Focused Passage

Judges 20:4-7

Israel's Civil War Against Benjamin: Justice, Judgment, and Near Tribal Ruin

Judges 20 moves from shocked national unity over Gibeah's outrage, through Benjamin's refusal to give up the guilty, through repeated defeat and intensified seeking of the LORD, into divinely granted victory that becomes catastrophic civil war and leaves Benjamin almost extinguished.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

4So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.

5And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.

6Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

7Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 4

Original words

So the Leviteהַלֵּוִ֗יH3881Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular. . .אִ֛ישׁH376Noun - masculine singular constructthe husbandהָאִ֣ישׁH376Article | Noun - masculine singularof the murderedהַנִּרְצָחָ֖הH7523Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular. . .וַיֹּאמַ֑רH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularwomanהָאִשָּׁ֥הH802Article | Noun - feminine singularansweredוַיַּ֜עַןH6030Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularIאֲנִ֥יH589Pronoun - first person common singularand my concubineוּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖יH6370Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularcameבָּ֛אתִיH935Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularto Gibeahהַגִּבְעָ֙תָה֙H1390Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular-אֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativein Benjaminלְבִנְיָמִ֔ןH1144Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularto spend the nightלָלֽוּן׃H3885Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 5

Cross-references

Judges 19:22Classic cross-references Hosea 10:9Classic cross-references Judges 19:25Classic cross-references Judges 19:28Classic cross-references Genesis 19:4Classic cross-references

Original words

And during the nightלָ֑יְלָהH3915Noun - masculine singularthe menבַּעֲלֵ֣יH1167Noun - masculine plural constructof Gibeahהַגִּבְעָ֔הH1390Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularrose upוַיָּקֻ֤מוּH6965Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralagainst meעָלַי֙H5921Preposition | first person common singularand surroundedוַיָּסֹ֧בּוּH5437Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .עָלַ֛יH5921Preposition | first person common singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe houseהַבַּ֖יִתH1004Article | Noun - masculine singular-אוֹתִי֙H853Direct object marker | first person common singularThey intendedדִּמּ֣וּH1819Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common pluralto kill meלַהֲרֹ֔גH2026Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerbut they abusedעִנּ֖וּH6031Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common pluralmy concubineפִּילַגְשִׁ֥יH6370Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularand she diedוַתָּמֹֽת׃H4191Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular

Verse 6

Cross-references

2 Samuel 13:12Classic cross-references Judges 19:23Classic cross-references Judges 19:29Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 22:21Classic cross-references Genesis 34:7Classic cross-references

Original words

Then I tookוָֽאֹחֵ֤זH270Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularmy concubineבְּפִֽילַגְשִׁי֙H6370Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularcut her into piecesוָֽאֲנַתְּחֶ֔הָH5408Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singularand sent herוָֽאֲשַׁלְּחֶ֔הָH7971Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singularthroughoutבְּכָל־H3605Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructthe landשְׂדֵ֖הH7704Noun - masculine singular constructof Israel’sיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularinheritanceנַחֲלַ֣תH5159Noun - feminine singular constructbecauseכִּ֥יH3588Conjunctionthey had committedעָשׂ֛וּH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plurala lewdזִמָּ֥הH2154Noun - feminine singularand disgraceful actוּנְבָלָ֖הH5039Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularin Israelבְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃H3478Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 7

Cross-references

Judges 19:30Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 5:10Classic cross-references Judges 20:18Classic cross-references Proverbs 20:18Classic cross-references

Original words

Beholdהִנֵּ֥הH2009Interjectionallכֻלְּכֶ֖םH3605Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine pluralyou Israelitesבְּנֵ֣יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singulargiveהָב֥וּH3051Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralyourלָכֶ֛םPreposition | second person masculine pluraladviceדָּבָ֥רH1697Noun - masculine singularand verdictוְעֵצָ֖הH6098Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularhere and nowהֲלֹֽם׃H1988Adverb

Read full chapter context All Judges chapters

<- Judges 19 Judges 20 Judges 21 ->