Judges 19:13

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

Complete Jewish Bible:

He said to his servant, "Let's go, and we'll get to one of those places; we'll stay in Giv'ah or Ramah."

Berean Standard Bible:

He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”

American Standard Version:

And he said unto his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And he said^{H559} unto his servant^{H5288}, Come^{H3212}, and let us draw near^{H7126} to one^{H259} of these places^{H4725} to lodge all night^{H3885}, in Gibeah^{H1390}, or in Ramah^{H7414}.

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Commentary for Judges 19:13

Judges 19:13 is part of a narrative that unfolds in the latter chapters of the Book of Judges, which describes a period in Israel's history characterized by moral decay and a lack of central authority. The verse itself is a small piece of a larger, disturbing story often referred to as the "Concubine at Gibeah." In this verse, a Levite traveling with his concubine and servant is considering where to spend the night. The options presented are Gibeah, belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, or Ramah, in the territory of Ephraim.

The historical context of this verse is set in the time when "there was no king in Israel" (Judges 19:1), a phrase that recurs in the book to emphasize the absence of a unifying, godly leadership, leading to a societal breakdown where "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6). The significance of the choice of lodging becomes clear as the story progresses. The decision to go to Gibeah rather than Ramah sets the stage for a series of events that mirror the infamous story of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), where the men of the city demand to abuse the male guest, and the host, in a shocking act of depravity, offers his virgin daughter and the concubine instead. The ensuing violence and civil strife precipitate a near-total destruction of the tribe of Benjamin, as described in the subsequent chapters of Judges.

The themes present in this verse and the surrounding narrative include the breakdown of social order, the loss of hospitality norms, and the objectification and brutalization of women. It also highlights the moral failure of religious leaders (the Levite) and the broader consequences of personal and communal sin. This story serves as a stark warning about the dangers of a society that rejects God's law and the importance of righteous leadership. The events at Gibeah ultimately lead to a cycle of retribution and a civil war that devastates one of the twelve tribes of Israel, foreshadowing the anarchy and violence that would characterize the subsequent period before the establishment of the monarchy.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
2. Strong's Number: H5288
   There are 221 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נַעַר
   Transliteration: naʻar
   Pronunciation: nah'-ar
   Description: from נָעַר; (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age); babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man).
   
3. Strong's Number: H3212
   There are 938 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָלַךְ
   Transliteration: yâlak
   Pronunciation: yaw-lak'
   Description: a primitive root (compare הָלַךְ); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses); [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak.
   
4. Strong's Number: H7126
   There are 259 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קָרַב
   Transliteration: qârab
   Pronunciation: kaw-rab'
   Description: a primitive root; to approach (causatively, bring near) for whatever purpose; (cause to) approach, (cause to) bring (forth, near), (cause to) come (near, nigh), (cause to) draw near (nigh), go (near), be at hand, join, be near, offer, present, produce, make ready, stand, take.
   
5. Strong's Number: H259
   There are 801 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶחָד
   Transliteration: ʼechâd
   Pronunciation: ekh-awd'
   Description: a numeral from אָחַד; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first; a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,
   
6. Strong's Number: H4725
   There are 379 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מָקוֹם
   Transliteration: mâqôwm
   Pronunciation: maw-kome'
   Description: or מָקֹם; also (feminine) מְקוֹמָה; or מְקֹמָה; from קוּם; properly, a standing, i.e. a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind); country, [idiom] home, [idiom] open, place, room, space, [idiom] whither(-soever).
   
7. Strong's Number: H3885
   There are 79 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: לוּן
   Transliteration: lûwn
   Pronunciation: loon
   Description: or לִין; a primitive root; to stop (usually over night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to complain); abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night).
   
8. Strong's Number: H1390
   There are 43 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: גִּבְעָה
   Transliteration: Gibʻâh
   Pronunciation: ghib-aw'
   Description: the same as גִּבְעָה; Gibah; the name of three places in Palestine; Gibeah, the hill.
   
9. Strong's Number: H7414
   There are 35 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָמָה
   Transliteration: Râmâh
   Pronunciation: raw-maw'
   Description: the same as רָמָה; Ramah, the name of four places in Palestine; Ramah.