Judges 19:1

Myles Coverdale Bible

At the same tyme was there no kynge in Israel, and there was a man of Leui, which was a strauger besyde mout Ephraim, and had taken him a cocubine of Bethleem Iuda to wife.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite staying in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim acquired a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as his concubine.

Hebrew Names Version
It happened in those days, when there was no king in Yisra'el, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Efrayim, who took to him a concubine out of Beit-Lechem-Yehudah.

King James Version
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.

Lexham English Bible
In those days there was no king in Israel; there was a man, a Levite, who dwelled as a foreigner in the remote areas of the hill country of Ephraim. And he took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

English Standard Version
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

New Century Version
At that time Israel did not have a king. There was a Levite who lived in the faraway mountains of Ephraim. He had taken a slave woman from the city of Bethlehem in the land of Judah to live with him,

New English Translation
In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levite living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

Amplified Bible
Now it happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite living [as an alien] in the most remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.

New American Standard Bible
Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Also in those dayes, when there was no king in Israel, a certaine Leuite dwelt on the side of mount Ephraim, and tooke to wife a concubine out of Beth-lehem Iudah,

Legacy Standard Bible
En in dié dae was daar geen koning in Israel nie. En 'n Levitiese man het as vreemdeling vertoef agter in die gebergte van Efraim; en hy het vir hom 'n vrou, 'n byvrou, geneem uit Betlehem-Juda.

Contemporary English Version
Before kings ruled Israel, a Levite was living deep in the hill country of the Ephraim tribe. He married a woman from Bethlehem in Judah,

Complete Jewish Bible
In those days, when there was no king in Isra'el, there was a certain Levi living on the far side of the Efrayim hills who took a woman from Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah to be his concubine.

Darby Translation
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite, sojourning on the further side of mount Ephraim, took him a concubine out of Bethlehem-Judah.

Easy-to-Read Version
At that time the Israelites did not have a king. There was a Levite who lived far back in the hill country of Ephraim. He had taken as a wife a slave woman. She was from the city of Bethlehem in the country of Judah.

George Lamsa Translation
AND it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Beth-lehem of Judah.

Good News Translation
In those days before Israel had a king, there was a Levite living far back in the hill country of Ephraim. He took a young woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.

Literal Translation
And it happened in those days when there was no king in Israel, there was a man, a Levite, living on the further side of the hills of Ephraim. And he took a wife to himself, a concubine out of Bethlehem-judah.

American Standard Version
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

Bible in Basic English
Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was living in the inmost parts of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he got for himself a servant-wife from Beth-lehem-judah.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Also in those dayes, when there was no kyng in Israel, a certayne Leuite soiournyng on the syde of mount Ephraim, toke to wyfe a concubine out of Bethlehem Iuda.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem in Judah.

King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe in those dayes, when there was no King in Israel, that there was a certaine Leuite soiourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who tooke to him a concubine out of Bethlehem Iudah.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there was a Levite sojourning in the sides of mount Ephraim, and he took to himself a concubine from Bethleem Juda.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass in these days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

Berean Standard Bible
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A man was a dekene dwellinge in the side of the hil of Effraym, which dekene took a wijf of Bethleem of Juda.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, in those days, when there is no king in Israel, that there is a man a Levite, a sojourner in the sides of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he taketh to him a wife, a concubine, out of Beth-Lehem-Judah;

Update Bible Version
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass in those days, when [there was] no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite dwelling on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

World English Bible
It happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

New King James Version
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

New Living Translation
Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.

New Life Bible
There was no king in Israel in those days. And there was a certain Levite staying in a far away part of the hill country of Ephraim. He took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to act as his wife.

New Revised Standard
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite, residing in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it came to pass in those days, when, king, there was none in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem-judah.

Douay-Rheims Bible
There was a certain Levite, who dwelt on the side of mount Ephraim, who took a wife of Bethlehem Juda:

Revised Standard Version
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of E'phraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

THE MESSAGE
It was an era when there was no king in Israel. A Levite, living as a stranger in the backwoods hill country of Ephraim, got himself a concubine, a woman from Bethlehem in Judah. But she quarreled with him and left, returning to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She was there four months. Then her husband decided to go after her and try to win her back. He had a servant and a pair of donkeys with him. When he arrived at her father's house, the girl's father saw him, welcomed him, and made him feel at home. His father-in-law, the girl's father, pressed him to stay. He stayed with him three days; they feasted and drank and slept.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.

