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Judges 19-20
New English Translation

Sodom and Gomorrah Revisited

19 In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levite[a] living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubine[b] from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 However, she[c] got angry at him[d] and went home[e] to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. When she had been there four months, 3 her husband came[f] after her, hoping he could convince her to return.[g] He brought with him his servant[h] and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father’s house and the girl’s father saw him, he greeted him warmly.[i] 4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay with him for three days, and they ate and drank together, and spent the night there. 5 On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave.[j] But the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have a bite to eat for some energy,[k] then you can go.” 6 So the two of them sat down and had a meal together.[l] Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Why not stay another night and have a good time?”[m] 7 When the man got ready to leave,[n] his father-in-law convinced him to stay another night.[o] 8 He woke up early in the morning on the fifth day so he could leave, but the girl’s father said, “Get some energy![p] Wait until later in the day to leave.”[q] So they ate a meal together. 9 When the man got ready to leave[r] with his concubine and his servant,[s] his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look! The day is almost over.[t] Stay another night! Since the day is over,[u] stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home.”[v] 10 But the man did not want to stay another night. He left[w] and traveled as far as[x] Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine.[y]

11 When they got near Jebus, it was getting quite late[z] and the servant[aa] said to his master, “Come on, let’s stop at[ab] this Jebusite city and spend the night in it.” 12 But his master said to him, “We should not stop at a foreign city where non-Israelites live.[ac] We will travel on to Gibeah.” 13 He said to his servant,[ad] “Come on, we will go into one of the other towns[ae] and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 So they traveled on,[af] and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.[ag] 15 They stopped there and decided to spend the night[ah] in Gibeah. They came into the city and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them to spend the night.[ai]

16 But then an old man passed by, returning at the end of the day from his work in the field.[aj] The man was from the Ephraimite hill country; he was living temporarily in Gibeah. (The residents of the town were Benjaminites.)[ak] 17 When he looked up and saw the traveler[al] in the town square, the old man said, “Where are you heading? Where do you come from?” 18 The Levite[am] said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. That’s where I’m from. I had business in Bethlehem in Judah, but now I’m heading home.[an] But no one has invited me into their home. 19 We have enough straw and grain for our donkeys, and there is enough food and wine for me, your female servant,[ao] and the young man who is with your servants.[ap] We lack nothing.” 20 The old man said, “Everything is just fine.[aq] I will take care of all your needs. But don’t spend the night in the town square.” 21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. They washed their feet and had a meal.[ar]

22 They were having a good time,[as] when suddenly[at] some men of the city, some good-for-nothings,[au] surrounded the house and kept beating[av] on the door. They said to the old man who owned the house, “Send out the man who came to visit you so we can take carnal knowledge of him.”[aw] 23 The man who owned the house went outside and said to them, “No, my brothers! Don’t do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Don’t do such a disgraceful thing! 24 Here are my virgin daughter and my guest’s[ax] concubine. I will send them out and you can abuse them and do to them whatever you like.[ay] But don’t do such a disgraceful thing to this man!” 25 The men refused to listen to him, so the Levite[az] grabbed his concubine and made her go outside.[ba] They raped[bb] her and abused her all night long until morning. They let her go at dawn. 26 The woman arrived back at daybreak and was sprawled out on the doorstep of the house where her master[bc] was staying until it became light.[bd] 27 When her master[be] got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went outside to start on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, sprawled out on the doorstep of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up, let’s leave.” But there was no response. He put her on the donkey and went home.[bf] 29 When he got home, he took a knife, grasped his concubine, and carved her up into twelve pieces.[bg] Then he sent the pieces throughout Israel.[bh] 30 Everyone who saw the sight[bi] said, “Nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time since[bj] the Israelites left the land of Egypt![bk] Take careful note of it! Discuss it and speak!”

