The Meaning of Judges 21:2 Explained

Judges 21:2

KJV: And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;

YLT: And the people come in to Beth-El, and sit there till the evening before God, and lift up their voice, and weep -- a great weeping,

Darby: And the people came to Bethel, and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.

ASV: And the people came to Beth-el, and sat there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the people  came  to the house  of God,  and abode  there till even  before  God,  and lifted up  their voices,  and wept  sore; 

What does Judges 21:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Judges 21

1  The people bewail the desolation of Benjamin
8  By the destruction of Jabesh Gilead they provide them four hundred wives
16  They advise the remainder to surprise the virgins that danced at Shiloh

What do the individual words in Judges 21:2 mean?

And came the people to Bethel and remained there till evening before God and they lifted up their voices and wept very bitterly
וַיָּבֹ֤א הָעָם֙ בֵּֽית־ אֵ֔ל וַיֵּ֤שְׁבוּ שָׁם֙ עַד־ הָעֶ֔רֶב לִפְנֵ֖י הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ קוֹלָ֔ם וַיִּבְכּ֖וּ בְּכִ֥י גָדֽוֹל

וַיָּבֹ֤א  And  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָעָם֙  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֵ֔ל  Bethel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־אֵל  
Sense: ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name).
וַיֵּ֤שְׁבוּ  and  remained 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
עַד־  till 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הָעֶ֔רֶב  evening 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.
לִפְנֵ֖י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ  and  they  lifted  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
קוֹלָ֔ם  their  voices 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
וַיִּבְכּ֖וּ  and  wept 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
בְּכִ֥י  very 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּכִי  
Sense: a weeping, weeping.
גָדֽוֹל  bitterly 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.