Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin as wife.
Then the Israelites sought the Lord more seriously (Judges 21:4). It seems strange that they built an altar at Bethel since they had recently offered sacrifices on the one before the tabernacle there (Judges 20:26). Perhaps they rebuilt or enlarged the altar at Bethel, or they may have built another one.