Civil War Breaks Out

20 All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba[bl] and from the land of Gilead[bm] left their homes[bn] and assembled together[bo] before the Lord at Mizpah. 2 The leaders[bp] of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, which numbered[bq] 400,000 sword-wielding foot soldiers. 3 The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said, “Explain how this wicked thing happened!” 4 The Levite,[br] the husband of the murdered woman, spoke up, “I and my concubine stopped in[bs] Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin[bt] to spend the night. 5 The leaders of Gibeah attacked me and at night surrounded the house where I was staying.[bu] They wanted to kill me; instead they abused my concubine so badly that she died. 6 I took hold of my concubine and carved her up and sent the pieces[bv] throughout the territory occupied by Israel,[bw] because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity[bx] in Israel. 7 All you Israelites,[by] make a decision here!”[bz]

8 All Israel rose up in unison[ca] and said, “Not one of us will go home![cb] Not one of us will return[cc] to his house! 9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will attack the city as the lot dictates.[cd] 10 We will take ten of every group of a hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (and a hundred of every group of a thousand, and a thousand of every group of ten thousand) to get supplies for the army.[ce] When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin, they will punish them for the atrocity that they committed in Israel.”[cf] 11 So all the men of Israel gathered together at the city as allies.[cg]

12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe[ch] of Benjamin, saying, “How could such a wicked thing take place?[ci] 13 Now, hand over the good-for-nothings[cj] in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.”[ck] But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers. 14 The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah[cl] to make war against the Israelites. 15 That day the Benjaminites mustered from their cities 26,000 sword-wielding soldiers, besides 700 well-trained soldiers from Gibeah.[cm] 16 Among this army[cn] were 700 specially trained left-handed soldiers.[co] Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target.[cp] 17 The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered 400,000 sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.[cq]

18 The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God,[cr] “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?”[cs] The Lord said, “Judah should lead.” 19 The Israelites got up the next morning and moved[ct] against Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel marched out to fight Benjamin; they[cu] arranged their battle lines against Gibeah. 21 The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down 22,000 Israelites that day.[cv]

22 The Israelite army[cw] took heart[cx] and once more arranged their battle lines, in the same place where they had taken their positions the day before. 23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we[cy] again march out to fight[cz] the Benjaminites, our brothers?”[da] The Lord said, “Attack them.”[db] 24 So the Israelites marched toward[dc] the Benjaminites the next day. 25 The Benjaminites again attacked them from Gibeah and struck down 18,000 sword-wielding Israelite soldiers.[dd]

26 So all the Israelites, the whole army,[de] went up to[df] Bethel. They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything[dg] that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace[dh] to the Lord. 27 The Israelites asked the Lord (for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days; 28 Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving the Lord[di] in those days), “Should we[dj] once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers,[dk] or should we[dl] quit?” The Lord said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them[dm] over to you.”

29 So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah. 30 The Israelites attacked the Benjaminites the next day;[dn] they took their positions against Gibeah just as they had done before. 31 The Benjaminites attacked[do] the army, leaving the city unguarded.[dp] They began to strike down their enemy[dq] just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel, the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down[dr] about thirty Israelites. 32 Then the Benjaminites said, “They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s retreat[ds] and lure them[dt] away from the city into the main roads.” 33 [du] All the men of Israel got up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelites hiding in ambush jumped out of their places west of Gibeah. 34 Then 10,000 men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, made a frontal assault against Gibeah; the battle was fierce.[dv] But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep.[dw] 35 The Lord annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites.[dx] 36 Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.

