Judges 19
19
Sodom and Gomorrah Revisited
1 In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levite#tn Heb “a man, a Levite.” living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubine#sn See the note on the word “concubine” in 8:31. from Bethlehem#map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4. in Judah. 2 However, she#tn Heb “and his concubine.” The pronoun (“she”) has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons. got angry at him#tn Or “was unfaithful to him.” Many have understood the Hebrew verb וַתִּזְנֶה (vattizneh) as being from זָנָה (zanah, “to be a prostitute”), but it may be derived from a root meaning “to be angry; to hate” attested in Akkadian (see HALOT 275 s.v. II זנה). and went home#tn Heb “went from him.” to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. When she had been there four months, 3 her husband came#tn Heb “arose and came.” after her, hoping he could convince her to return.#tn Heb “to speak to her heart to bring her back.” He brought with him his servant#tn Or “young man.” and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father’s house and the girl’s father saw him, he greeted him warmly.#tn Heb “he was happy to meet him.” 4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay with him for three days, and they ate and drank together, and spent the night there. 5 On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave.#tn Heb “and he arose to go.” But the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have a bite to eat for some energy,#tn Heb “Sustain your heart [with] a bit of food.” then you can go.” 6 So the two of them sat down and had a meal together.#tn Heb “And they sat and ate, the two of them together, and they drank.” Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Why not stay another night and have a good time!”#tn Heb “Be willing and spend the night so that your heart might be good.” 7 When the man got ready to leave,#tn Heb “and the man arose to go.” his father-in-law convinced him to stay another night.#tn Heb “his father-in-law persuaded him and he again spent the night there.” 8 He woke up early in the morning on the fifth day so he could leave, but the girl’s father said, “Get some energy.#tn Heb “Sustain your heart.” He is once more inviting him to stay for a meal. Wait until later in the day to leave!”#tn Heb “Wait until the declining of the day.” So they ate a meal together. 9 When the man got ready to leave#tn Heb “the man arose to go.” with his concubine and his servant,#tn Or “young man.” his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look! The day is almost over!#tn Heb “the day is sinking to become evening.” Stay another night! Since the day is over,#tn Or “declining.” stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home.”#tn Heb “for your way and go to your tent.” 10 But the man did not want to stay another night. He left#tn Heb “and he arose and went.” and traveled as far as#tn Heb “to the front of.” Jebus (that is, Jerusalem).#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine.#tc Some ancient witnesses add “and his servant.”
11 When they got near Jebus, it was getting quite late#tn Heb “and the day was descending greatly.” and the servant#tn Or “young man.” said to his master, “Come on, let’s stop at#tn Heb “turn aside” (also in the following verse). this Jebusite city and spend the night in it.” 12 But his master said to him, “We should not stop at a foreign city where non-Israelites live.#tn Heb “who are not from the sons of Israel.” We will travel on to Gibeah.” 13 He said to his servant,#tn Or “young man.” “Come on, we will go into one of the other towns#tn Heb “we will enter one of the places.” and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 So they traveled on,#tn Heb “and they passed by and went.” and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.#tn Heb “which belongs to Benjamin.” 15 They stopped there and decided to spend the night#tn Heb “they turned aside there to enter to spend the night.” in Gibeah. They came into the city and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them to spend the night.#tn Heb “and he entered and sat down, and there was no one receiving them into the house to spend the night.”
