Judges 21:3 (GNV)

Passage

And sayde, O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to passe in Israel, that this day one tribe of Israel should want?

Nearby Context

Judges 21:1 Moreouer, the men of Israel sware in Mizpeh, saying, None of vs shall giue his daughter vnto the Beniamites to wyfe.

Judges 21:2 And the people came vnto ye house of God and abode there till euen before God, and lift vp their voyces, and wept with great lamentation,

Judges 21:3 And sayde, O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to passe in Israel, that this day one tribe of Israel should want?

Judges 21:4 And on the morow the people rose vp and made there an altar, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings.

Judges 21:5 Then the children of Israel said, Who is he among all the tribes of Israel, that came not vp with the Congregation vnto the Lord? for they had made a great othe concerning him that came not vp to the Lord to Mizpeh, saying, Let him die the death.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sayde", "lord", "israel", "come", "passe", and "tribe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sayde" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "And the people came vnto ye house..." into verse 4's "And on the morow the people rose...", so "sayde" and "lord" belong inside that flow. In Judges context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sayde" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.