The Israelites retreated before[dy] Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hidden in ambush outside Gibeah. 37 The men hiding in ambush made a mad dash[dz] to Gibeah. They[ea] attacked[eb] and put the sword to the entire city. 38 The Israelites and the men hiding in ambush had arranged a signal. When the men hiding in ambush[ec] sent up a smoke signal from the city, 39 the Israelites counterattacked.[ed] Benjamin had begun to strike down the Israelites;[ee] they struck down[ef] about thirty men. They said, “There’s no doubt about it! They are totally defeated as in the earlier battle.” 40 But when the signal, a pillar of smoke, began to rise up from the city, the Benjaminites turned around and saw the whole city going up in a cloud of smoke that rose high into the sky.[eg] 41 When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked[eh] because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep.[ei] 42 They retreated before the Israelites, taking the road to the wilderness. But the battle overtook[ej] them as men from the surrounding cities struck them down.[ek] 43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah,[el] and annihilated[em] them all the way to a spot east of Geba.[en] 44 So 18,000 Benjaminites, all of them capable warriors, fell dead. 45 The rest[eo] turned and ran toward the wilderness, heading toward the cliff of Rimmon. But the Israelites[ep] caught[eq] 5,000 of them on the main roads. They stayed right on their heels[er] all the way to Gidom and struck down 2,000 more. 46 That day 25,000[es] sword-wielding Benjaminites fell in battle, all of them capable warriors.[et] 47 But 600 survivors turned and ran away to the wilderness, to the cliff of Rimmon. They stayed there four months. 48 The Israelites returned to the Benjaminite towns[eu] and put the sword to them. They wiped out the cities,[ev] the animals, and everything they could find. They set fire to every city in their path.[ew]

