Keraia
Judges 19

Judges 19:22

The Crime of the Benjamites · Judges 19:1–30
Read Judges 19

Translations

Modern
While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”
Traditional
Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
Literal
They were enjoying themselves, and suddenly men of the city, certain perverted men, surrounded the house and beat on the door, and they spoke to the old man, the master of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who came to your house, that we may know him.”
Latin
Illis epulantibus, et post laborem itineris cibo et potu reficientibus corpora, venerunt viri civitatis illius, filii Belial (id est, absque jugo), et circumdantes domum senis, fores pulsare cœperunt, clamantes ad dominum domus atque dicentes: Educ virum, qui ingressus est domum tuam, ut abutamur eo.

Original

Hebrew
English
While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”

Notes

Judges 19:22

wicked men: Hebrew sons of Belial; see study notes on 1 Kings 21:10; 1 Samuel 1:16; 2 Corinthians 6:15. Their goal was to commit homosexual rape. Compare Genesis 19:4–5.

Judges 19:1–21:25

  • This second epilogue (see study note on Judges 17:1–21:25) shifts the focus from individuals to entire tribes. It begins with the outrage in the Benjamite town of Gibeah (Judges 19), which led to a civil war (Judges 20) and the near destruction of Benjamin. It then moves to the attempt to save the tribe from disappearing (Judges 21). The book ends with the familiar refrain: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. This was what they did in the days of Gibea, perhaps the lowest point in Israel's history that Hosea, 400 years later, would compare to the depths Ephraim had reached (Hosea 9:9; 10:9).

  • The path was cleared for a shift from charismatic leadership to "covenant-charismatic kingship." This kingship combined living under the Lord’s covenant with the anointing of the spirit for ruling, as seen with Saul and David.

Judges 17:1–21:25

These two epilogues (Judges 17–18 and 19–21) show that inspired but unstructured leadership cannot last. As society moved toward chaos and civil war, the phrase, In those days there was no king in Israel appears four times. The phrase, everyone did what was right in his own eyes is added twice (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The era of inspired leadership declined and ended in disorder. Something important was missing.

Theme notes and profiles

Human Sexuality Social Chaos in Judges

Parallels

Genesis 19:1–11

People

Satan: The adversary, the devil, the tempter of humanity

Glossary

Belial, Beliar Benjamin, Tribe of Concubinage, Concubines Gibeah Hospitality Jabesh, Jabesh-Gilead (Place) Judges, Book of Priests and Levites

Topics

Adultery: The Gibeahites Gibeah: of Saul: The People's Wickedness Lasciviousness: The Gibeahites Rape of the Servant of a Levite, by Benjamites Sodomy: General Scriptures Concerning