Lectionary Calendar
Friday, September 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Judges 19:15

They planned to stop there and stay the night. They came to the city square and sat down, but no one invited them home to stay the night.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Inhospitableness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Inhospitality;   Social Life;  

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hill;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - City;   Gate;   Gibeah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They stopped to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one took them into their home to spend the night.
Hebrew Names Version
They turned aside there, to go in to lodge in Gevah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city; for there was no man who took them into his house to lodge.
King James Version
And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
Lexham English Bible
And they turned aside there to enter and to spend the night at Gibeah. And they went and sat in the open square of the city, but no one took them in to spend the night.
English Standard Version
and they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gibeah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night.
New Century Version
They stopped there to spend the night. They came to the public square of the city and sat down, but no one invited them home to spend the night.
New English Translation
They stopped there and decided to spend the night in Gibeah. They came into the city and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them to spend the night.
Amplified Bible
and they turned aside there to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. And the Levite went in and sat down in the open square of the city, because no man invited them into his house to spend the night.
New American Standard Bible
They turned aside there to enter and spend the night in Gibeah. When they entered, they sat down in the public square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then they turned thither to goe in and lodge in Gibeah: and when he came, he sate him downe in a streete of the citie: for there was no man that tooke them into his house to lodging.
Legacy Standard Bible
Toe draai hulle daar uit om in Gíbea te gaan vernag. En hy het ingekom en gebly op die plein van die stad, want daar was niemand wat hulle in sy huis opgeneem het om te vernag nie.
Contemporary English Version
They left the road and went into Gibeah. But the Levite couldn't find a house where anyone would let them spend the night, and they sat down in the open area just inside the town gates.
Complete Jewish Bible
There they turned off the road to go and stay in Giv‘ah. He went in and sat down in the city's open space, since no one had offered his home for them to spend the night.
Darby Translation
And they turned aside thither, to go in, to lodge in Gibeah. And he went in, and sat down in the open place of the city; and there was no one that received him into his house to pass the night.
George Lamsa Translation
And they turned aside there to spend the night; and they went to Gibeah, and sat down in a street of the city.; for there was no man to take them into his house to spend the night.
Good News Translation
They turned off the road to go and spend the night there. They went into town and sat down in the city square, but no one offered to take them home for the night.
Literal Translation
And they turned aside there, to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And he went in and sat in a broad place of the city. Yet there was no man that took them into his house to lodge them .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and they turned in there, yt they mighte come in, and tarye at Gibea all nighte. But whan he came in, he sat him downe in ye strete of the cite: for there was noman that wolde lodge them in his house that night.
American Standard Version
And they turned aside thither, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.
Bible in Basic English
And they went off the road there with the purpose of stopping for the night in Gibeah: and he went in, seating himself in the street of the town, for no one took them into his house for the night.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they turned thytherwarde to go in, and lodge all nyght in Gibea: And when he came, he sat him downe in a streate of the citie, for there was no man that toke them into his house to lodgyng.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they turned aside thither, to go in to lodge in Gibeah; and he went in, and sat him down in the broad place of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.
King James Version (1611)
And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sate him downe in a street of the citie: for there was no man that tooke them into his house to lodging.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they turned aside thence to go in to lodge in Gabaa; and they went in, and sat down in the street of the city, and there was no one who conducted them into a house to lodge.
English Revised Version
And they turned aside thither, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.
Berean Standard Bible
They stopped to go in and lodge in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one would take them into his home for the night.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and thei turneden to it, that thei schulden dwelle there. Whidur whanne thei hadden entrid, thei saten in the street of the citee, and no man wolde resseyue hem to herbore.
Young's Literal Translation
and they turn aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah, and he goeth in and sitteth in a broad place of the city, and there is no man gathering them into the house to lodge.
Update Bible Version
And they turned aside there, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat down in the street of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they turned aside thither, to go in [and] to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat down in a street of the city: for [there was] no man that took them into his house to lodge.
World English Bible
They turned aside there, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city; for there was no man who took them into his house to lodge.
New King James Version
They turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And when he went in, he sat down in the open square of the city, for no one would take them into his house to spend the night.
New Living Translation
so they stopped there to spend the night. They rested in the town square, but no one took them in for the night.
New Life Bible
They turned to go in and stay at Gibeah. They went in and sat down outside in the center of the city. For no one took them into his house to stay the night.
New Revised Standard
They turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gibeah. He went in and sat down in the open square of the city, but no one took them in to spend the night.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then turned they aside there, to go in and tarry the night in Gibeah, - so he went in and abode in the broadway of the city; and there was no one minded to take them into a house, to tarry the night.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they turned into it to lodge there. And when they were come in, they sat in the street of the city, for no man would receive them to lodge.
Revised Standard Version
and they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gib'e-ah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city; for no man took them into his house to spend the night.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They turned aside there in order to enter and lodge in Gibeah. When they entered, they sat down in the open square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night.

