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Monday, August 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Complete Jewish Bible

Judges 19:17

The old man looked up, saw the traveler in the city's open space and said, "Where are you going, and where are you coming from?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Beneficence;   Gibeah;   Hospitality;   Thompson Chain Reference - Wayfaring Man;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Travellers;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Garments;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hospitality;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Sexuality, Human;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Micah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Hospitality;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Gibeah;   Hospitality;   Judges, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Bethlehem;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hosea ;   Wayfaring Man;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Concubine;   Gibeah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Gib'e-Ah;   Hospitality;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Maccabees, Books of;   Wayfaring Man;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”
Hebrew Names Version
He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Where go you? and whence come you?
King James Version
And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
Lexham English Bible
And the old man raised his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city, and he said, "Where are you going, and from where do you come?"
English Standard Version
And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city. And the old man said, "Where are you going? And where do you come from?"
New Century Version
He saw the traveler in the public square and asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"
New English Translation
When he looked up and saw the traveler in the town square, the old man said, "Where are you heading? Where do you come from?"
Amplified Bible
When he looked up, he saw the traveler [and his companions] in the city square; and the old man said, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?"
New American Standard Bible
And he raised his eyes and saw the traveler in the public square of the city; and the old man said, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when he had lift vp his eyes, he sawe a wayfairing man in the streetes of the citie: then this olde man sayde, Whither goest thou, and whence camest thou?
Legacy Standard Bible
En toe hy sy oë opslaan, sien hy die reisiger op die plein van die stad, en die ou man vra: Waar gaan u heen, en waar kom u vandaan?
Contemporary English Version
He noticed that the Levite was just in town to spend the night. "Where are you going?" the old man asked. "Where did you come from?"
Darby Translation
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the open place of the city; and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
Easy-to-Read Version
The old man saw the traveler in the public square and asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"
George Lamsa Translation
And the old man lifted up his eyes and saw the wayfarer in the street of the city; and the old man said to him, Where are you going? And whence do you come?
Good News Translation
The old man noticed the traveler in the city square and asked him, "Where do you come from? Where are you going?"
Literal Translation
And he lifted up his eyes and saw the man, the traveler, in a broad place of the city. And the aged man said, Where are you going, and where do you come from?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan he lifte vp his eies, & sawe the straunger in the strete he sayde vnto him: Whither wilt thou go? & whence comest thou?
American Standard Version
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
Bible in Basic English
And when he saw the traveller in the street of the town, the old man said, Where are you going? and where do you come from?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when he had lyft vp his eyes, he sawe a wayfaryng man in the streate of the citie: And the olde man sayde, Whyther goest thou? and whence commest thou?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the broad place of the city; and the old man said: 'Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?'
King James Version (1611)
And when he had lift vp his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the streete of the citie: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? And whence commest thou?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw a traveller in the street of the city; and the old man said to him, Whither goest thou, and whence comest thou?
English Revised Version
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
Berean Standard Bible
When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, "Where are you going, and where have you come from?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the eld man reiside his iyen, he siy a man sittynge with hise fardels in the street of the citee; and he seide to `that man, Fro whennus comest thou? and whidur goist thou?
Young's Literal Translation
And he lifteth up his eyes, and seeth the man, the traveller, in a broad place of the city, and the aged man saith, `Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?'
Update Bible Version
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Where do you go? and where do you come from?
Webster's Bible Translation
And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a way-faring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
World English Bible
He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Where go you? and whence come you?
New King James Version
And when he raised his eyes, he saw the traveler in the open square of the city; and the old man said, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?"
New Living Translation
When he saw the travelers sitting in the town square, he asked them where they were from and where they were going.
New Life Bible
The old man looked up and saw the traveler in the center of the city, and said, "Where are you going? Where do you come from?"
New Revised Standard
When the old man looked up and saw the wayfarer in the open square of the city, he said, "Where are you going and where do you come from?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he lifted up his eyes, and saw a wayfaring man in the broadway of the city, - and the old man said - Whither goest thou? and from whence hast thou come?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the old man lifting up his eyes, saw the man sitting with his bundles in the street of the city, and said to him: Whence comest thou? and whither goest thou?
Revised Standard Version
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfarer in the open square of the city; and the old man said, "Where are you going? and whence do you come?"
THE MESSAGE
The Levite 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. On the fourth day, they got up at the crack of dawn and got ready to go. But the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Strengthen yourself with a hearty breakfast and then you can go." So they sat down and ate breakfast together. The girl's father said to the man, "Come now, be my guest. Stay the night—make it a holiday." The man got up to go, but his father-in-law kept after him, so he ended up spending another night. On the fifth day, he was again up early, ready to go. The girl's father said, "You need some breakfast." They went back and forth, and the day slipped on as they ate and drank together. But the man and his concubine were finally ready to go. Then his father-in-law, the girl's father, said, "Look, the day's almost gone—why not stay the night? There's very little daylight left; stay another night and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can get an early start and set off for your own place." But this time the man wasn't willing to spend another night. He got things ready, left, and went as far as Jebus (Jerusalem) with his pair of saddled donkeys, his concubine, and his servant. At Jebus, though, the day was nearly gone. The servant said to his master, "It's late; let's go into this Jebusite city and spend the night." But his master said, "We're not going into any city of foreigners. We'll go on to Gibeah." He directed his servant, "Keep going. Let's go on ahead. We'll spend the night either at Gibeah or Ramah." So they kept going. As they pressed on, the sun finally left them in the vicinity of Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. They left the road there to spend the night at Gibeah. The Levite went and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them in to spend the night. Then, late in the evening, an old man came in from his day's work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and lived temporarily in Gibeah where all the local citizens were Benjaminites. When the old man looked up and saw the traveler in the town square, he said, "Where are you going? And where are you from?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city; and the old man said, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?"

