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Saturday, August 30th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

New Life Version

Judges 19:2

But his woman was not faithful to him. She left him and went to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there four months.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adultery;   Friends;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Garments;   Hospitality;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Sexuality, Human;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Micah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pentateuch;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Fornication;   Gibeah;   Immorality;   Judges, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Bethlehem;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Concubine;   Gibeah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Wayfaring Men;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But she was unfaithful to him and left him for her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. She was there for four months.
Hebrew Names Version
His concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Beit-Lechem-Yehudah, and was there the space of four months.
King James Version
And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.
Lexham English Bible
But his concubine felt repugnance toward him, and she left him and went to her father's house, to Bethlehem in Judah; she was there some four months.
English Standard Version
And his concubine was unfaithful to him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months.
New Century Version
but she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah and stayed there for four months.
New English Translation
However, she got angry at him and went home to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. When she had been there four months,
Amplified Bible
But his concubine was unfaithful to him, and left him and went to her father's house in Bethlehem of Judah, and stayed there for a period of four months.
New American Standard Bible
But his concubine found him repugnant, and she left him and went to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah, and remained there for a period of four months.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And his concubine played ye whore there, and went away from him vnto her fathers house to Beth-lehem Iudah, and there continued the space of foure moneths.
Legacy Standard Bible
Maar sy byvrou het by hom gehoereer en van hom weggegaan na haar vader se huis, na Betlehem-Juda; en sy was daar vier maande lank.
Contemporary English Version
but she was unfaithful and went back to live with her family in Bethlehem. Four months later
Complete Jewish Bible
But his concubine was unfaithful to him and left him to go to her father's house at Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah, where she stayed for some time, four months.
Darby Translation
And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehem-Judah, and was there some time,—four months.
Easy-to-Read Version
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.
George Lamsa Translation
And his concubine played the whore against him, and then arose and went away from him to her fathers house to Beth-lehem of Judah, and remained there four whole months.
Good News Translation
But she became angry with him, went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, and stayed there four months.
Literal Translation
And his concubine committed adultery against him. And she went away from him to her father's house, to Bethlehem-judah, and was there many days, four months.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
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.
American Standard Version
And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months.
Bible in Basic English
And his servant-wife was angry with him, and went away from him to her father's house at Beth-lehem-judah, and was there for four months.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And his concubine played the whore by him, and went awaye from him vnto her fathers house to Bethlehem Iuda, and there continued foure monethes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem in Judah, and was there the space of four months.
King James Version (1611)
And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him vnto her fathers house to Bethlehem Iudah, and was there foure whole moneths.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And his concubine departed from him, and went away from him to the house of her father to Bethleem Juda, and she was there four months.
English Revised Version
And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months.
Berean Standard Bible
But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And sche lefte hym, and turnede ayen in to the hows of hir fadir in Bethleem, and sche dwellide at hym foure monethis.
Young's Literal Translation
and commit whoredom against him doth his concubine, and she goeth from him unto the house of her father, unto Beth-Lehem-Judah, and is there days -- four months.
Update Bible Version
And his concubine prostituted against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months.
Webster's Bible Translation
And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there four whole months.
World English Bible
His concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months.
New King James Version
But his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there four whole months.
New Living Translation
But she became angry with him and returned to her father's home in Bethlehem. After about four months,
New Revised Standard
But his concubine became angry with him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And his concubine went astray against him, and departed from him, unto the house of her father, in Bethlehem-judah, - and remained there, the space of four months.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And she left him, and returned to her father’s house in Bethlehem, and abode with him four months.
Revised Standard Version
And his concubine became angry with him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But his concubine played the harlot against him, and she went away from him to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah, and was there for a period of four months.

