Judges 21:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The inhabitants of Jabesh in Gilead faced severe consequences, for all of Israel had sworn a solemn oath: anyone who refused to join in the effort to address wickedness must face death. As a result, twelve thousand soldiers were fallen, and all the men and women met their end by the sword, leaving behind only the young girls who had never known a husband. Amidst the destruction of Jabesh of Gilead, merely four hundred virgins survived.