Contextual Overview

16 In time, at nightfall, an old man came from his work in the field. He was from the Efrayim hills and was staying in Giv‘ah, although the residents were of Binyamin. 17 The old man looked up, saw the traveler in the city's open space and said, "Where are you going, and where are you coming from?" 18 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. 19 We have straw and food for our donkeys, also bread and wine for me, my concubine and the boy there with your servants; we don't need anything else." 20 The old man said, "You're welcome to stay with me. I'll take care of anything you lack; just don't spend the night out in the open." 21 So he brought him home and gave food to the donkeys. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

whither: Genesis 16:8, Genesis 32:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:2 - Nay Jeremiah 14:8 - a wayfaring

Cross-References

Genesis 13:10
Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Yarden was well watered everywhere, before Adonai destroyed S'dom and ‘Amora, like the garden of Adonai , like the land of Egypt in the direction of Tzo‘ar.
Genesis 18:22
The men turned away from there and went toward S'dom, but Avraham remained standing before Adonai .
Genesis 19:13
because we are going to destroy it. Adonai has become aware of the great outcry against them, and Adonai has sent us to destroy it."
Genesis 19:14
Lot went out and spoke with his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, "Get up and leave this place, because Adonai is going to destroy the city." But his sons-in-law didn't take him seriously.
Genesis 19:15
When morning came, the angels told Lot to hurry. "Get up," they said, "and take your wife and your two daughters who are here; otherwise you will be swept away in the punishment of the city."
Genesis 19:16
But he dallied, so the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand and the hands of his two daughters — Adonai was being merciful to him — and led them, leaving them outside the city.
Genesis 19:18
Lot said to them, "Please, no, my lord!
Genesis 19:22
Hurry, and escape to that place, because I can't do anything until you arrive there." For this reason the city was named Tzo‘ar [small].
Genesis 19:26
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a column of salt.
Genesis 19:31
The firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there isn't a man on earth to come in to us in the manner customary in the world.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when he had lifted up his eyes,.... For it may be, as he came out of the field, he was musing and meditating with his eyes downwards directed, but coming into the city looked up:

he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city; whom he supposed to be a traveller and a stranger by his dress, and other circumstances, having never seen him before, and knowing pretty well the inhabitants of the place:

and the old man said, whither goest thou? and whence comest thou? the meaning of the questions is, what place he was travelling to, and from whence he came last.


 
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