Contextual Overview

1 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. 2 But his slave woman had an argument with him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there for four months. 3 Then her husband went after her. He wanted to speak kindly to her so that she would come back to him. He took with him his servant and two donkeys. The Levite came to her father's house. Her father saw the Levite and came out to greet him. The father was very happy. 4 The woman's father led the Levite into his house. The Levite's father-in-law invited him to stay. So he stayed for three days. He ate, drank, and slept in his father-in-law's house. 5 On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning. The Levite was getting ready to leave. But the young woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Eat something first. After you eat, you can go." 6 So the Levite and his father-in-law sat down to eat and drink together. After that the young woman's father said to the Levite, "Please stay tonight. Relax and enjoy yourself." So the two men ate together. 7 The Levite got up to leave, but his father-in-law persuaded him to stay the night again. 8 Then, on the fifth day, the Levite got up early in the morning. He was ready to leave. But the woman's father said to his son-in-law, "Eat something first. Relax and stay until this afternoon." So they both ate together again. 9 Then the Levite, his slave woman, and his servant got up to leave. But the young woman's father said, "It is almost dark. The day is almost gone. So stay the night here and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow morning you can get up early and go on your way." 10 But the Levite did not want to stay another night. He took his two donkeys and his slave woman. He traveled as far as the city of Jebus (that is, Jerusalem).

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

no man: There was probably no inn, or house of public entertainment in this place; and therefore they could not have a lodging unless furnished by mere hospitality. But these Benjamites seem to have added to their other vices, avarice and inhospitality, like the inhabitants of Akoura in mount Lebanon, mentioned by Burckhardt. Judges 19:18, Genesis 18:2-8, Genesis 19:2, Genesis 19:3, Matthew 25:35, Matthew 25:43, Hebrews 13:2

Reciprocal: Judges 20:4 - I came Job 31:32 - The stranger

Cross-References

Genesis 19:4
That evening, just before bedtime, men from every part of town came to Lot's house. They stood around the house and called to Lot. They said,
Genesis 19:5
"Where are the two men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us. We want to have sex with them."
Genesis 19:7
He said to the men, "No, my friends, I beg you, please don't do this evil thing!
Genesis 19:8
Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man before. I will give my daughters to you. You can do anything you want with them. But please don't do anything to these men. They have come to my house, and I must protect them."
Genesis 19:17
So after the two men brought Lot and his family out of the city, one of the men said, "Now run to save your life! Don't look back at the city, and don't stop anywhere in the valley. Run until you are in the mountains. If you stop, you will be destroyed with the city!"
Genesis 19:22
But run there quickly. I cannot destroy Sodom until you are safely in that town." (That town is named Zoar, because it is a small town.)
Genesis 19:24
and the Lord began to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He caused fire and burning sulfur to fall from the sky.
Genesis 19:25
He destroyed the whole valley—all the cities, the people living in the cities, and all the plants in the valley.
Genesis 19:27
Early the next morning, Abraham got up and went to the place where he stood before the Lord .
2 Corinthians 6:2
God says, "I heard you at the right time, and I gave you help on the day of salvation." I tell you that the "right time" is now. The "day of salvation" is now.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they turned aside thither to go in and lodge in Gibeah,.... Instead of going right forward, and passing by Gibeah, over against which they were, they turned out of their road, and went into the city to seek a lodging in it:

and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city; to see whether any person would invite him into any of their houses, as was usual in those hospitable times and countries, and where there were few inns for the entertainment of travellers and strangers, or none at all, and especially in cities; if any where, they were upon the public road:

for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging; the spirit of hospitality being greatly declined, and even gone from among them; or as some think, those that had such a spirit, and were willing to receive strangers, were afraid, because of their wicked neighbours, who would beset their houses to abuse strangers, as the sequel of this history shows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A street - Probably the square or place within the gates, where courts were held, bargains made, and where the chief men and strangers congregated.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 19:15. No man - took them into his house to lodging. — There was probably no inn or house of public entertainment in this place, and therefore they could not have a lodging unless furnished by mere hospitality. To say that there were no inns in those primitive times, is not true; there were such places, though not very frequent. Joseph's brethren found their money in their sacks when they loosed them at an inn, Genesis 42:27. The house of Rahab was an inn, Joshua 2:1. And the woman whose house Samson frequented at Gaza was a hostess, or one who kept a place of public entertainment.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile