Judges

Judges 19:1–4

¹Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. ²But she was unfaithful to him^a and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah.

After she had been there four months, ³her 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. ⁴His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay, so he remained with him three days, eating, drinking, and lodging there.

Footnotes

a 19:2 LXX became angry with him

Read all of Judges 19

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Judges 19:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Now	וַיְהִי֙	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
in those	הָהֵ֔ם	hā·hêm	Article; Pronoun - third person masculine plural	H1992 they, them
days	בַּיָּמִ֣ים	bay·yā·mîm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
when there was no	אֵ֣ין	’ên	Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
king	וּמֶ֖לֶךְ	ū·me·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
in Israel	בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל	bə·yiś·rā·’êl	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
a Levite	לֵוִ֗י	lê·wî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3881 Levite
who lived	גָּ֚ר	gār	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H1481 sojourn
in the remote	בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֣י	bə·yar·kə·ṯê	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine dual construct	H3411 flank, side
hill country	הַר־	har-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2022 mountain, hill, hill-country
of Ephraim	אֶפְרַ֔יִם	’ep̄·ra·yim	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H669 Ephraim
took	וַיִּֽקַּֽח־	way·yiq·qaḥ-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
for himself	לוֹ֙	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
a concubine	פִילֶ֔גֶשׁ	p̄î·le·ḡeš	Noun - feminine singular	H6370 concubine
from Bethlehem	לֶ֖חֶם	le·ḥem	Preposition; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1035 Beth-Lechem
in Judah	יְהוּדָֽה׃	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah

Judges 19:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But she	פִּֽילַגְשׁ֔וֹ	pî·laḡ·šōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H6370 concubine
was unfaithful	וַתִּזְנֶ֤ה	wat·tiz·neh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H2181 commit fornication, be a harlot
to him	עָלָיו֙	‘ā·lāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5921 height
and left	וַתֵּ֤לֶךְ	wat·tê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
him	מֵֽאִתּוֹ֙	mê·’it·tōw	Preposition-m; Direct object marker; third person masculine singular	H854 with
to return to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
her father’s	אָבִ֔יהָ	’ā·ḇî·hā	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H1 father
house	בֵּ֣ית	bêṯ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1004 house
in	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Bethlehem	לֶ֖חֶם	le·ḥem	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1035 Beth-Lechem
in Judah	יְהוּדָ֑ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
After she had been	וַתְּהִי־	wat·tə·hî-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
there	שָׁ֕ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
four	אַרְבָּעָ֥ה	’ar·bā·‘āh	Number - masculine singular	H702 four
months	חֳדָשִֽׁים׃	ḥo·ḏā·šîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2320 (newness), new moon, month

Judges 19:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
her husband	אִישָׁ֜הּ	’î·šāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H376 man
got up	וַיָּ֨קָם	way·yā·qām	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
and went	וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ	way·yê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
after her	אַחֲרֶ֗יהָ	’a·ḥă·re·hā	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H310 behind
to speak	לְדַבֵּ֤ר	lə·ḏab·bêr	Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H1696 speak
kindly	לִבָּהּ֙	lib·bāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
to her	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
and bring her back	לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ	la·hă·šī·ḇō	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct; third person feminine singular	H7725 turn back, return
taking his servant	וְנַעֲר֥וֹ	wə·na·‘ă·rōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5288 a shaking, scattering
and a pair	וְצֶ֣מֶד	wə·ṣe·meḏ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H6776 couple, pair
of donkeys	חֲמֹרִ֑ים	ḥă·mō·rîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2543 heap
So	וַתְּבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙	wat·tə·ḇî·’ê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular; third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
into her father’s	אָבִ֔יהָ	’ā·ḇî·hā	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H1 father
house	בֵּ֣ית	bêṯ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1004 house
and when	הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ה	han·na·‘ă·rāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5291 girl, damsel
father	אֲבִ֣י	’ă·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1 father
saw him	וַיִּרְאֵ֙הוּ֙	way·yir·’ê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H7200 see
he gladly	וַיִּשְׂמַ֖ח	way·yiś·maḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H8055 rejoice, be glad
welcomed him	לִקְרָאתֽוֹ׃	liq·rā·ṯōw	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singular	H7122 encounter, befall

Judges 19:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
His father-in-law	חֹֽתְנוֹ֙	ḥō·ṯə·nōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2859 wife's father
the girl’s	הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ה	han·na·‘ă·rāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5291 girl, damsel
father	אֲבִ֣י	’ă·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1 father
persuaded him to stay	וַיֶּחֱזַק־	way·ye·ḥĕ·zaq-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2388 be or grow firm, strong, strengthen
so he remained	וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב	way·yê·šeḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
with him	אִתּ֖וֹ	’it·tōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H854 with
three	שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת	šə·lō·šeṯ	Number - masculine singular construct	H7969 a three, triad
days	יָמִ֑ים	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
eating	וַיֹּאכְלוּ֙	way·yō·ḵə·lū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H398 eat
drinking	וַיִּשְׁתּ֔וּ	way·yiš·tū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H8354 drink
and lodging	וַיָּלִ֖ינוּ	way·yā·lî·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3885 lodge, pass the night
there	שָֽׁם׃	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Judges 19:1 Judges 18:1 · Matthew 2:6 · Judges 21:25 · Judges 17:8 · Judges 17:6 · Joshua 24:33 · Malachi 2:15 · Joshua 24:30

Judges 19:2 Ezekiel 16:28

Judges 19:3 John 8:11 · Genesis 50:21 · Genesis 34:3

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.