Footnotes

  1. Judges 19:1 tn Heb “a man, a Levite.”
  2. Judges 19:1 sn See the note on the word “concubine” in 8:31.
  3. Judges 19:2 tn Heb “and his concubine.” The pronoun (“she”) has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  4. Judges 19:2 tn Or “was unfaithful to him.” Many have understood the Hebrew verb וַתִּזְנֶה (vattizneh) as being from זָנָה (zanah, “to be a prostitute”), but it may be derived from a root meaning “to be angry; to hate” attested in Akkadian (see HALOT 275 s.v. II זנה).
  5. Judges 19:2 tn Heb “went from him.”
  6. Judges 19:3 tn Heb “arose and came.”
  7. Judges 19:3 tn Heb “to speak to her heart to bring her back.”
  8. Judges 19:3 tn Or “young man.”
  9. Judges 19:3 tn Heb “he was happy to meet him.”
  10. Judges 19:5 tn Heb “and he arose to go.”
  11. Judges 19:5 tn Heb “Sustain your heart [with] a bit of food.”
  12. Judges 19:6 tn Heb “And they sat and ate, the two of them together, and they drank.”
  13. Judges 19:6 tn Heb “Be willing and spend the night so that your heart might be good.”
  14. Judges 19:7 tn Heb “and the man arose to go.”
  15. Judges 19:7 tn Heb “his father-in-law persuaded him and he again spent the night there.”
  16. Judges 19:8 tn Heb “Sustain your heart.” He is once more inviting him to stay for a meal.
  17. Judges 19:8 tn Heb “Wait until the declining of the day.”
  18. Judges 19:9 tn Heb “the man arose to go.”
  19. Judges 19:9 tn Or “young man.”
  20. Judges 19:9 tn Heb “the day is sinking to become evening.”
  21. Judges 19:9 tn Or “declining.”
  22. Judges 19:9 tn Heb “for your way and go to your tent.”
  23. Judges 19:10 tn Heb “and he arose and went.”
  24. Judges 19:10 tn Heb “to the front of.”
  25. Judges 19:10 tc Some ancient witnesses add “and his servant.”
  26. Judges 19:11 tn Heb “and the day was descending greatly.”
  27. Judges 19:11 tn Or “young man.”
  28. Judges 19:11 tn Heb “turn aside” (also in the following verse).
  29. Judges 19:12 tn Heb “[in] which not any of the sons of Israel [are] here.”
  30. Judges 19:13 tn Or “young man.”
  31. Judges 19:13 tn Heb “we will enter one of the places.”
  32. Judges 19:14 tn Heb “and they passed by and went.”
  33. Judges 19:14 tn Heb “which belongs to Benjamin.”
  34. Judges 19:15 tn Heb “they turned aside there to enter to spend the night.”
  35. Judges 19:15 tn Heb “and he entered and sat down, and there was no one receiving them into the house to spend the night.”
  36. Judges 19:16 tn Heb “And look, an old man was coming from his work, from the field in the evening.”
  37. Judges 19:16 tn Heb “And the men of the place were Benjaminites.”
  38. Judges 19:17 tn Heb “the man, the traveler.”
  39. Judges 19:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  40. Judges 19:18 tn Heb “I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but [to] the house of the Lord I am going.” The Hebrew text has “house of the Lord,” which might refer to the shrine at Shiloh. The LXX reads “to my house.”
  41. Judges 19:19 tn By calling his concubine the old man’s “female servant,” the Levite emphasizes their dependence on him for shelter.
  42. Judges 19:19 tc Some Hebrew mss and ancient witnesses read the singular, “your servant,” which would refer to the Levite. If one retains the plural, then both the Levite and his wife are in view. In either case the pronominal suffix emphasizes their dependence on the old man for shelter.
  43. Judges 19:20 tn Heb “Peace to you.”
  44. Judges 19:21 tn Heb “ate and drank.”
  45. Judges 19:22 tn Heb “they were making their heart good.”
  46. Judges 19:22 tn Heb “and look.”
  47. Judges 19:22 tn Heb “the men of the city, men, the sons of wickedness.” The phrases are in apposition; the last phrase specifies what type of men they were. It is not certain if all the men of the city are in view, or just a group of troublemakers. In 20:5 the town leaders are implicated in the crime, suggesting that all the men of the city were involved. If so, the implication is that the entire male population of the town were good-for-nothings.
  48. Judges 19:22 tn The Hitpael verb form appears to have an iterative force here, indicating repeated action.
  49. Judges 19:22 tn Heb “know.” The expression יָדַע (yadaʿ) “to know” is a euphemism for sexual relations. Elsewhere NET employs the English euphemism “be intimate with” for this use of יָדַע (yadaʿ), but uses a different euphemism here because of the perverse overtones of force in this context. Their intent is to molest him, but their rhetoric tries to minimize their wickedness.
  50. Judges 19:24 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the visiting Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  51. Judges 19:24 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”
  52. Judges 19:25 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  53. Judges 19:25 tn Heb “and he caused [her] to go outside to them.”
  54. Judges 19:25 tn Heb “knew,” in the sexual sense.
  55. Judges 19:26 tn The Hebrew term here translated “master,” is plural. The plural indicates degree here and emphasizes the Levite’s absolute sovereignty over the woman.
