And they commanded the children of Benjamin, and said: Go, and lie hid in the vineyards,

And they commanded the Benjaminites, saying, |Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

And they command the sons of Benjamin, saying, 'Go, and ye have laid wait in the vineyards,

And they said to the men of Benjamin, Go into the vine-gardens, waiting there secretly,

And they instructed the sons of Benjamin, and they said: "Go, and hide in the vineyards.

Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin,.... The two hundred men of the tribe that wanted wives; they ordered them as follows, and which they spake with authority, being the elders of the congregation, Judges 21:16.
saying, go and lie in wait in the vineyards; which might belong to Shiloh, or it may be to Lebonah, which perhaps is the same with Bethlaban, famous for its wine with the Misnic writers; who say (g) the second places for wine are Bethrimah and Bethlaban; and I suspect that Bethrimah is the same with Bethrimmon, near which was the rock Rimmon these men were in; now this being the time of year when the vintage was just over, the vines were full of branches and leaves, under which the men might the better hide themselves; and the grapes being gathered, there were no men in the vineyards, and so might lie in wait safely, and under cover.
(g) Misn. Menachot, c. 8. sect. 6.

The Kethibh ויצו in the singular may be explained on the ground that one of the elders spoke and gave the advice in the name of the others. חטף in Judges 21:21 and Psalm 10:9, to seize hold of, or carry off as prey = חתף.