This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain by man.
This section closes with the people’s response to the continuing problem due to the failure of their plan (Judges 21:15). The Lord had made a breach or gap in the ranks of the Israelites in the sense that He permitted it to happen. However, He would not permit the annihilation of Benjamin in view of His promises concerning the future of Israel.