Judges 21:6The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
The setting
Mizpah, central Israel ~1100 BC. The tribal leaders sit in stunned silence, realizing Benjamin tribe has only 600 surviving men...
The emotion here: heartbroken over their own destructiveness
The original word
nāḥam (נָחַם) — to grieve deeply, to feel sorry; implies regret and compassion
Why it matters
Benjamin was the smallest tribe, descended from Jacob's youngest son born to his beloved Rachel
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 21:6
They're grieving like Benjamin is DEAD - one of the original 12 tribes of Israel has basically been erased
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows healthy boundaries, but this is actually about the horror of taking family conflict too far - they're mourning their own cruelty.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 21:6
Bible Genome reading
Judges 21:6 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 21:6 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Israelites. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include family bonds, loss. Notable phrases: grieved for Benjamin.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Judges 21:6 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "grieving"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.