Targum Jonathan on the Prophets Judges · chapter 21

Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.

1. 1

   וֶאֱנַשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל קַיֵם בְּמִצְפַּיָא לְמֵימָר אֱנַשׁ מִנָנָא לָא יִתֵּן בְּרַתֵּיהּ לִדְבֵית בִּנְיָמִין לְאִתּוּ:

   Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”

2. 2

   וַאֲתָא עַמָא לְבֵית אֵל וִיתִיבוּ תַמָן עַד רַמְשָׁא קֳדָם יְיָ וַאֲרִימוּ קָלְהוֹן וּבְכוֹ בְּכִי סַגְיָא:

   So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.

3. 3

   וַאֲמֵרוּ לְמָא יְיָ אֱלָהָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל הֲוַת דָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁגֵי יוֹמָא דֵין מִיִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְטָא חָד:

   “Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”

4. 4

   וַהֲוָה מִיוֹמָא דְבַתְרוֹהִי וְאַקְדִימוּ עַמָא וּבְנוֹ תַמָן מַדְבְּחָא וְאַסִיקוּ עֲלַוָן וְנִכְסַת קוּדְשִׁין:

   The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings.

5. 5

   וַאֲמַרוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מַן דְלָא סְלִיק בִּקְהָלָא מִכָּל שִׁבְטַיָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָקֳדָם יְיָ אֲרֵי שְׁבוּעֲתָא רַבְּתָא הֲוַת לִדְלָא סְלִיק לִקְדָם יְיָ לְמִצְפַּיָא לְמֵימַר אִתְקְטָלָא יִתְקְטֵיל:

   The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.

6. 6

   וְאִתְנְחָמוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל דְבֵית בִּנְיָמִין אֲחוּהוֹן וַאֲמַרוּ אִתְמְנַע יוֹמָא דֵין שִׁבְטָא חַד מִיִשְׂרָאֵל:

   And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.

7. 7

   מַה נַעְבֵּיד לְהוֹן לִדְאִשְׁתַּאֲרוּ לִנְשִׁין וַאֲנַחְנָא קַיֵמְנָא בְּמֵימְרָא דַייָ בְּדִיל דְלָא לְמִתַּן לְהוֹן מִבְּנָתָנָא לִנְשִׁין:

   What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”

8. 8

   וַאֲמַרוּ מַן חַד מִשִׁבְטַיָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְלָא סְלִיק לָקֳדָם יְיָ לְמִצְפַּיָא וְהָא לָא אֲתָא אֲנַשׁ לְמַשְׁרִיתָא מֵיָבֵשׁ גִלְעָד לִקְהָלָא:

   So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.

9. 9

   וְאִתְמְנִיאוּ עַמָא וְהָא לֵית תַּמָן אֱנַשׁ מִיַשְׁבֵי יָבֵשׁ גִלְעָד:

   For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.

10. 10

    וּשְׁלַחוּ תַמָן כְּנִשְׁתָּא תְּרֵי עֲסַר אַלְפִין גַבְרָא מְזָרְזֵי חֵילָא וּפַקִידוּ יַתְהוֹן לְמֵימָר אֱזִילוּ וְתִמְחוּן יַת יַתְבֵי יָבֵשׁ גִלְעָד לְפִתְגַם דְחָרֶב וּנְשַׁיָא וְטַפְלָא:

    So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children.

11. 11

    וְדֵין פִּתְגָמָא דִי תַעְבְּדוּן כָּל דְכוּרָא וְכָל אִתְּתָא דִידַעַת מִשְׁכְּבֵי דְכוּרָא תִּגְמְרוּן:

    This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”

12. 12

    וְאַשְׁכָּחוּ מִיַתְבֵי יָבֵשׁ גִלְעָד אַרְבַּע מְאָה עוּלֵימָן בְּתוּלָן דְלָא יָדְעָא גְבַר מִשְׁכְּבֵי דְכוּרָא וְאַיְתִיאוּ יַתְהוֹן לְמַשְׁרִיתָא לְשִׁילוֹ דִי בְּאַרְעָא דִכְנָעַן:

    So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

13. 13

    וּשְׁלָחוּ כָּל כְּנִשְׁתָּא וּמַלִילוּ עִם בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִין דִי בְּכֵיף רִמוֹן וּקְרוֹ לְהוֹן מִלִין דִשְׁלָם:

    Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.