16 But then an old man passed by, returning at the end of the day from his work in the field.#tn Heb “And look, an old man was coming from his work, from the field in the evening.” The man was from the Ephraimite hill country; he was living temporarily in Gibeah. (The residents of the town were Benjaminites.)#tn Heb “And the men of the place were Benjaminites.” 17 When he looked up and saw the traveler#tn Heb “the man, the traveler.” in the town square, the old man said, “Where are you heading? Where do you come from?” 18 The Levite#tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity. said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem#map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4. in Judah to the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. That’s where I’m from. I had business in Bethlehem in Judah, but now I’m heading home.#tn Heb “I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but [to] the house of the Lord I am going.” The Hebrew text has “house of the Lord,” which might refer to the shrine at Shiloh. The LXX reads “to my house.” But no one has invited me into their home. 19 We have enough straw and grain for our donkeys, and there is enough food and wine for me, your female servant,#tn By calling his concubine the old man’s “female servant,” the Levite emphasizes their dependence on him for shelter. and the young man who is with your servants.#tc Some Hebrew mss and ancient witnesses read the singular, “your servant,” which would refer to the Levite. If one retains the plural, then both the Levite and his wife are in view. In either case the pronominal suffix emphasizes their dependence on the old man for shelter. We lack nothing.” 20 The old man said, “Everything is just fine!#tn Heb “Peace to you.” I will take care of all your needs. But don’t spend the night in the town square.” 21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. They washed their feet and had a meal.#tn Heb “ate and drank.”
22 They were having a good time,#tn Heb “they were making their heart good.” when suddenly#tn Heb “and look.” some men of the city, some good-for-nothings,#tn Heb “the men of the city, men, the sons of wickedness.” The phrases are in apposition; the last phrase specifies what type of men they were. It is not certain if all the men of the city are in view, or just a group of troublemakers. In 20:5 the town leaders are implicated in the crime, suggesting that all the men of the city were involved. If so, the implication is that the entire male population of the town were good-for-nothings. surrounded the house and kept beating#tn The Hitpael verb form appears to have an iterative force here, indicating repeated action. on the door. They said to the old man who owned the house, “Send out the man who came to visit you so we can have sex with him.”#tn Heb “so we can know him.” On the surface one might think they simply wanted to meet the visitor and get to know him, but their hostile actions betray their double-talk. The old man, who has been living with them long enough to know what they are like, seems to have no doubts about the meaning of their words (see v. 23). 23 The man who owned the house went outside and said to them, “No, my brothers! Don’t do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Don’t do such a disgraceful thing! 24 Here are my virgin daughter and my guest’s#tn Heb “his”; the referent (the visiting Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity. concubine. I will send them out and you can abuse them and do to them whatever you like.#tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.” But don’t do such a disgraceful thing to this man!” 25 The men refused to listen to him, so the Levite#tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity. grabbed his concubine and made her go outside.#tn Heb “and he caused [her] to go outside to them.” They raped#tn Heb “knew,” in the sexual sense. her and abused her all night long until morning. They let her go at dawn. 26 The woman arrived back at daybreak and was sprawled out on the doorstep of the house where her master#tn The Hebrew term here translated “master,” is plural. The plural indicates degree here and emphasizes the Levite’s absolute sovereignty over the woman. was staying until it became light.#tn Heb “The woman came at the turning of the morning and fell at the door of the house of the man where her master was until the light.” 27 When her master#tn The Hebrew term here translated “master,” is plural. The plural indicates degree here and emphasizes the Levite’s absolute sovereignty over the woman. got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went outside to start on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, sprawled out on the doorstep of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up, let’s leave!” But there was no response. He put her on the donkey and went home.#tn Heb “And the man took her on the donkey and arose and went to his place.” 29 When he got home, he took a knife, grabbed his concubine, and carved her up into twelve pieces.#tn Heb “he carved her up by her bones into twelve pieces.” Then he sent the pieces throughout Israel.#tn Heb “and he sent her through all the territory of Israel.” 30 Everyone who saw the sight#tn The words “the sight” are supplied in the translation for clarification. said, “Nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time since#tn Heb “from the day.” the Israelites left the land of Egypt!#tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the (original) LXX has the following additional words: “And he instructed the men whom he sent out, ‘Thus you will say to every male Israelite: “There has never been anything like this from the day the Israelites left Egypt till the present day.”’” Take careful note of it! Discuss it and speak!”