  56. Judges 19:26 tn Heb “The woman came at the turning of the morning and fell at the door of the house of the man where her master was until the light.”
  57. Judges 19:27 tn The Hebrew term here translated “master,” is plural. The plural indicates degree here and emphasizes the Levite’s absolute sovereignty over the woman.
  58. Judges 19:28 tn Heb “And the man took her on the donkey and arose and went to his place.”
  59. Judges 19:29 tn Heb “he carved her up by her bones into twelve pieces.”
  60. Judges 19:29 tn Heb “and he sent her through all the territory of Israel.”
  61. Judges 19:30 tn The words “the sight” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  62. Judges 19:30 tn Heb “from the day.”
  63. Judges 19:30 tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the (original) LXX has the following additional words: “And he instructed the men whom he sent out, ‘Thus you will say to every male Israelite: “There has never been anything like this from the day the Israelites left Egypt till the present day.”’”
  64. Judges 20:1 sn Dan was located in the far north of the country, while Beer Sheba was located in the far south. This encompassed all the territory of the land of Canaan occupied by the Israelites.
  65. Judges 20:1 sn The land of Gilead was on the eastern side of the Jordan River.
  66. Judges 20:1 tn Heb “went out.”
  67. Judges 20:1 tn Heb “and the assembly was convened as one man.”
  68. Judges 20:2 tn Heb “the cornerstones”; or “the supports.” The word is used of leaders in only three other texts—1 Sam 14:38; Isa 19:13; Zech 10:4.
  69. Judges 20:2 tn The words “which numbered” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  70. Judges 20:4 tn Heb “The man, the Levite.”
  71. Judges 20:4 tn Heb “came to.”
  72. Judges 20:4 tn Heb “which belongs to Benjamin.”
  73. Judges 20:5 tn Heb “arose against me and surrounded against me the house at night.”
  74. Judges 20:6 tn Heb “her”; the referent is more naturally stated in English as “the pieces.”
  75. Judges 20:6 tn Heb “throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel.”
  76. Judges 20:6 tn Heb “a wicked and disgraceful [thing].”
  77. Judges 20:7 tn Heb “Look, all of you sons of Israel.”
  78. Judges 20:7 tn Heb “give for yourselves a word and advice here.”
  79. Judges 20:8 tn Heb “as one man.”
  80. Judges 20:8 tn Heb “to his tent.”
  81. Judges 20:8 tn Or “turn aside.”
  82. Judges 20:9 tn Heb “against her by lot.” The verb “we will go up” (נַעֲלֶה, naʿaleh) has probably been accidentally omitted before “against her” (עָלֶיהָ, ʿaleha).sn As the lot dictates. The Israelite soldiers intended to cast lots to determine which tribe would lead the battle charge (see v. 18).
  83. Judges 20:10 tn Or “people.”
  84. Judges 20:10 tn Heb “to do at their arrival in Geba of Benjamin according to all the disgraceful [thing] which he [collective = “Benjamin”] did in Israel.” Here “Geba” must be an error for “Gibeah.”
  85. Judges 20:11 tn Heb “gathered at the city as one man, united.”
  86. Judges 20:12 tc The MT reads the plural, but surely the singular (which is supported by the LXX and Vulgate) is preferable here.
  87. Judges 20:12 tn Heb “What is this wicked thing which happened among you?”
  88. Judges 20:13 tn Heb “the men, sons of wickedness.”
  89. Judges 20:13 tn Heb “and burn away wickedness from Israel.”
  90. Judges 20:14 tn Heb “assembled from the cities at Gibeah.”
  91. Judges 20:15 tn Heb “besides from the ones living in Gibeah they mustered 700 choice men.”
  92. Judges 20:16 tn Heb “And from all this people.”
  93. Judges 20:16 tn Heb “700 choice men, bound/restricted in the right hand.” On the significance of the idiom, “bound/restricted in the right hand,” see the translator’s note on 3:15.
  94. Judges 20:16 tn “at a single hair and not miss.”
  95. Judges 20:17 tn Heb “a man of war.”
  96. Judges 20:18 tn Heb “They arose and went up to Bethel and asked God, and the Israelites said.”
  97. Judges 20:18 tn Heb “Who should go up for us first for battle against the sons of Benjamin?”
  98. Judges 20:19 tn Heb “encamped.”
  99. Judges 20:20 tn Heb “the men of Israel.” The noun phrase has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  100. Judges 20:21 tn Heb “The sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and they struck down in Israel that day 22,000 men to the ground.”
  101. Judges 20:22 tn Heb “The people, the men of Israel.”
  102. Judges 20:22 tn Or “encouraged one another.”
  103. Judges 20:23 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
  104. Judges 20:23 tn Heb “approach for battle.”
  105. Judges 20:23 tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).
  106. Judges 20:23 tn Heb “Go up against him” (collective singular).
  107. Judges 20:24 tn Heb “drew near to.”
  108. Judges 20:25 tn Heb “And Benjamin went out to meet them from Gibeah the second day, and they again struck down among the sons of Israel 18,000 men to the ground, all of these were wielding the sword.”
