Judges 19:4
in Judges 19His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging there.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And his father-in-law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
KJV
And his father in law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
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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.
This site's exposition
he remained with him three days
The father holds his son-in-law at his table, and Gill describes the Levite and his servant as handsomely entertained with food, drink and lodging. Ambrose pictures the three days as a kind of wedding feast. The couple are reconciled under her father's roof.
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
And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him,.... Prevailed upon him to stay some time with him: and he abode with him three days; it seems as if he agreed to stay with him so long, and that time he stayed contentedly: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there; the Levite and his servant were very handsomely entertained, and had everything provided for them convenient for meat, drink, and lodging.
Note, Love and duty are due to those to whom we are related by marriage as well as to those who are bone of our bone: and those that show kindness as this Levite did may expect to receive kindness as he did.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֶּחֱזַק־ | vaiyechezak- | and he took hold | H2388 → | 291 times |
| בּ֤וֹ | bo | on <the> him | ||
| חֹֽתְנוֹ֙ | choteno | father-in-law his | H2859 → | 33 times |
| אֲבִ֣י | ʾavi | [the] father of | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ה | hanaarah | the young woman | H5291 → | 63 times |
| וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב | vaiyeshev | and he remained | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| אִתּ֖וֹ | ʾito | with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת | sheloshet | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| יָמִ֑ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וַיֹּאכְלוּ֙ | vaiyokhelu | and they ate | H398 → | 810 times |
| וַיִּשְׁתּ֔וּ | vaiyishtu | and they drank | H8354 → | 217 times |
| וַיָּלִ֖ינוּ | vaiyalinu | and they spent [the] night | H3885 → | 84 times |
| שָֽׁם׃ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
וַיֶּחֱזַק־and he took hold
vaiyechezak-H2388 →291 times
בּ֤וֹon <the> him
bo
חֹֽתְנוֹ֙father-in-law his
chotenoH2859 →33 times
אֲבִ֣י[the] father of
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔הthe young woman
hanaarahH5291 →63 times
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁבand he remained
vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times
אִתּ֖וֹwith him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁתthree
sheloshetH7969 →432 times
יָמִ֑יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
וַיֹּאכְלוּ֙and they ate
vaiyokheluH398 →810 times
וַיִּשְׁתּ֔וּand they drank
vaiyishtuH8354 →217 times
וַיָּלִ֖ינוּand they spent [the] night
vaiyalinuH3885 →84 times
שָֽׁם׃there
shamH8033 →834 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About Judges
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ambrose of Milan, LETTER 33; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.19.111-12; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.