Judges 21:9 (GNV)

Passage

For when the people were vewed; beholde, none of the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead were there.

Nearby Context

Judges 21:7 How shall we do for wiues to them that remaine, seeing we haue sworne by the Lord, that we will not giue them of our daughters to wiues?

Judges 21:8 Also they saide, Is there any of the tribes of Israel that came not vp to Mizpeh to the Lord? and beholde, there came none of Iabesh Gilead vnto the hoste and to the Congregation.

Judges 21:9 For when the people were vewed; beholde, none of the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead were there.

Judges 21:10 Therefore the Congregation sent thither twelue thousande men of the most valiant, and commanded them, saying, Goe, and smite the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, both women, and children.

Judges 21:11 And this is it that ye shall do: ye shall vtterly destroye all the males and all the women that haue lien by men.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "vewed", "beholde", "none", "inhabitants", "iabesh", and "gilead". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "people" and "vewed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Also they saide Is there any of..." into verse 10's "Therefore the Congregation sent thither twelue thousande...", so "people" and "vewed" 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 "people" and "vewed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.