God’s Word Translation
Judges 20:5
5The citizens of Gibeah came to attack me. They surrounded the house ⌞where I was staying⌟ that night. They intended to kill me, but instead, they raped my concubine until she died.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Judges 20:5
3The people of Benjamin heard that Israel had come to Mizpah. The people of Israel said, “Tell us how such an evil thing could happen.” 4The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered, “My concubine and I went to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. The citizens of Gibeah came to attack me. They surrounded the house ⌞where I was staying⌟ that night. They intended to kill me, but instead, they raped my concubine until she died. 6So I took my concubine and cut her into pieces. Then I sent the pieces throughout the territory of Israel. I did this because the citizens of Gibeah did this perverted and godless thing in Israel. 7All you people of Israel, tell me what you think. Give me your advice right now!”
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 19:22While they were enjoying themselves, some worthless men from the city surrounded the house and pounded on the door. They told the old man, the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so that we can have sex with him.”
- Genesis 19:4Before they had gone to bed, all the young and old male citizens of Sodom surrounded the house.
- Judges 19:25But the men refused to listen to him. So the Levite grabbed his concubine and forced her outside. They had sex with her and abused her all night until morning. They let her go when the sun was coming up.
- Deuteronomy 22:24take them to the gate of the city and stone them to death. The girl must die because she was in a city and didn’t scream for help. The man must die because he had sex with another man’s wife. You must get rid of this evil.
- Ezekiel 22:10Men have sex with their father’s wives. They have sex with women when the women are having their periods and are unclean.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries