The Meaning of Judges 21:5 Explained

Judges 21:5

KJV: And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

YLT: And the sons of Israel say, 'Who is he that hath not come up in the assembly out of all the tribes of Israel unto Jehovah?' for the great oath hath been concerning him who hath not come up unto Jehovah to Mizpeh, saying, 'He is surely put to death.'

Darby: And the people of Israel said, "Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the LORD?" For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, "He shall be put to death."

ASV: And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up in the assembly unto Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up unto Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the children  of Israel  said,  Who [is there] among all the tribes  of Israel  that  came  not up with the congregation  unto the LORD?  For they had made a great  oath  concerning him that came not up  to the LORD  to Mizpeh,  saying,  He shall surely  be put to death. 

What does Judges 21:5 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 21:5 mean?

And said the sons of Israel who [is there] who not did come up with the assembly among all the tribes of Israel to Yahweh for a oath great they had made concerning anyone who had come up Yahweh at Mizpah saying surely He shall be put to death
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִ֠י אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא־ עָלָ֧ה בַקָּהָ֛ל מִכָּל־ שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־ ؟ יְהוָ֑ה כִּי֩ הַשְּׁבוּעָ֨ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֜ה הָיְתָ֗ה לַ֠אֲשֶׁר עָלָ֨ה יְהוָ֧ה הַמִּצְפָּ֛ה לֵאמֹ֖ר מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מִ֠י  who  [is  there] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
עָלָ֧ה  did  come  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
בַקָּהָ֛ל  with  the  assembly 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָהָל  
Sense: assembly, company, congregation, convocation.
מִכָּל־  among  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
שִׁבְטֵ֥י  the  tribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
؟ יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַשְּׁבוּעָ֨ה  a  oath 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: oath, curse.
הַגְּדוֹלָ֜ה  great 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
הָיְתָ֗ה  they  had  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לַ֠אֲשֶׁר  concerning 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָלָ֨ה  anyone  who  had  come  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
יְהוָ֧ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַמִּצְפָּ֛ה  at  Mizpah 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְפָּה  
Sense: a place in Gilead north of Jabbok and location of Laban’s cairn.
לֵאמֹ֖ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מ֥וֹת  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
יוּמָֽת  He  shall  be  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.