Judges 20:5

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

3(Word soon reached the land of Benjamin that the other tribes had gone up to Mizpah.) The Israelites then asked how this terrible crime had happened. 4The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, said, “My concubine and I came to spend the night in Gibeah, a town that belongs to the people of Benjamin. 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. 6So I cut her body into twelve pieces and sent the pieces throughout the territory assigned to Israel, for these men have committed a terrible and shameful crime. 7Now then, all of you—the entire community of Israel—must decide here and now what should be done about this!”

Judges 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, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, “Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him.”
• Genesis 19:4But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house.
• Judges 19:25But they wouldn’t listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his concubine and pushed her out the door. The men of the town abused her all night, taking turns raping her until morning. Finally, at dawn they let her go.
• Deuteronomy 22:24you must take both of them to the gates of that town and stone them to death. The woman is guilty because she did not scream for help. The man must die because he violated another man’s wife. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you.
• Ezekiel 22:10Men sleep with their fathers’ wives and force themselves on women who are menstruating.

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

• Gibeah
• Congregation
• Fetch
• Glean
• Trust
• Wickedness
• Wolf
• Archery
• Israel, History of
• Judah, Kingdom of

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