New International Version
Judges 20:5
5During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine, and 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.
- 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.
- 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(The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, “Tell us how this awful thing happened.” 4So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. 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. 6I took my concubine, cut her into pieces and sent one piece to each region of Israel’s inheritance, because they committed this lewd and outrageous act in Israel. 7Now, all you Israelites, speak up and tell me what you have decided to do.”
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 of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.”
- Genesis 19:4Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house.
- Judges 19:25But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.
- Deuteronomy 22:24you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.
- Ezekiel 22:10In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed; in you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially 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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries