Judges 19:15

Judges 19:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
• New International Version (NIV)There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them in for the night.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gibeah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night.
• New King James Version (NKJV)They turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And when he went in, he sat down in the open square of the city, for no one would take them into his house to spend the night.

Context of Judges 19:15

13He said to his servant, ‘Let us try to reach Gibeah or Ramah. Then we can stay in one of those places for the night.’ 14So they continued on their journey. It was sunset when they came near to Gibeah, in Benjamin's land. They decided to stay there for the night. They went into the city. They sat down in the public place in the middle of the city. But no one took them in to their home to sleep for the night. 16That evening, there was an old man who was returning home from his work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim but he was living in Gibeah at that time. 17He saw the Levite traveller in the public place. He asked, ‘Where are you travelling to? Where have you come from?’

Judges 19:15 word by word

וַיָּסֻ֣רוּ שָׁ֔ם לָב֖וֹא לָל֣וּן בַּגִּבְעָ֑ה וַיָּבֹ֗א וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ בִּרְח֣וֹב הָעִ֔יר וְאֵ֥ין אִ֛ישׁ מְאַסֵּֽף־אוֹתָ֥ם הַבַּ֖יְתָה לָלֽוּן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they turned asideסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: turn asideH5493
• thither, to go inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to lodgeלוּןlûn lîyn · to lodgeH3885
• in Gibeahגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · GibeahH1390
• he sat him downיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in a streetרְחוֹבrechôb rechôb · street/plazaH7339
• of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• no manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• that tookאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• them into his houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004

Cross-references for Judges 19:15

• Judges 19:18The Levite answered, ‘We are travelling from Bethlehem in Judah to the hill country of Ephraim, far from other towns. That is where I live. I needed to go to Bethlehem and now I am returning home. But no one has taken me into his house to sleep.
• Genesis 18:2Abraham looked up and he saw three men. He ran in a hurry to meet them. He bent down to the ground to respect them.
• Genesis 19:2Lot said, ‘My lords, please come to stay in my house. You can wash your feet and stay the night there. Then you can continue your journey early in the morning.’ The angels replied, ‘No, we will stay the night here in this public place.’
• Matthew 25:35I was hungry and you gave me some food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me some water to drink. I was visiting your town and you asked me to stay in your home.
• Hebrews 13:2Always remember to be kind to strangers. Let them stay in your homes. In this way, some people have received angels as visitors, and they did not know that they were angels.

Commentaries on Judges 19:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15No man - took them into his house to lodging - There was probably no inn or house of public entertainment in this place, and therefore they could not have a lodging unless furnished by mere hospitality. To say that there were no inns in those primitive times, is not true; there were such places, though not very frequent. Joseph's brethren found their money in their sacks when they loosed them at an inn, Genesis 42:27. The house of Rahab was an inn, Joshua…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15A street - Probably the square or place within the gates, where courts were held, bargains made, and where the chief men and strangers congregated.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15The usual hospitality rules in Israel and the Near East required a town citizen to offer shelter (compare Isaiah 58:7; Luke 14:13–14; Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2; 5:10; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9). The Levite had money and supplies (Judges 19:19), so there was even less reason not to help. This lack of basic kindness shows the social problems during the time of Judges.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city--The towns of Palestine at this remote period could not, it seems, furnish any establishment in the shape of an inn or public lodging-house. Hence we conclude that the custom, which is still frequently witnessed in the cities of the East, was then not uncommon, for travellers who were late in arriving and who had no introduction to a private family, to spread their bedding in the streets, or…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 19:15

• Gibeah
• Inhospitableness

In the dictionaries

• Gibeah
• Beat
• Diligent
• Micah
• Wayfaring
• Wolf
• Bethlehem
• Hill, Hill Country
• Israel, History of
• Judges, Book of

Commentaries on Judges 19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary