Judges 19:25
in Judges 19But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.
KJV
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.
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This verse in Judges 19
Commentary
7 notes on this verseSo the man took his concubine - The word יחזק yachazek, which we here translate simply took, signifies rather to take or seize by violence. The woman would not go out to them; but her graceless husband forced her to go, in order that he might save his own body. He could have but little love for her, and this was the cause of their separation before.
This site's exposition
so the man took his concubine
on Judges 19:25-26
At Sodom the visitors pulled Lot inside and struck the men at the door with blindness at Genesis 19:10 and 19:11, and the guests were never touched. Here nothing intervenes, and the night is given in a single clause, they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning. Verse 26 brings her back at first light to the door of the house where her lord was, and she gets that far and no further.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
But when reason did no good and violence prevailed, the Levite parted from his wife, and they knew her and abused her all that night.
Driven by a wave of fury and inflamed by the incentive of lust, their desire for the young woman's beauty increased the more she was denied them. Deprived of all righteousness, they mocked his fair words, considering the old man's daughter an object of contempt in that she was offered with less feeling of ill will toward the crime. Then, when pious entreaties availed nothing and the aged hands were hopelessly extended in vain, the woman was seized and all that night was subjected to violence.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
But the men would not hearken to him,....
Headstrong lusts are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; they sear the conscience and make it insensible. They got the Levite's wife among them, and abused her to death,
One would think the Levite should have followed them, to see what became of his wife, but it is probable he durst not, lest they should do him a mischief. In the miserable end of this woman, we may see the righteous hand of God punishing her for her former uncleanness, when she played the whore against her husband,
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָב֤וּ | ʾavu | they were willing | H14 → | 54 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁים֙ | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| לִשְׁמֹ֣עַֽ | lishmoa' | to listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| וַיַּחֲזֵ֤ק | vaiyachazek | and he took hold | H2388 → | 291 times |
| הָאִישׁ֙ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בְּפִ֣ילַגְשׁ֔וֹ | befilagsho | on concubine his | H6370 → | 37 times |
| וַיֹּצֵ֥א | vaiyotze' | and he brought [her] out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַח֑וּץ | hachutz | <the> outside | H2351 → | 164 times |
| וַיֵּדְע֣וּ | vaiyedeu | and they knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| א֠וֹתָהּ | ʾotah | <obj.> her | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וַיִּֽתְעַלְּלוּ־ | vaiyitalelu- | and they abused | H5953 → | |
| בָ֤הּ | vah | <in> <the> her | ||
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ | halaylah | the night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַבֹּ֔קֶר | haboker | the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּהָ | vayshalechuha | and they let go her | H7971 → | 845 times |
| כַּעֲל֥וֹת | kaalot | just as came up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| הַשָּֽׁחַר׃ | hashachar | the dawn | H7837 → |
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
אָב֤וּthey were willing
ʾavuH14 →54 times
הָאֲנָשִׁים֙the men
haanashimH582 →566 times
לִשְׁמֹ֣עַֽto listen
lishmoa'H8085 →1159 times
ל֔וֹto <the> him
lo
וַיַּחֲזֵ֤קand he took hold
vaiyachazekH2388 →291 times
הָאִישׁ֙the man
haishH376 →1663 times
בְּפִ֣ילַגְשׁ֔וֹon concubine his
befilagshoH6370 →37 times
וַיֹּצֵ֥אand he brought [her] out
vaiyotze'H3318 →1067 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֖םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
הַח֑וּץ<the> outside
hachutzH2351 →164 times
וַיֵּדְע֣וּand they knew
vaiyedeuH3045 →945 times
א֠וֹתָהּ<obj.> her
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
וַיִּֽתְעַלְּלוּ־and they abused
vaiyitalelu-H5953 →
בָ֤הּ<in> <the> her
vah
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙the night
halaylahH3915 →233 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הַבֹּ֔קֶרthe morning
habokerH1242 →214 times
וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּהָand they let go her
vayshalechuhaH7971 →845 times
כַּעֲל֥וֹתjust as came up
kaalotH5927 →890 times
הַשָּֽׁחַר׃the dawn
hashacharH7837 →
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
Ephesians 4:19Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
it leads to
- Romans 1:24–26
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.
- Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
- 1 Timothy 4:2
influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.
- Jude 1:11
Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
- Romans 1:24–26
Through
Genesis 4:1And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.
it leads to
- 1 John 3:12
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
- 1 John 3:12
Through
Hosea 9:9They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.
it leads to
- Hosea 10:9
Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?
- Judges 19:16
That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was residing in Gibeah (the men of that place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the field.
- Hosea 8:13
Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to…
- Hosea 10:9
About Judges
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.19.114; Ambrose of Milan, LETTER 33; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.