King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And he said unto him, We [are] passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence [am] I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I [am now] going to the house of the LORD; and there [is] no man that receiveth me to house.
Complete Jewish Bible:
He replied, "We're crossing from Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah to the far side of the Efrayim hills. That's where I'm from. I went to Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah, and now I'm going to the house of ADONAI; but there's no one here who will let me spend the night in his home.
Berean Standard Bible:
The Levite replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD; but no one has taken me into his home,
American Standard Version:
And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah unto the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim; from thence am I, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah: and I am now going to the house of Jehovah; and there is no man that taketh me into his house.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And he said{H559} unto him, We are passing{H5674} from Bethlehemjudah{H1035}{H3063} toward the side{H3411} of mount{H2022} Ephraim{H669}; from thence am I: and I went{H3212} to Bethlehemjudah{H1035}{H3063}, but I am now going{H1980} to the house{H1004} of the LORD{H3068}; and there is no man{H376} that receiveth{H622} me to house{H1004}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Judges 18:31
- And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
John 15:6
- If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned.
1 Samuel 1:3
- And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, [were] there.
Psalms 26:9
- Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
Joshua 18:1
- ¶ And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.
Judges 20:18
- ¶ And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah [shall go up] first.
1 Samuel 1:7
- And [as] he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
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Commentary for Judges 19:18
Judges 19:18 is part of a narrative that takes place during a turbulent period in Israel's history. The Book of Judges covers a time when "there was no king in Israel" (Judges 19:1), and the moral and social order had significantly deteriorated. This verse is situated within a disturbing and violent story often referred to as "The Levite and His Concubine," which unfolds in chapters 19 and 20.
In this verse, a Levite, who is traveling with his concubine, describes his itinerary to a fellow traveler he encounters. The Levite explains that he has come from Bethlehem in Judah and is now heading toward the hill country of Ephraim. He mentions that his final destination is the house of the Lord, which likely refers to a sanctuary or a place of worship, as there was no temple in Jerusalem at this time. The Levite's statement that no one has offered him hospitality ("there is no man that receiveth me to house") reflects the breakdown of social customs and the lack of hospitality, which was a serious offense in the ancient Near Eastern culture.
The themes present in this verse include the breakdown of societal norms, the lack of hospitality, and the dangers of travel in a lawless era. The historical context suggests that this story is set in a time when the Israelites were not living according to the covenant with God, and as a result, the social fabric was unraveling. This lack of moral guidance and communal responsibility sets the stage for the grim events that follow in the narrative, which ultimately lead to civil war among the tribes of Israel and a profound sense of national tragedy and disgrace. The verse serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of moral decline and the importance of hospitality and community in the fabric of society.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- 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. - Strong's Number: H5674
There are 493 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָבַר
Transliteration: ʻâbar
Pronunciation: aw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation); alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) [phrase] proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, [phrase] raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, [phrase] shave, cause to (make) sound, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath. - Strong's Number: H1035
There are 39 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּית לֶחֶם
Transliteration: Bêyth Lechem
Pronunciation: bayth leh'-khem
Description: from בַּיִת and לֶחֶם; house of bread; Beth-Lechem, a place in Palestine; Bethlehem. - Strong's Number: H3063
There are 754 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהוּדָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhûwdâh
Pronunciation: yeh-hoo-daw'
Description: from יָדָה; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory; Judah. - Strong's Number: H3411
There are 28 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְרֵכָה
Transliteration: yᵉrêkâh
Pronunciation: yer-ay-kaw'
Description: feminine of יָרֵךְ; properly, the flank; but used only figuratively, the rear or recess; border, coast, part, quarter, side. - Strong's Number: H2022
There are 485 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הַר
Transliteration: har
Pronunciation: har
Description: a shortened form of הָרָר; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively); hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion. - Strong's Number: H669
There are 313 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶפְרַיִם
Transliteration: ʼEphrayim
Pronunciation: ef-rah'-yim
Description: dual of masculine form of אֶפְרָת; double fruit; Ephrajim, a son of Joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; Ephraim, Ephraimites. - 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. - Strong's Number: H1980
There are 468 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הָלַךְ
Transliteration: hâlak
Pronunciation: haw-lak'
Description: akin to יָלַךְ; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively); (all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, [phrase] be eased, enter, exercise (self), [phrase] follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), [phrase] greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead, march, [idiom] more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away), be at the point, quite, run (along), [phrase] send, speedily, spread, still, surely, [phrase] tale-bearer, [phrase] travel(-ler), walk (abroad, on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax, (way-) faring man, [idiom] be weak, whirl. - Strong's Number: H1004
There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּיִת
Transliteration: bayith
Pronunciation: bah'-yith
Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H376
There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִישׁ
Transliteration: ʼîysh
Pronunciation: eesh
Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה. - Strong's Number: H622
There are 281 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָסַף
Transliteration: ʼâçaph
Pronunciation: aw-saf'
Description: a primitive root; to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e. remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.); assemble, bring, consume, destroy, felch, gather (in, together, up again), [idiom] generally, get (him), lose, put all together, receive, recover (another from leprosy), (be) rereward, [idiom] surely, take (away, into, up), [idiom] utterly, withdraw.