Judges 21:9 (LSB)

Passage

Indeed the people were numbered, but behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.

Nearby Context

Judges 21:7 What shall we do for wives for those who are left? But we have sworn by Yahweh not to give them any of our daughters in marriage.”

Judges 21:8 So they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.

Judges 21:9 Indeed the people were numbered, but behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.

Judges 21:10 And the congregation sent 12,000 of the men of valor there and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones.

Judges 21:11 Now this is the thing that you shall do: you shall devote to destruction every man and every woman who has known, that is lain with, a man.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "indeed", "people", "numbered", "behold", "inhabitants", and "jabesh-gilead". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "indeed" and "people", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "So they said What one is there..." into verse 10's "And the congregation sent of the men...", so "indeed" and "people" 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 "indeed" and "people" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.