Judges 19:3
in Judges 19her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back, taking his servant and a pair of donkeys. So the girl brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly unto her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
KJV
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
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This verse in Judges 19
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
to speak kindly to her
on Judges 19:3-4
Behind “speak kindly to her” stands the Hebrew to speak to her heart, the expression Ruth uses of Boaz at Ruth 2:13. It is the one act of kindness the chapter records, and her father “gladly welcomed him”. Three days was the ordinary length of a guest's welcome.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Then her husband arose and went to the house of his father-in-law to reconcile himself with his wife, to win her back and take her home again. The woman ran to meet him and brought her husband into her father's house. The maiden's father rejoiced and went to meet him, and the man stayed with him three days, and they ate and rested.
After the fourth month slipped by her husband, who was overwhelmed with love and had nothing else to hope for, went to her, trusting that the young girl's heart would be softened on the advice of her parents. His father-in-law met him at the door and brought him into the house. He reconciled his daughter and, in order that he might send them away more joyous, kept them three days while he prepared a sort of nuptial banquet.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He spoke friendly to her, or comfortably (for so the Hebrew phrase of speaking to the heart commonly signifies), which intimates that she was in sorrow, penitent fore what she had done amiss, which probably he heard of when he came to fetch her back. Thus God promises concerning adulterous Israel ( Hos. ii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And her husband arose,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He rejoiced to meet him - He hoped to be able completely to reconcile his daughter and her husband.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֨קָם | vaiyakom | and he arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אִישָׁ֜הּ | ʾishah | husband her | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אַחֲרֶ֗יהָ | ʾachareiha | after her | H310 → | 715 times |
| לְדַבֵּ֤ר | ledaber | to speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לִבָּהּ֙ | libah | heart her | H3820 → | 595 times |
| לַהֲשִׁיבָ֔הּ | lahashivoh | to bring back her | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וְנַעֲר֥וֹ | venaaro | and servant his | H5288 → | 239 times |
| עִמּ֖וֹ | imo | [was] with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וְצֶ֣מֶד | vetzemed | and a pair of | H6776 → | |
| חֲמֹרִ֑ים | chamorim | donkeys | H2543 → | 96 times |
| וַתְּבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙ | vateviehu | and she brought him | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אָבִ֔יהָ | ʾaviha | father her | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וַיִּרְאֵ֙הוּ֙ | vaiyirehu | and he saw him | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֲבִ֣י | ʾavi | [the] father of | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ה | hanaarah | the young woman | H5291 → | 63 times |
| וַיִּשְׂמַ֖ח | vaiyismach | and he was glad | H8055 → | 155 times |
| לִקְרָאתֽוֹ׃ | likrato | to meet him | H7122 → | 139 times |
וַיָּ֨קָםand he arose
vaiyakomH6965 →628 times
אִישָׁ֜הּhusband her
ʾishahH376 →1663 times
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
אַחֲרֶ֗יהָafter her
ʾachareihaH310 →715 times
לְדַבֵּ֤רto speak
ledaberH1696 →1141 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
לִבָּהּ֙heart her
libahH3820 →595 times
לַהֲשִׁיבָ֔הּto bring back her
lahashivohH7725 →1056 times
וְנַעֲר֥וֹand servant his
venaaroH5288 →239 times
עִמּ֖וֹ[was] with him
imoH5973 →1050 times
וְצֶ֣מֶדand a pair of
vetzemedH6776 →
חֲמֹרִ֑יםdonkeys
chamorimH2543 →96 times
וַתְּבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙and she brought him
vateviehuH935 →2568 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
אָבִ֔יהָfather her
ʾavihaH1 →1212 times
וַיִּרְאֵ֙הוּ֙and he saw him
vaiyirehuH7200 →1300 times
אֲבִ֣י[the] father of
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔הthe young woman
hanaarahH5291 →63 times
וַיִּשְׂמַ֖חand he was glad
vaiyismachH8055 →155 times
לִקְרָאתֽוֹ׃to meet him
likratoH7122 →139 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 8:11“No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”
it leads to
- John 3:17
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
- John 5:14
Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”
- Isaiah 1:16–18
Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!
- John 8:15
You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
- Luke 15:7
In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.
- John 3:17
Through
Jeremiah 3:1“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 24:1–4
If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her…
- Deuteronomy 24:1–4
Through
Genesis 50:21Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.
it leads to
- Genesis 47:12
Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father’s household with food for their families.
- Genesis 47:12
Through
Judges 15:1Later on, at the time of the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. “I want to go to my wife in her room,” he said. But her…
it leads to
- Genesis 38:17
“I will send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah answered. But she replied, “Only if you leave me something as a pledge until you send it.”
- Genesis 38:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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 3.19.111-12; 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.
