English Standard Version
Judges 20:5
5And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead.
Judges 20:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.
- New International Version (NIV)During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me, but instead they ravished my concubine so that she died.
- New Living Translation (NLT)That night some of the leading citizens of Gibeah surrounded the house, planning to kill me, and they raped my concubine until she was dead.
Context of Judges 20:5
3(Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this evil happen?" 4And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. 6So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel. 7Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here."
Read all of Judges 20Judges 20:5 word by word
וַיָּקֻ֤מוּ עָלַי֙ בַּעֲלֵ֣י הַגִּבְעָ֔ה וַיָּסֹ֧בּוּ עָלַ֛י אֶת־הַבַּ֖יִת לָ֑יְלָה אוֹתִי֙ דִּמּ֣וּ לַהֲרֹ֔ג וְאֶת־פִּילַגְשִׁ֥י עִנּ֖וּ וַתָּמֹֽת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the menבַּעַלba‛al · masterH1167
- of Gibeahגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · GibeahH1390
- roseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- against me, and besetסָבַבsâbab · to turn: turnH5437
- the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- upon me by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- thoughtדָּמָהdâmâh · to resembleH1819
- to have slainהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- me: and my concubineפִּלֶ֫גֶשׁpîylegesh pilegesh · concubineH6370
- have they forcedעָנָה‛ânâh · to afflictH6031
- that she is deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
Cross-references for Judges 20:5
- Judges 19:22As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they said to the old man, the master of the house, "Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him."
- Genesis 19:4But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house.
- Judges 19:25But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go.
- Deuteronomy 22:24then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor's wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
- Ezekiel 22:10In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity.
Commentaries on Judges 20:5
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The "wicked men" (Judges 19:22) were important citizens (literally lords). They intended to kill me: The Levite believed the men of Gibeah wanted to kill him after they killed his concubine.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-74-7. 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. There was no need of strong or highly colored description to work upon the feelings of the audience. The facts spoke for themselves and…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Judges 20
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries