Judges 21:25

Context

This verse is the closing statement of the Book of Judges. Judges 17–21 is not a chronological record; it consists of two narratives appended to the book. The first is the story of Micah's idol and the migration of the tribe of Dan (chapters 17–18). The second is the account of the Levite's concubine at Gibeah and the ensuing war against the tribe of Benjamin (chapters 19–21). Throughout this section the refrain "In those days there was no king in Israel" recurs. Judges 17:6 gives it in the same full form as this verse, while 18:1 and 19:1 give only the first half. This verse restates the refrain in its full form once more and thereby closes the entire book: "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." The speaker is not a character in the narrative but the book's narrator, and the statement serves as an assessment for the reader of the period of the judges as a whole.

Interpretation

• As preparation for the monarchy: Many commentators hold that the refrain highlights Israel's need for a king to establish order and thus anticipates the account of the monarchy in 1 Samuel. Some scholars note that Gibeah, where the events take place, was the hometown of Saul, and that the Levites in these narratives are connected with Bethlehem. On this basis some read the account as favoring the house of David over the house of Saul.
• As a statement about God's kingship: This interpretation holds that the root of the problem lay not in the absence of a human king but in Israel's failure to serve God as King. Supporting texts include Gideon's words, "the LORD shall rule over you" (Judges 8:23), and 1 Samuel 8:7. Reformed and evangelical preaching often reads the verse as pointing to Christ as the true King (kingship of Christ).
• As an ethical statement: This reading takes "right in his own eyes" as describing an attitude that makes one's own judgment, rather than God's standard, the measure of conduct. Contrasting the verse with Deuteronomy 12:8, which forbids each man to do "whatsoever is right in his own eyes," it interprets the verse as depicting the collapse of the covenant community.

Debates and Issues

• Assessment of the monarchy: Judges appears to view the monarchy favorably, whereas 1 Samuel 8 regards the request for a king as a rejection of God. Scholars explain the relationship between the two texts in different ways.
• Translation questions: The Hebrew text places the two clauses "there was no king" and "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" side by side without a conjunction. Korean translations usually render the relationship as causal by inserting the connective "-므로" ("because" or "therefore"), and some have pointed out that this rendering introduces an interpretive element.
• Citation out of context: The verse is frequently used to criticize relativism in modern society. In response, some argue that it must also be borne in mind that the original text is an indictment of idolatry and violence within the covenant people themselves.

In the Korean Church

The verse is often cited in sermons addressing the self-centeredness and moral relativism of modern society, as well as questions of order within the community of faith.

Related Passages

• Judges 17:6
• Judges 8:23
• Deuteronomy 12:8
• 1 Samuel 8:7
• Proverbs 21:2