Judges 19:9
in Judges 19When the man got up to depart with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is drawing to a close. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, that your heart may be merry. Then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey home.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thy heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.
KJV
And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.
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This verse in Judges 19
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
This is a perfect picture of the manners of the time. It is probable that the father showed more than usual hospitality, in order to ensure the kind treatment of his daughter by her husband. These particulars are given to account for their journey running so far into the evening, which was the immediate cause of the horrible catastrophe which followed.
This site's exposition
On the fifth day
on Judges 19:8-9
The fifth day is named and then spent, since “they waited until late afternoon”. The father's plea counts the hour twice, “the day is drawing to a close” and “the day is almost over”, and the second clause in Hebrew pictures a day pitching camp for the night. The Levite leaves anyway, and verse 14 reports the cost, with the sun setting as they neared Gibeah.
This site's exposition
the day is drawing to a close
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that travelers who left early in the morning halted by afternoon, so this was too late in the day to set out. Barnes reads the long delay as the reason the sun set on them near Gibeah. The delay brought them to Gibeah at nightfall.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Although the man wanted to depart, he kept him a fourth day, offering him excuses of civility, devising delays. In his desire to add a fifth day as well, he found new reasons for delaying them, while the husband, unwilling to thwart the father's affection of its desire to keep his daughter, though he was at last promised an opportunity for setting forth, postponed it to midday so that they would start out well fortified with food. Even after dinner, the father wished to find some delay, saying that evening was now approaching.
On the next day the Levite arose at daybreak but was detained by his father-in-law, that he might not so quickly lose the pleasure of his company. Again on the next and the third day the maiden's father did not allow his son-in-law to start [his journey], until their joy and mutual regard was complete. But on the seventh day, when it was already drawing to a close, after a pleasant meal, having urged the approach of the coming night, so as to make him think he ought to sleep among friends rather than strangers, he was unable to keep him, and so let him go together with his daughter.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He would by no means let him go before dinner, promises him he shall have dinner early, designing thereby, as he had done the day before, to detain him another night; but the Levite was intent on the house of the Lord at Shiloh (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And when the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine, and his servant,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the day draweth toward evening--Hebrew, "the pitching time of day." Travellers who set out at daybreak usually halt about the middle of the afternoon the first day, to enjoy rest and refreshment. It was, then, too late a time to commence a journey.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The day groweth to an end - חנות היום chanoth haiyom, “the day is about to pitch its tent;” that is, it was near the time in which travelers ordinarily pitched their tents, to take up their lodging for the night.
The words behind it
30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֤קָם | vaiyakom | and he arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| הָאִישׁ֙ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לָלֶ֔כֶת | lalekhet | to go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| ה֥וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וּפִילַגְשׁ֖וֹ | ufilagsho | and concubine his | H6370 → | 37 times |
| וְנַעֲר֑וֹ | venaaro | and servant his | H5288 → | 239 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| חֹתְנ֣וֹ | choteno | father-in-law his | H2859 → | 33 times |
| אֲבִ֣י | ʾavi | [the] father of | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הַֽנַּעֲרָ֡ה | hanaarah | the young woman | H5291 → | 63 times |
| הִנֵּ֣ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| נָא֩ | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| רָפָ֨ה | rafah | it is sinking | H7503 → | 46 times |
| הַיּ֜וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לַעֲרֹ֗ב | laaro | to become evening | H6150 → | |
| לִֽינוּ־ | linu- | spend [the] night | H3885 → | 84 times |
| נָ֞א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| הִנֵּ֨ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| חֲנ֤וֹת | chanot | to decline | H2583 → | 143 times |
| הַיּוֹם֙ | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לִ֥ין | lin | spend [the] night | H3885 → | 84 times |
| פֹּה֙ | poh | here | H6311 → | 82 times |
| וְיִיטַ֣ב | veyitav | so it may be good | H3190 → | 117 times |
| לְבָבֶ֔ךָ | levavekha | heart your | H3824 → | |
| וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּ֤ם | vehishkamtem | and you will rise early | H7925 → | 65 times |
| מָחָר֙ | machar | tomorrow | H4279 → | |
| לְדַרְכְּכֶ֔ם | ledarkekhem | for journey your | H1870 → | 707 times |
| וְהָלַכְתָּ֖ | vehalakhta | and you will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לְאֹהָלֶֽךָ׃ | leohalekha | to tent your | H168 → | 345 times |
וַיָּ֤קָםand he arose
vaiyakomH6965 →628 times
הָאִישׁ֙the man
haishH376 →1663 times
לָלֶ֔כֶתto go
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
ה֥וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וּפִילַגְשׁ֖וֹand concubine his
ufilagshoH6370 →37 times
וְנַעֲר֑וֹand servant his
venaaroH5288 →239 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ל֣וֹto <the> him
lo
חֹתְנ֣וֹfather-in-law his
chotenoH2859 →33 times
אֲבִ֣י[the] father of
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
הַֽנַּעֲרָ֡הthe young woman
hanaarahH5291 →63 times
הִנֵּ֣הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
נָא֩please
na'H4994 →404 times
רָפָ֨הit is sinking
rafahH7503 →46 times
הַיּ֜וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
לַעֲרֹ֗בto become evening
laaroH6150 →
לִֽינוּ־spend [the] night
linu-H3885 →84 times
נָ֞אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
הִנֵּ֨הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
חֲנ֤וֹתto decline
chanotH2583 →143 times
הַיּוֹם֙the day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
לִ֥יןspend [the] night
linH3885 →84 times
פֹּה֙here
pohH6311 →82 times
וְיִיטַ֣בso it may be good
veyitavH3190 →117 times
לְבָבֶ֔ךָheart your
levavekhaH3824 →
וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּ֤םand you will rise early
vehishkamtemH7925 →65 times
מָחָר֙tomorrow
macharH4279 →
לְדַרְכְּכֶ֔םfor journey your
ledarkekhemH1870 →707 times
וְהָלַכְתָּ֖and you will go
vehalakhtaH1980 →1546 times
לְאֹהָלֶֽךָ׃to tent your
leohalekhaH168 →345 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
Proverbs 27:1Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
it leads to
- James 4:13–16
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”
- Luke 12:19–20
Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
- 2 Corinthians 6:2
For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!
- Isaiah 56:12
“Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!”
- 1 Samuel 28:19
Moreover, the LORD will deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And the LORD will deliver the army of Israel into…
- James 4:13–16
Through
Luke 24:29But they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 4:8
One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.
- Luke 14:23
So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
- Genesis 19:3
But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
- 2 Kings 4:8
About Judges
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Ambrose of Milan, LETTER 33; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.19.111-12; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.