Judges 19:16-26

16 Then behold, an old man was coming out of the field from his work at evening. Now the man was from 1the hill country of Ephraim, and he was staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place 2were Benjamites.
17 And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler * in the open square of the city; and the old man said, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?"
18 He said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, for I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. But I am now going to my house, and no man will take me into his house.
19 "Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, your maidservant, and 3the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything *."
20 The old man said, "4Peace to you. Only let me take care of all your needs; however, do not spend the night in the open square."
21 5So he took him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.
22 While they were celebrating *, behold, 6the men of the city, certain 7worthless fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him."
23 Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my fellows, please do not act so wickedly; since * this man has come into my house, 8do not commit this act of folly.
24 "9Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please let me bring them out that you may ravish them and do to them whatever you wish *. But do not commit such an act of folly against this man."
25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them; and they raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn.
26 As the day began to dawn *, the woman came and fell down at the doorway of the man's house where * her master was, until full daylight.

Judges 19:16-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 19

This chapter gives an account of a sad affair of a Levite and his concubine, and of the bad consequence of it, how that she played the whore, and went away from him to her father's house, whither he followed her, and where he was kindly entertained by her father several days, Jud 19:1-9 and then set out on his journey to his own country; and passing by Jebus or Jerusalem, he came to Gibeah, and could get no lodging, Jud 19:10-15, but at length was taken in by an old man, an Ephraimite, Jud 19:16-21 when the house where he was beset by some wicked men in Gibeah, with the same intent as the men of Sodom beset the house of Lot, Jud 19:22-24 and after some expostulation of the old man with them, the concubine was brought out to them and abused by them even unto death, Jud 19:25-28 upon which the Levite her husband cut her into twelve pieces, and sent them into all the coasts of Israel, which was shocking and surprising, Jud 19:29,30 the consequence of which is related in the next chapter.

Cross References 9

  • 1. Judges 19:1
  • 2. Judges 19:14
  • 3. Judges 19:11
  • 4. Genesis 43:23; Judges 6:23
  • 5. Genesis 24:32, 33
  • 6. Genesis 19:4, 5; Ezekiel 16:46-48
  • 7. Deuteronomy 13:13; 1 Samuel 2:12; 1 Kings 21:10; 2 Corinthians 6:15
  • 8. Genesis 34:7; Deuteronomy 22:21; Judges 20:6; 2 Samuel 13:12
  • 9. Genesis 19:8

Footnotes 8

  • [a]. Or "sojourning"
  • [b]. Heb "the house of the LORD"," cf v 29
  • [c]. I.e. my concubine
  • [d]. Lit "making their hearts merry"
  • [e]. Lit "sons of Belial"
  • [f]. Lit "intercourse"
  • [g]. Lit "the good in your eyes"
  • [h]. Lit "At the turning of the morning"
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