The people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore.
The civil war had left only 600 Benjamite warriors alive (Judges 20:47). The population of this endangered tribe was so small now that it could easily have become extinct. Returning to Bethel and the ark, the victorious Israelites reflected on the situation they had created (Judges 21:2). The thrill of victory turned to the agony of defeat as they realized the consequences of their actions. The dilemma that their "wife oath" (Judges 21:1) and their sorrow (Judges 21:2) posed is the subject of this chapter. How could they resolve these two things?