Judges 21:9 (YLT)

Passage

And the people numbered themselves, and lo, there is not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead.

Nearby Context

Judges 21:7 what do we do for them--for those who are left--for wives, and we--we have sworn by Jehovah not to give to them of our daughters for wives?'

Judges 21:8 And they say, `Who is <FI>that<Fi> one out of the tribes of Israel who hath not come up unto Jehovah to Mizpeh?' and lo, none hath come in unto the camp from Jabesh-Gilead--unto the assembly.

Judges 21:9 And the people numbered themselves, and lo, there is not there a man of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead.

Judges 21:10 And the company send there twelve thousand men of the sons of valour, and command them, saying, `Go--and ye have smitten the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead by the mouth of the sword, even the women and the infants.

Judges 21:11 And this <FI>is<Fi> the thing which ye do; every male, and every woman knowing the lying of a male, ye devote.'

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And they say Who is FI that..." into verse 10's "And the company send there twelve thousand...", so "people" and "numbered" 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 "numbered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.