Contextual Overview

¹ At the same tyme was there no kynge in Israel, and there was a man of Leui, which was a strauger besyde mout Ephraim, and had taken him a cocubine of Bethleem Iuda to wife. ² And wha she had played the harlot besyde him, she ranne fro him to hir fathers house vnto Bethleem Iuda, & was there foure monethes longe. ³ And hir hußbade gat him vp, & wente after her, to speake fredly wt her, & to fetch her againe, & had a seruaunt & a couple of asses wt him. And she led him in to hir fathers house. But whan the damsels father sawe him, he was glad, & receaued him: ⁴ & his father in lawe, yt the damsels father kepte him, so yt he taried thre dayes wt him: thus they ate and droke, and remayned there all nighte. ⁵ But on ye fourth daye he gat him vp early, & wolde go his waye. Then sayde ye damsels father vnto his sonne in lawe: Refresh thine hert first wt a morsell of bred, and then shal ye go. ⁶ And they sat them downe, & ate and dronke both together: Then sayde the damsels father vnto the man: Oh tarye all nighte, yt we waie refresh thine hert. ⁷ But ye ma arose, & wolde nedes go. And his father in lawe constrayned him to tarye all nighte. ⁸ On the fifth daye in the mornynge he gat him vp, and wolde be gone. Then sayde the damsels father: I praye the conforte thine hert, & let vs tary tyll ye daye be farther past, and so they ate both together. ⁹ And the man gat him vp, and wolde go with his concubyne and with his seruaunt. But his father in lawe the damsels father, saide vnto him agayne: Lo, the daye is spente, & it begynneth to be euen, tary all night: beholde, here is lodginge yet this daye, abyde here this night, it shal refresh thine hert: tomorow by times get you vp, and go youre waye vnto thy tent. ¹⁰ Neuerttheles the man wolde not tary, but gat him vp, and wete his waye, and came ouer agaynst Iebus (that is Ierusalem) and his couple of asses lade, and his concubyne with him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when there: Judges 17:6, Judges 18:1, Judges 21:25

mount: Judges 17:1, Judges 17:8, Joshua 24:30, Joshua 24:33

a concubine: Heb. a woman or, a wife. Genesis 22:24, Genesis 25:6, 2 Samuel 3:7, 2 Samuel 5:13, 2 Samuel 16:22, 2 Samuel 19:5, 2 Samuel 20:3, 1 Kings 11:3, 2 Chronicles 11:21, Esther 2:14, Song of Solomon 6:8, Song of Solomon 6:9, Daniel 5:3, Malachi 2:15, Beth-lehem-judah, Judges 17:8, Genesis 35:19, Matthew 2:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 16:3 - his Judges 3:27 - mountain Judges 17:7 - General Judges 18:2 - mount Judges 18:13 - mount Ephraim Ruth 1:1 - a famine 1 Samuel 1:1 - mount 1 Samuel 9:4 - mount 1 Kings 4:8 - The son of Hur 2 Chronicles 19:4 - mount

Cross-References

Genesis 18:22
And the men turned their face, and wete towarde Sodome. But Abraham stode still before ye LORDE,

Genesis 19:1
In the euenynge came the two angels vnto Sodome. And Lot sat vnder the gate of the cite. And whe he sawe them, he rose vp for to mete them, and bowed him self downe to the grounde vpon his face,

Genesis 19:5
and called Lot, and sayde vnto him: Where are the me that came vnto the to night? Bringe them out here vnto vs, that we maye knowe them.

Job 31:32
I haue not suffred a straunger to lye wt out, but opened my dores vnto him.

Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetfull to lodge straungers: for therby haue dyuerse receaued angels in to their houses vnawares.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel,.... The same is observed in Judges 17:6 and refers to the same times, the times before the judges, between them and the death of Joshua, during which time there was no supreme magistrate or ruler in Israel, which is meant; and this is observed, as before, to account for wickedness being committed with impunity, such as adultery, sodomy, murder, c. afterwards related:

that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of Mount Ephraim in a city that was on one side of that mountain; it seems not to have been a Levitical city, because he was only a sojourner in it; perhaps he chose to reside there, as being near to the tabernacle of Shiloh, which was in that tribe;

who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah; the same place from whence the wicked Levite came, spoken of in the preceding chapters, and who was the means of spreading idolatry in Israel; and here a wicked concubine of a Levite comes from the same, and was the cause of great effusion of blood in Israel; which two instances may seem to reflect dishonour and disgrace on Bethlehem, which were wiped off by the birth of some eminent persons in it, as Boaz, Jesse, David, and especially the Messiah. The woman the Levite took from hence is in the Hebrew called, "a wife, a concubine" h; for a concubine was a secondary wife, taken without espousals and a dowry: some think they were espoused, though there was no dowry, and were reckoned truly wives, though they had not all the honour and privilege as others; and that this woman was accounted the wife of the Levite, appears from his being called her husband frequently; and her father is said to be his father-in-law, and he his son-in-law; nor could she have been chargeable with adultery otherwise.

h So Pagninus, Tigurine version, Drusius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A concubine - See the margin. The name does not imply any moral reproach. A concubine was as much the man’s wife as the woman so called, though she had not the same rights. See Judges 19:3-4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XIX

A Levite and his concubine disagree; and she leaves him and

goes to her father's house, 1, 2.

He follows to bring her back, and is kindly entertained by her

father five days, 3-8.

He returns; and lodges the first night at Gibeah, in the tribe

of Benjamin, 9-21.

The men of Gibeah attack the house, and insist on abusing the

body of the Levite; who, to save himself, delivers to them his

concubine, whose life falls a victim to their brutality, 22-27.

The Levite divides her dead body into twelve pieces, and sends

one to each of the twelve tribes; they are struck with horror,

and call a council on the subject, 28-30.

NOTES ON CHAP. XIX

Verse Judges 19:1. There was no king in Israel — All sorts of disorders are attributed to the want of civil government; justice, right, truth, and humanity, had fallen in the streets.

Took to him a concubine — We have already seen that the concubine was a sort of secondary wife; and that such connections were not disreputable, being according to the general custom of those times. The word פילגש pilegesh, concubine, is supposed by Mr. Parkhurst to be compounded of פלג palag, "to divide, or share;" and נגש nagash, "to approach;" because the husband shared or divided his attention and affections between her and the real wife; from whom she differed in nothing material, except in her posterity not inheriting.