14. 14

    וְתָבוּ בְנֵי בִנְיָמִין בְּעִידָנָא הַהִיא וִיהָבוּ לְהוֹן נְשִׁין דְקַיְמוּ מִנְשֵׁי יָבֵשׁ גִלְעָד וְלָא סַפִּיקוּ לְהוֹן כֵּן:

    And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.

15. 15

    וְעַמָא אִתְנַחֲמוּ עַל דְבֵית בִּנְיָמִן אֲרֵי עֲבַד יְיָ תַּרְעָתָא בְּשִׁבְטַיָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל:

    The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel.

16. 16

    וַאֲמַרוּ סָבֵי כְנִשְׁתָּא מַה נַעְבֵּד לִדְאִשְׁתַּאֲרוּ לִנְשִׁין אֲרֵי פְסָקַת מִדְבֵית בִּנְיָמִן אִתְּתָא:

    Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?”

17. 17

    וַאֲמַרוּ יְרוּתַת שְׁזֵיבְתָּא לִבְנֵי בִנְיָמִן וְלָא יִתְמְחֵי שִׁבְטָא מִיִשְׂרָאֵל:

    They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out.

18. 18

    וַאֲנַחְנָא לָא נֵיכוּל לְמִתַּן לְהוֹן נְשִׁין מִבְּנָתָנָא אֲרֵי קַיְימוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמֵימָר לִיט דִי יִתֵּן אִתְּתָא לִדְבֵית בִּנְיָמִין:

    But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”

19. 19

    וַאֲמַרוּ הָא חַגָא קֳדָם יְיָ בְּשִׁלוֹ מִזְמַן מוֹעֵד לְמוֹעֵד דִי מִצִיפּוּנָא לְבֵית אֵל מַדְּנַח שִׁמְשָׁא לְכִבְשָׁא דְסָלֵיק מִבֵּית אֵל לִשְׁכֶם וּמִדָרוֹמָא לִלְבוֹנָתָא:

    “But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

20. 20

    וּפַקִידוּ יַת בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִין לְמֵימָר אֱזִילוּ וְתִכְמְנוּן בְּכַרְמַיָא:

    So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards

21. 21

    וְתֶחְזוּן וְהָא אִם יִפְקוּן בְּנַת שִׁילוֹ לְמֵיחַג בְּחִנְגַיָא וְתִפְקוּן מִן כַרְמַיָא וּתְחַטְפוּן לְכוֹן גְבַר אִתְּתֵיהּ מִבְּנַת שִׁילוֹ וּתְהָכוּן לְאַרְעָא שִׁבְטָא דְבִנְיָמִן:

    and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

22. 22

    וִיהֵי אֲרֵי יֵיתוּן אֲבָהַתְהוֹן אוֹ אֲחֵיהוֹן לְמִידַן קֳדָמָנָא וְנֵימַר לְהוֹן חֲנִינוּנוּן לְהוֹן אֲרֵי לָא סַפִּיקְנָא לְמִתַּן גְבַר אִתְּתֵיהּ בִּקְרָבָא אֲרֵי לָא אַתּוּן יַהֲבִין לְהוֹן כְּעִידַן פּוֹן תְּחוֹבוּן:

    When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’”

23. 23

    וַעֲבָדוּ כֵּן בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן וּנְסִיבוּ נְשִׁין לְמִנְיָנֵיהוֹן מִן חִנְגַיָא דִי אֲנָסוּ וַאֲזַלוּ וְתָבוּ לְאַחְסַנְתְּהוֹן וּבְנוֹ יַת קִרְוַיָא וִיתִיבוּ בְהוֹן:

    The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them.

24. 24

    וְהַלִיכוּ מִתַּמָן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעִידָנָא הַהִיא גְבַר לְשִׁבְטֵיהּ וּלְזַרְעִיתֵיהּ וּנְפַקוּ מִתַּמָן גְבַר לְאַחְסַנְתֵּיהּ:

    And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance.

25. 25

    בְּיוֹמַיָא הָאִינוּן לֵית מַלְכָּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל גְבַר דְכָשַׁר בְּעֵינוֹהִי יַעְבַּד:

    In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.