Judges 20:6
in Judges 20Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
KJV
And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
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This verse in Judges 20
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I took my concubine, cut her into pieces
on Judges 20:6-7
The charge of “a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel” is a set phrase. It is said of Dinah at Genesis 34:7, in the law at Deuteronomy 22:21 and of Achan at Joshua 7:15. His last words, “give your advice and verdict here and now”, invite the assembly to judge.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
All lewdness is folly, but especially lewdness in Israel. For those to defile their own bodies who have the honourable seal of the covenant in their flesh, for those to defy the divine vengeance to whom it is so clearly revealed from heaven--Nabal is their name, and folly is with them. He concludes his declaration with an appeal to the judgment of the court (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said--The injured husband gave a brief and unvarnished recital of the tragic outrage, from which it appears that force was used, which he could not resist. His testimony was doubtless corroborated by those of his servant and the old Ephraimite.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָֽאֹחֵ֤ז | vaochez | and I took hold | H270 → | 67 times |
| בְּפִֽילַגְשִׁי֙ | befilagshi | on concubine my | H6370 → | 37 times |
| וָֽאֲנַתְּחֶ֔הָ | vaanatecheha | and I cut in pieces her | H5408 → | |
| וָֽאֲשַׁלְּחֶ֔הָ | vaashalecheha | and I sent off her | H7971 → | 845 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שְׂדֵ֖ה | sedeh | [the] land of | H7704 → | 334 times |
| נַחֲלַ֣ת | nachalat | [the] inheritance of | H5159 → | 222 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עָשׂ֛וּ | ʾasu | they have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| זִמָּ֥ה | zimah | wickedness | H2154 → | |
| וּנְבָלָ֖ה | unevalah | and disgraceful folly | H5039 → | 13 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | beyisrael | in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וָֽאֹחֵ֤זand I took hold
vaochezH270 →67 times
בְּפִֽילַגְשִׁי֙on concubine my
befilagshiH6370 →37 times
וָֽאֲנַתְּחֶ֔הָand I cut in pieces her
vaanatechehaH5408 →
וָֽאֲשַׁלְּחֶ֔הָand I sent off her
vaashalechehaH7971 →845 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
שְׂדֵ֖ה[the] land of
sedehH7704 →334 times
נַחֲלַ֣ת[the] inheritance of
nachalatH5159 →222 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
עָשׂ֛וּthey have done
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
זִמָּ֥הwickedness
zimahH2154 →
וּנְבָלָ֖הand disgraceful folly
unevalahH5039 →13 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃in Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 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
Judges 19:23The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this…
it leads to
- Genesis 34:7
When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 22:21
she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house, and there the men of her city will stone her to death. For she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 13:12
“No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not humiliate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!
- Genesis 19:6–7
Lot went outside to meet them, shutting the door behind him.
- Genesis 34:7
Through
Genesis 34:7When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that…
it leads to
- Joshua 7:15
The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 7:15
Through
Judges 19:29When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
it leads to
- Judges 20:6–7
Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
- 1 Samuel 11:7
He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does…
- Judges 20:6–7
Through
Joshua 7:15The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 14:38–39
Therefore Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the troops, and let us investigate how this sin has occurred today.
- 1 Samuel 14:38–39
Where this verse is studied
About Judges
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.