Judges 21:12They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins, who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
The setting
Shiloh, Israel, ~1100 BC. Modern-day Khirbet Seilun in West Bank. Four hundred young women, sole survivors of their city's destruction, being relocated to marry strangers.
The emotion here: chronicling tragedy with detached sorrow
The original word
betulah (בתולה) — virgin, unmarried woman of marriageable age
Why it matters
Shiloh was Israel's religious center before Jerusalem, housing the Tabernacle for over 300 years
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 21:12
These women lost their entire families and communities in one day, then were immediately relocated to solve someone else's problem
Common misconceptionPeople focus on the 'virgin' detail for purity reasons, but the real tragedy is these were the only survivors of genocide who now had to marry their attackers' allies.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 21:12
Bible Genome reading
Judges 21:12 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 21:12 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include survival, provision. Notable phrases: four hundred young virgins.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Judges 21:12 mean to you, today?
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