  109. Judges 20:26 tn Heb “and all the people.”
  110. Judges 20:26 tn Heb “went up and came [to].”
  111. Judges 20:26 tn Traditionally, “fasted.”
  112. Judges 20:26 tn Or “peace offerings.”
  113. Judges 20:28 tn Heb “standing before him.”
  114. Judges 20:28 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
  115. Judges 20:28 tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).
  116. Judges 20:28 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
  117. Judges 20:28 tn Heb “him” (collective singular).
  118. Judges 20:30 tn Heb “the third day.”
  119. Judges 20:31 tn Heb “went out to meet.”
  120. Judges 20:31 tn Heb “and they were drawn away from the city.”
  121. Judges 20:31 tn Heb “from the army wounded ones.”
  122. Judges 20:31 tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  123. Judges 20:32 tn Or “run away.”
  124. Judges 20:32 tn Heb “him” (collective singular).
  125. Judges 20:33 sn Verses 33-36a give a condensed account of the battle from this point on, while vv. 36b-48 offer a more detailed version of how the ambush contributed to Gibeah’s defeat.
  126. Judges 20:34 tn Heb “heavy”; or “severe.”
  127. Judges 20:34 tn Heb “And they did not know that touching against them was disaster.”
  128. Judges 20:35 tn Heb “And the sons of Israel struck down in Benjamin that day 25,100 men, all of these wielding the sword.”
  129. Judges 20:36 tn Heb “gave place to.”
  130. Judges 20:37 tn Heb “hurried and put off [their hiding place].”
  131. Judges 20:37 tn Heb “the men hiding in ambush.”
  132. Judges 20:37 tn Or “deployed.” The verb normally means “to lead” or “to draw.”
  133. Judges 20:38 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men hiding in ambush) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  134. Judges 20:39 tn Heb “turned in the battle.”
  135. Judges 20:39 tn Heb “And Benjamin began to strike down wounded ones among the men of Israel.”
  136. Judges 20:39 tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  137. Judges 20:40 tn Heb “Benjamin turned after him and, look, the whole city went up toward the sky.”
  138. Judges 20:41 tn Or “were terrified.”
  139. Judges 20:41 tn Heb “disaster touched against them.”
  140. Judges 20:42 tn Heb “clung to”; or “stuck close.”
  141. Judges 20:42 tn Heb “and those from the cities were striking them down in their midst.”
  142. Judges 20:43 tc The translation assumes the reading מִנּוֹחָה (minnokhah, “from Nohah”; cf. 1 Chr 8:2) rather than the MT’s מְנוּחָה (menukhah, “resting place”).
  143. Judges 20:43 tn Heb “tread down, walk on.”
  144. Judges 20:43 tc Heb “unto the opposite of Gibeah toward the east.” Gibeah cannot be correct here, since the Benjaminites retreated from there toward the desert and Rimmon (see v. 45). A slight emendation yields the reading “Geba.”
  145. Judges 20:45 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the rest [of the Benjaminites]) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  146. Judges 20:45 tn Heb “and they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  147. Judges 20:45 tn Heb “gleaned.” The word is an agricultural term which pictures Israelites picking off the Benjaminites as easily as one picks grapes from the vine.
  148. Judges 20:45 tn Heb “stuck close after them.”
  149. Judges 20:46 sn The number given here (25,000 sword-wielding Benjaminites) is an approximate figure; v. 35 gives the more exact number (25,100). According to v. 15, the Benjaminite army numbered 26,700 (26,000 + 700). The figures in vv. 35 (rounded in vv. 44-46) and 47 add up to 25,700. What happened to the other 1,000 men? The most reasonable explanation is that they were killed during the first two days of fighting. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 429) and C. F. Burney (Judges, 475) reject this proposal, arguing that the narrator is too precise and concerned about details to omit such a fact. However, the account of the first two days’ fighting emphasizes Israel’s humiliating defeat. To speak of Benjaminite casualties would diminish the literary effect. In vv. 35, 44-47 the narrator’s emphasis is the devastating defeat that Benjamin experienced on this final day of battle. To mention the earlier days’ casualties at this point is irrelevant to his literary purpose. He allows readers who happen to be concerned with such details to draw conclusions for themselves.
  150. Judges 20:46 tn Heb “So all the ones who fell from Benjamin were 25,000 men, wielding the sword, in that day, all of these men of strength.
  151. Judges 20:48 tn Heb “to the sons of Benjamin.”
  152. Judges 20:48 tc The translation is based on the reading מֵעִיר מְתִים (meʿir metim, “from a city of men,” i.e., “an inhabited city”), rather than the reading מֵעִיר מְתֹם (meʿir metom, “from a city of soundness”) found in the Leningrad Codex (L).
  153. Judges 20:48 tn Heb “Also all the cities that were found they set on fire.”
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Judges 19-20
New International Version

