Judges 19:18
in Judges 19The Levite replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD; but no one has taken me into his home,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah unto the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim; from thence am I, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah: and I am now going to the house of Jehovah; and there is no man that taketh me into his house.
KJV
And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth–lehem–judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth–lehem–judah, but I am now going to the house of the Lord; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.
⋯
This verse in Judges 19
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The house of the Lord - Probably at Shiloh (marginal references). The Levite was probably one of those who ministered at the tabernacle. His two donkeys and servant show him to have been in good circumstances, and he had a home of his own.
This site's exposition
now I am going to the house of the LORD
on Judges 19:18-19
He names his destination as “the house of the LORD”, where the Septuagint reads my house, the place verse 29 has him reach, and the chapter settles neither reading. The house of God stood at Shiloh in this period, as Judges 18:31 states and 21:19 assumes. Verse 19 lists what the party carries so no host could plead the cost, “straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine”.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
On his answering that he was traveling and was making for Mount Ephraim and that there was no one to take him in, the old man offered him hospitality and prepared a meal.
He answered, "I came from Bethlehem of Judah, I am going to Mount Ephrem, and my wife is here with me. But I have learned that there is no one here to give hospitality and provide us a chance to rest." He needed no food or drink for himself nor food for his flock, but they had been refused the hospitality of shelter. They had everything; only a bare lodging was needed. To this the old man kindly and calmly said, "Peace to you!
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
House of the Lord - Which was in Shiloh. Thither he went, either because he lived there, for that was in the tribe of Ephraim; or, rather, because he would there offer prayers and praises, and sacrifices to God, for his mercy in reconciling him and his wife.
And he said unto him, we are passing from Bethlehemjudah,....
And, if the men of Gibeah had any intimation of his being bound that way, probably they would therefore be disinclined to entertain him. The Samaritans would not receive Christ because his face was towards Jerusalem, Luke ix. But for this reason, because he was a Levite and was now going to the house of the Lord, this good old man was the more kind to him.
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Note, Our friends' designed kindnesses often prove, in the event, real injuries; what is meant for our welfare becomes a trap. Who knows what is good for a man in this life? The Levite was unwise in setting out so late; he might have got home better if he had staid a night longer and taken the day before him.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
To the Sanctuary of Adonoy. I am going to Shiloh. 3 The Mishkon was at Shiloh. (Yehosnua,:1).
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָ֗יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עֹבְרִ֨ים | ʾoerim | [are] passing | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֲנַ֜חְנוּ | ʾanachnu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
| מִבֵּֽית־ | mibeit- | from Beth- | H1035 → | 82 times |
| לֶ֣חֶם | lechem | -lehem | H1035 → | 82 times |
| יְהוּדָה֮ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| יַרְכְּתֵ֣י | yarketei | [the] remotest parts of | H3411 → | |
| הַר־ | har- | [the] hill country of | H2022 → | 546 times |
| אֶפְרַיִם֒ | ʾefrayim | Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| מִשָּׁ֣ם | misham | [am] from there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| אָנֹ֔כִי | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| וָאֵלֵ֕ךְ | vaelekh | and I went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | Beth- | H1035 → | 82 times |
| לֶ֖חֶם | lechem | -lehem | H1035 → | 82 times |
| יְהוּדָ֑ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּ֤ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲנִ֣י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| הֹלֵ֔ךְ | holekh | [am] going | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְאֵ֣ין | veein | and not | H369 → | 789 times |
| אִ֔ישׁ | ʾish | anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מְאַסֵּ֥ף | measef | [was] receiving | H622 → | 200 times |
| אוֹתִ֖י | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַבָּֽיְתָה׃ | habayetah | the house towards | H1004 → | 2046 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָ֗יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
עֹבְרִ֨ים[are] passing
ʾoerimH5674 →556 times
אֲנַ֜חְנוּwe
ʾanachnuH587 →120 times
מִבֵּֽית־from Beth-
mibeit-H1035 →82 times
לֶ֣חֶם-lehem
lechemH1035 →82 times
יְהוּדָה֮Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
יַרְכְּתֵ֣י[the] remotest parts of
yarketeiH3411 →
הַר־[the] hill country of
har-H2022 →546 times
אֶפְרַיִם֒Ephraim
ʾefrayimH669 →180 times
מִשָּׁ֣ם[am] from there
mishamH8033 →834 times
אָנֹ֔כִיI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
וָאֵלֵ֕ךְand I went
vaelekhH1980 →1546 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
בֵּ֥יתBeth-
beitH1035 →82 times
לֶ֖חֶם-lehem
lechemH1035 →82 times
יְהוּדָ֑הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
בֵּ֤ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲנִ֣יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
הֹלֵ֔ךְ[am] going
holekhH1980 →1546 times
וְאֵ֣יןand not
veeinH369 →789 times
אִ֔ישׁanyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מְאַסֵּ֥ף[was] receiving
measefH622 →200 times
אוֹתִ֖י<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
הַבָּֽיְתָה׃the house towards
habayetahH1004 →2046 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 15:6If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
it leads to
- Matthew 7:19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
- Hebrews 6:7–8
For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God.
- Matthew 13:41
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.
- John 15:2
He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
- Matthew 3:10
The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
- Matthew 7:19
Through
Joshua 18:1Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 1:3
Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 19:51
These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance…
- 1 Samuel 1:3
Through
Judges 18:31So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.
it leads to
- Joshua 18:1
Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,
- Joshua 18:1
About Judges

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceJudeaEphraimThe town near the wilderness where Jesus withdrew with His disciples before the last Passover (John 11:54).
- PlaceBethlehemBethlehemDavid’s town, six miles south of Jerusalem, where Ruth gleaned, where Samuel anointed a shepherd boy, and where Jesus was born as…
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.19.113; Ambrose of Milan, LETTER 33; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