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Judges 19
19
1Also in those dayes, when there was no king in Israel, a certaine Leuite dwelt on the side of mount Ephraim, and tooke to wife a concubine out of Beth-lehem Iudah, 2And his concubine played ye whore there, and went away from him vnto her fathers house to Beth-lehem Iudah, and there continued the space of foure moneths. 3And her husband arose and went after her, to speake friendly vnto her, and to bring her againe: he had also his seruant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him vnto her fathers house, and when the yong womans father sawe him, he reioyced of his comming. 4And his father in lawe, the yong womans father reteined him: and he abode with him three dayes: so they did eate and drinke, and lodged there. 5And when the fourth day came, they arose earely in the morning, and he prepared to depart: then the yong womans father said vnto his sonne in lawe, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and then go your way. 6So they sate downe, and did eate and drinke both of them together. And the yong womans father said vnto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tary all night, and let thine heart be merie. 7And when the man rose vp to depart, his father in lawe was earnest: therefore he returned, and lodged there. 8And he arose vp earely the fifth day to depart, and the yong womans father saide, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee: and they taryed vntill after midday, and they both did eate. 9Afterwarde when the man arose to depart with his concubine and his seruant, his father in lawe, the yong womans father said vnto him, Beholde nowe, the day draweth towarde euen: I pray you, tary all night: beholde, the sunne goeth to rest: lodge here, that thine heart may be merie, and to morowe get you earely vpon your way, and goe to thy tent. 10But the man would not tarry, but arose and departed, and came ouer against Iebus, (which is Ierusalem) and his two asses laden, and his concubine were with him. 11When they were neere to Iebus, the day was sore spent, and the seruant said vnto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let vs turne into this citie of the Iebusites, and lodge all night there. 12And his master answered him, We will not turne into the citie of strangers that are not of the children of Israel, but we will goe forth to Gibeah. 13And he said vnto his seruant, Come, and let vs drawe neere to one of these places, that wee may lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah. 14So they went forward vpon their way, and the sunne went downe vpon them neere to Gibeah, which is in Beniamin. 15Then they turned thither to goe in and lodge in Gibeah: and when he came, he sate him downe in a streete of the citie: for there was no man that tooke them into his house to lodging. 16And beholde, there came an old man from his work out of the field at euen, and the man was of mount Ephraim, but dwelt in Gibeah: and the men of the place were the children of Iemini. 17And when he had lift vp his eyes, he sawe a wayfairing man in the streetes of the citie: then this olde man sayde, Whither goest thou, and whence camest thou? 18And hee answered him, Wee came from Beth-lehem Iudah, vnto the side of Mout Ephraim: from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem Iudah, and go now to the house of the Lord: and no man receiueth mee to house, 19Although we haue straw and prouader for our asses, and also bread and wine for me and thine handmayde, and for the boy that is with thy seruant: we lacke nothing. 20And the olde man sayde, Peace bee with thee: as for all that thou lackest, shalt thou finde with me: onely abide not in the streete al night. 21So he brought him into his house, and gaue fodder vnto the asses: and they washed their feete, and did eate and drinke. 22And as they were making their hearts merie, beholde, the men of the citie, wicked men beset the house round about, and smote at the doore, and spake to this olde man the master of the house saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house that we may knowe him. 23And this man the master of ye house went out vnto the, and said vnto them, Nay my brethre, do not so wickedly, I pray you: seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this villenie. 24Behold, here is my daughter, a virgine, and his concubine: them wil I bring out nowe, and humble them, and doe with them what seemeth you good: but to this man doe not this villenie. 25But the men woulde not hearken to him: therefore ye man tooke his concubine, and brought her out vnto them: and they knewe her and abused her all the night vnto the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her goe. 26So the woman came in the dawning of the day, and fell downe at the doore of the mans house where her Lord was, till the light day. 27And her lorde arose in the morning, and opened the doores of the house, and went out to goe his way, and beholde, the woman his concubine was dead at the doore of the house and her handes lay vpon the thresholde. 28And hee said vnto her, Vp and let vs goe: but shee answered not. Then he tooke her vp vpon the asse, and the man rose vp, and went vnto his place. 29And whe he was come to his house, he took a knife, and laid hand on his concubine, and deuided her in pieces with her bones into twelue parts, and sent her through all quarters of Israel. 30And all that saw it, said, There was no such thing done or seene since the time that the children of Israel came vp from the lande of Egypt vnto this day: consider the matter, consult and giue sentence.
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