A Levite and His Concubine

19 In those days Israel had no king.

Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim(A) took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.(B) 2 But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months, 3 her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her parents’ home, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. 4 His father-in-law, the woman’s father, prevailed on him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking,(C) and sleeping there.

5 On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself(D) with something to eat; then you can go.” 6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the woman’s father said, “Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself.(E)” 7 And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. 8 On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the woman’s father said, “Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!” So the two of them ate together.

9 Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the woman’s father, said, “Now look, it’s almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home.” 10 But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus(F) (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.

11 When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Come, let’s stop at this city of the Jebusites(G) and spend the night.”

12 His master replied, “No. We won’t go into any city whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.” 13 He added, “Come, let’s try to reach Gibeah or Ramah(H) and spend the night in one of those places.” 14 So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.(I) 15 There they stopped to spend the night.(J) They went and sat in the city square,(K) but no one took them in for the night.

16 That evening(L) an old man from the hill country of Ephraim,(M) who was living in Gibeah (the inhabitants of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields. 17 When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”(N)

18 He answered, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the Lord.[a](O) No one has taken me in for the night. 19 We have both straw and fodder(P) for our donkeys(Q) and bread and wine(R) for ourselves your servants—me, the woman and the young man with us. We don’t need anything.”

20 “You are welcome at my house,” the old man said. “Let me supply whatever you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.” 21 So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.(S)

22 While they were enjoying themselves,(T) some of the wicked men(U) 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.(V)”

23 The owner of the house went outside(W) and said to them, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this outrageous thing.(X) 24 Look, here is my virgin daughter,(Y) and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t do such an outrageous thing.”

25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her(Z) and abused her(AA) throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. 26 At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

29 When he reached home, he took a knife(AB) and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.(AC) 30 Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt.(AD) Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!(AE)”

The Israelites Punish the Benjamites

20 Then all Israel(AF) from Dan to Beersheba(AG) and from the land of Gilead came together as one(AH) and assembled(AI) before the Lord in Mizpah.(AJ) 2 The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, four hundred thousand men(AK) armed with swords. 3 (The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, “Tell us how this awful thing happened.”

4 So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, “I and my concubine came to Gibeah(AL) in Benjamin to spend the night.(AM) 5 During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me.(AN) They raped my concubine, and she died.(AO) 6 I took my concubine, cut her into pieces and sent one piece to each region of Israel’s inheritance,(AP) because they committed this lewd and outrageous act(AQ) in Israel. 7 Now, all you Israelites, speak up and tell me what you have decided to do.(AR)”

8 All the men rose up together as one, saying, “None of us will go home. No, not one of us will return to his house. 9 But now this is what we’ll do to Gibeah: We’ll go up against it in the order decided by casting lots.(AS) 10 We’ll take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from ten thousand, to get provisions for the army. Then, when the army arrives at Gibeah[b] in Benjamin, it can give them what they deserve for this outrageous act done in Israel.” 11 So all the Israelites got together and united as one against the city.(AT)

12 The tribes of Israel sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What about this awful crime that was committed among you?(AU) 13 Now turn those wicked men(AV) of Gibeah over to us so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel.(AW)”

But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites. 14 From their towns they came together at Gibeah to fight against the Israelites. 15 At once the Benjamites mobilized twenty-six thousand swordsmen from their towns, in addition to seven hundred able young men from those living in Gibeah. 16 Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred select troops who were left-handed,(AX) each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17 Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen, all of them fit for battle.