Contextual Overview

1 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. 2 But his woman was not faithful to him. She left him and went to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there four months. 3 Then her husband got up and went after her. He was gentle in speaking to her, asking her to return with him. He brought his servant and two donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father's house. When her father saw him, he was glad to meet him. 4 His father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay. So he stayed with him three days. They ate and drank and stayed there. 5 They got up early in the morning on the fourth day to get ready to go. The girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Eat a piece of bread to get your strength. Then you may go." 6 So both of them sat down and ate and drank together. The girl's father said to the man, "I beg you, agree to stay the night. Let your heart be happy." 7 The man stood up to go. But his father-in-law begged him so that he stayed another night there. 8 He got up to go early in the morning on the fifth day. But the girl's father said, "I beg you, get your strength first. Wait until later in the day." So both of them ate. 9 Then the man stood up to leave with his woman and his servant. His father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, "Now see, the day is ending. I beg you, stay the night. See, the day is coming to an end. Stay here through the night so your heart may be happy. Get up early tomorrow to go on your way home." 10 But the man would not stay the night. He stood up and left and came to a place beside Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had his woman with him and two donkeys to carry them both.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

played: Leviticus 21:9, Deuteronomy 22:21, Ezekiel 16:28

four whole months: or, a year and four months, Heb. days, four months

Reciprocal: Genesis 25:6 - concubines Genesis 38:24 - played the harlot Judges 17:7 - General Ruth 1:1 - a famine Jeremiah 3:1 - but thou hast 1 Corinthians 7:11 - or

Cross-References

Genesis 18:4
Let us have a little water brought to wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree.
Genesis 19:17
When they had brought them out of the city, one of them said, "Run for your life! Do not look behind you. Do not stop until you are out of the valley. Run to the mountains or else you will be destroyed."
Genesis 19:21
The angel said to him, "See, I am doing what you ask. I will not destroy this town that you have spoken about.
Genesis 19:28
He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley. And he saw the smoke of the land going up like the smoke from a place where there is much fire.
Genesis 19:29
But when God destroyed the cities of the valley, He remembered Abraham. He sent Lot out of the center of the danger, when He destroyed the cities where Lot lived.
Acts 16:15
When she and her family had been baptized, she said to us, "If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house." She kept on asking. Then we went with her.
Hebrews 13:2
Do not forget to be kind to strangers and let them stay in your home. Some people have had angels in their homes without knowing it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And his concubine played the whore against him,.... Was unfaithful to him and his bed, and broke the covenant and agreement between them; or "with him" i, while she was with him in the house; or "before him" k, of which he had knowledge and proof; though some think this is not to be understood of whoredom or adultery, but of her ill usage of him, and departure from him. The Targum is, she despised him; so Kimchi and Ben Gersom interpret it of her declining and turning aside from him, and returning to her father's house, as follows: and indeed, had she been guilty of such a crime, one would think he would never have sought after her to reconcile her, and take her again, since she not only deserved to be put away, but to be put to death according to the law of God:

and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehemjudah; where she was received, as she knew she should, having a parent perhaps too indulgent, and which was an encouragement to her to leave her husband:

and was there some whole months or a year and four whole months, according to Ben Gersom; so Kimchi and Ben Melech observe the copulative "and" is wanting, which is expressed in 1 Samuel 27:7 and "yamim, days", is so the times used for a year, Judges 14:8.

i עליו "apud eum", Pagninus, Piscator; "cum eo", Junius Tremellius. k "Conspectu ejus", Vatablus "coram eo", Drusius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Played the whore against him - Perhaps only meaning that she ran away from him, and left him, for she returned to her father’s house.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 19:2. Played the whore — Neither the Vulgate, Septuagint, Targum, nor Josephus, understand this word as implying any act of conjugal infidelity on the woman's part. They merely state that the parties disagreed, and the woman returned to her father's house. Indeed all the circumstances of the case vindicate this view of the subject. If she had been a whore, or adulteress, it is not very likely that her husband would have gone after her to speak friendly, literally, to speak to her heart, and entreat her to return. The Vulgate simply states, quae reliquit eum, that she left him; the Septuagint, ωργισθη αυτω, that she was angry with him; the Targum ובסרת עלוהי ubserath alohi, that she despised him; Josephus, αλλοτοιως ειχε, that she was alienated, or separated herself, from him. Houbigant translates the clause: quae cum ab eo alienata esset, vel irata in eum esset, eum reliquit; "who when she was alienated from him, or angry with him, left him;" and he defends this version in his note. I think the true meaning to be among the above interpretations. They had contentions; she ceased to love him, her affections were alienated from him; and she left his house, and went home to her father.


 
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