial of the victory, Diodat. as Joshua 8:30 Judges 6:24 , or else by reason of the multitude of their sacrifices, Junius as 1 Kings 8:64 .

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And the children of Israel said, Who [is there] among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

Who is there among all the tribes of Israel? — i.e., What city or country is there that did not send in their help? This inquisition was made, likely, by God’s appointment, in answer to that compassionate expostulation and request of theirs, Judges 21:3 for the just punishment of those neutrals of Jabeshgilead. Neutrality was banishment by Solon’s laws, death by God’s. Agell., lib. ii., cap. 12.

For they had made a great oath. — An oath seconded with a curse, as Judges 21:18 .

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And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin. — But why did they not repent of their unlawful oath, which now they might as lawfully have broken? Howsoever, it was well done of them to put off their arms and their anger against Benjamin together. Claudian saith in commendation of Theodosius,

“ Post acies odiis idem qui terminus armis. ”

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How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?

How shall we do for wives? … — All this difficulty, say our interpreters, did arise from their gross ignorance in those dark times: for they had no other cause to perplex themselves about their oath, but to stop the outcry of a superstitious conscience: since their oath being wicked, they were not bound at all to keep it, …

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And they said, What one [is there] of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.

There came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead. — They came not up to help the Lord, as Judges 5:23 ; they contributed nothing toward the just punishment of those sons of Belial, and therefore seemed to like well of their wickedness. These inhabitants of Jabeshgilead lay far out beyond Jordan, toward the Lake of Gennesaret, and therefore, haply, held themselves less concerned. There is none so wise as the sluggard, Proverbs 26:16 for self-love teacheth him a great many excuses, which he thinks will go for wisdom, because by them he thinks to sleep in a whole skin. But in fine his cunning deceiveth him, and he smoketh for it.

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