18 The Israelites went up to Bethel[c](AY) and inquired of God.(AZ) They said, “Who of us is to go up first(BA) to fight(BB) against the Benjamites?”

The Lord replied, “Judah(BC) shall go first.”

19 The next morning the Israelites got up and pitched camp near Gibeah. 20 The Israelites went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah. 21 The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites(BD) on the battlefield that day. 22 But the Israelites encouraged one another and again took up their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day. 23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord(BE) until evening,(BF) and they inquired of the Lord.(BG) They said, “Shall we go up again to fight(BH) against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites?”

The Lord answered, “Go up against them.”

24 Then the Israelites drew near to Benjamin the second day. 25 This time, when the Benjamites came out from Gibeah to oppose them, they cut down another eighteen thousand Israelites,(BI) all of them armed with swords.

26 Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the Lord.(BJ) They fasted(BK) that day until evening and presented burnt offerings(BL) and fellowship offerings(BM) to the Lord.(BN) 27 And the Israelites inquired of the Lord.(BO) (In those days the ark of the covenant of God(BP) was there, 28 with Phinehas son of Eleazar,(BQ) the son of Aaron, ministering before it.)(BR) They asked, “Shall we go up again to fight against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites, or not?”

The Lord responded, “Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands.(BS)”

29 Then Israel set an ambush(BT) around Gibeah. 30 They went up against the Benjamites on the third day and took up positions against Gibeah as they had done before. 31 The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn away(BU) from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads—the one leading to Bethel(BV) and the other to Gibeah. 32 While the Benjamites were saying, “We are defeating them as before,”(BW) the Israelites were saying, “Let’s retreat and draw them away from the city to the roads.”

33 All the men of Israel moved from their places and took up positions at Baal Tamar, and the Israelite ambush charged out of its place(BX) on the west[d] of Gibeah.[e] 34 Then ten thousand of Israel’s able young men made a frontal attack on Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that the Benjamites did not realize(BY) how near disaster was.(BZ) 35 The Lord defeated Benjamin(CA) before Israel, and on that day the Israelites struck down 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. 36 Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten.

Now the men of Israel had given way(CB) before Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush(CC) they had set near Gibeah. 37 Those who had been in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword.(CD) 38 The Israelites had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke(CE) from the city,(CF) 39 and then the Israelites would counterattack.

The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, “We are defeating them as in the first battle.”(CG) 40 But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke.(CH) 41 Then the Israelites counterattacked,(CI) and the Benjamites were terrified, because they realized that disaster had come(CJ) on them. 42 So they fled before the Israelites in the direction of the wilderness, but they could not escape the battle. And the Israelites who came out of the towns cut them down there. 43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and easily[f] overran them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. 44 Eighteen thousand Benjamites fell, all of them valiant fighters.(CK) 45 As they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon,(CL) the Israelites cut down five thousand men along the roads. They kept pressing after the Benjamites as far as Gidom and struck down two thousand more.

46 On that day twenty-five thousand Benjamite(CM) swordsmen fell, all of them valiant fighters. 47 But six hundred of them turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. 48 The men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put all the towns to the sword, including the animals and everything else they found. All the towns they came across they set on fire.(CN)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 19:18 Hebrew, Vulgate, Syriac and Targum; Septuagint going home
  2. Judges 20:10 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts Geba, a variant of Gibeah
  3. Judges 20:18 Or to the house of God; also in verse 26
  4. Judges 20:33 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  5. Judges 20:33 Hebrew Geba, a variant of Gibeah
  6. Judges 20:43 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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