Judges 19:3-13

3 Then her husband arose and went after her to 1speak tenderly to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him into her father's house, and when the girl's father saw him, he was glad to meet him.
4 His father-in-law, the girl's father, detained him; and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank and lodged there.
5 Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and he prepared to go; and the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "2Sustain yourself with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go."
6 So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl's father said to the man, "Please be willing to spend the night, and 3let your heart be merry."
7 Then the man arose to go, but his father-in-law urged him so that he spent the night there again.
8 On the fifth day he arose to go early in the morning, and the girl's father said, "Please sustain yourself, and wait until afternoon * "; so both of them ate.
9 When the man arose to go along with his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Behold now, the day has drawn to a close; please spend the night. Lo, the day is coming to an end; spend the night here that your heart may be merry. Then tomorrow you may arise early for your journey so that you may go home."
10 But the man was not willing to spend the night, so he arose and departed and came to a place opposite 4Jebus (that is, Jerusalem ). And there were with him a pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine also was with him.
11 When they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone; and 5the servant said to his master, "Please come, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it."
12 However, his master said to him, "We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; but we will go on as far as Gibeah."
13 He said to his servant, "Come and let us approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah."

Judges 19:3-13 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 5

  • 1. Genesis 34:3; Genesis 50:21
  • 2. Genesis 18:5; Judges 19:8
  • 3. Judges 16:25; Judges 19:9, 22; Ruth 3:7; 1 Kings 21:7; Esther 1:10
  • 4. 1 Chronicles 11:4, 5
  • 5. Judges 19:19

Footnotes 9

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