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 told his servant, “Let’s go someplace else. We’ll spend the night either at Gibeah or Ramah.” 14So they went on. It was sunset by the time they arrived at Gibeah. (Gibeah belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.) They went to spend the night there. The Levite entered Gibeah and sat down in the city square, because no one offered to take them home for the night. 16That evening an old man came into the city from his work in the fields. He was from the mountain region of Ephraim but lived in Gibeah. The other people who lived there were from the tribe of Benjamin. 17He saw the traveler in the city square. So the old man asked, “Where do you come from? And where are you going?”

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 replied, “We’re on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the mountains of Ephraim. That’s where I’m from. I had gone to Bethlehem in Judah. Now I’m going to the Lord’s house, but no one has offered to take me into his home.
• Genesis 18:2Abraham looked up, and suddenly he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them, and he bowed with his face touching the ground.
• Genesis 19:2He said, “Please, gentlemen, why don’t you come to my home and spend the night? ⌞You can⌟ wash your feet there. Then early tomorrow morning you can continue your journey.” “No,” they answered, “we’d rather spend the night in the city square.”
• Matthew 25:35I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home.
• Hebrews 13:2Don’t forget to show hospitality to believers you don’t know. By doing this some believers have shown hospitality to angels without being aware of it.

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