THEOSISAmbrose of Milan
Afterward, afflicted by guilt over the harsh punishment they had imposed on their kin, the Israelites lessened its severity by permitting the Benjamites to choose for themselves as wives the young women left orphaned due to the deaths of their fathers in battle, or to take them by force, as the sin of another’s marriage was deemed so disgraceful that those who committed it were considered unworthy to openly seek a maiden for a wife. To ensure the survival of the tribe of Benjamin, they overlooked the abduction of wives by the Benjamites.
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One elder suggested that two hundred men from the tribe of Benjamin conceal themselves in a vineyard. When a group of women would pass by, they should spring from their hiding place and take them as wives, since there would be no breach of the oath, as the people earnestly wished to see the tribe flourish, but were prevented from giving their daughters in marriage due to their vow. It was determined that such actions would not violate the oath, as it did not prohibit such measures; the oath did not bind them against this course of action, and the young men were encouraged to set aside their fears and secure their own futures.