Judges 19:12 kjv
And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
Judges 19:12 nkjv
But his master said to him, "We will not turn aside here into a city of foreigners, who are not of the children of Israel; we will go on to Gibeah."
Judges 19:12 niv
His master replied, "No. We won't go into any city whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah."
Judges 19:12 esv
And his master said to him, "We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel, but we will pass on to Gibeah."
Judges 19:12 nlt
"No," his master said, "we can't stay in this foreign town where there are no Israelites. Instead, we will go on to Gibeah.
Judges 19 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Failure to Drive Out / Unconquered Peoples | ||
| Jud 1:21 | "The children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem..." | Jebusites remained, leading to bypass. |
| Josh 15:63 | "As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out..." | Prior failure to fully conquer. |
| Jud 2:2-3 | "Therefore I said, I will not drive them out from before you..." | Divine consequence of Israel's disobedience. |
| Laws of Hospitality / Danger in Israel | ||
| Gen 19:4-9 | "Before they lay down, the men of the city... surrounded the house..." | Echoes Lot's encounter in Sodom, a chilling parallel. |
| Lev 19:33-34 | "And if a stranger sojourn with thee... love him as thyself..." | Laws on treating strangers, ironically contrasts with Jdg 19. |
| Heb 13:2 | "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." | NT call to hospitality, contrasting Gibeah. |
| Israel's Corruption / Moral Decline | ||
| Jud 17:6 | "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did what was right in his own eyes." | Overarching theme of the book; context for the sin. |
| Jud 21:25 | "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." | Reiterated closing statement of Judges. |
| Psa 14:1-3 | "They are all gone aside... there is none that doeth good, no, not one." | Reflects the pervasive moral decay in Israel. |
| Isa 1:4 | "Ah sinful nation... they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel..." | Prophetic lament over Israel's spiritual state. |
| Jer 6:15 | "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed..." | Israel's brazenness in sin. |
| Rom 1:28-32 | "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over..." | Paul describes pervasive depravity when God is rejected. |
| Gibeah and Benjamin's Sin | ||
| Jud 20:4-7 | The testimony of the Levite to the tribes about the horror in Gibeah. | The subsequent judgment on Gibeah/Benjamin. |
| Hos 9:9 | "They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah..." | Prophetic condemnation of Gibeah's enduring infamy. |
| Hos 10:9 | "O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah..." | Gibeah as a symbol of Israel's persistent sin. |
| 1 Sam 10:26 | "And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men..." | Saul's home was Gibeah, irony for the first king. |
| Choosing Fellow Israelites / Tribalism | ||
| 1 Cor 5:1-2 | "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you... and ye are puffed up..." | NT warning about internal church sin. |
| 1 Cor 6:6-8 | "Brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers." | Intra-community disputes undermining witness. |
| Eph 2:11-12 | "remember that ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel..." | Emphasizes the distinction between Israel and Gentiles. |
| Gal 3:28 | "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." | NT dissolving national/ethnic barriers for identity in Christ. |
Judges 19 verses
Judges 19 12 Meaning
Judges 19:12 records the fateful decision of a Levite, who, journeying with his concubine and servant, chooses to bypass Jerusalem (then Jebus, under Jebusite control) and instead seek lodging in Gibeah, a city of the Israelite tribe of Benjamin. This decision is driven by the Levite's stated preference for an Israelite city over one inhabited by "strangers" who are "not of the children of Israel," under the mistaken belief that an Israelite city would offer greater safety and hospitality. The verse marks a pivotal moment, as this seemingly prudent choice leads directly to a horrific act of violence and depravity that stains the character of Israel.
Judges 19 12 Context
Judges chapter 19 unfolds during a period of extreme moral decline in Israel, frequently summarized by the phrase "in those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6; 21:25). The chapter chronicles the journey of a Levite from Ephraim, who is retrieving his concubine from her father's house in Bethlehem. As evening approaches on their return journey, they are on the outskirts of Jebus (Jerusalem). This city, while within the tribal territory of Benjamin, remained unconquered by the Israelites and was still inhabited by the Jebusites. The Levite's servant suggests seeking lodging there, but the Levite objects, leading to the pivotal decision recorded in verse 12. His choice to go to an Israelite city, ostensibly for safety and solidarity, instead leads them directly into a situation of unparalleled depravity among his own people.
Judges 19 12 Word analysis
- And his master: Refers to the Levite. As a Levite, he should have represented spiritual uprightness and knowledge of God's law. His decision, therefore, carries weight, yet ironically proves to be fatally flawed.
- said unto him: Addressing his servant. This shows a direct communication of the Levite's reasoning and intention.
- We will not turn aside: The Hebrew verb is sūr (סוּר), meaning to turn aside, depart, or decline. This indicates a conscious and deliberate choice to deviate from a potentially immediate option (Jebus/Jerusalem). It's an active decision, not merely an omission.
- into the city of a stranger: The Hebrew is 'ir nokri (עִיר נָכְרִי).
- 'ir (עִיר): City, town. A populated, settled area.
- nokri (נָכְרִי): A stranger, foreigner, alien, one not of kin. This term implies someone who is ethnically, culturally, or religiously different from an Israelite. While the Old Testament often calls for good treatment of sojourners (ger), nokri often carries a connotation of being outside the covenant community, potentially perceived as unclean or unsafe from a religious or cultural purity standpoint by a Levite. The Levite assumes that such a city would be less safe or less hospitable than an Israelite one, highlighting a misplaced trust.
- that is not of the children of Israel: This phrase serves as an explanatory gloss, emphasizing nokri and reinforcing the Levite's reason for bypassing Jerusalem. It underscores the distinction he draws between Israelite and non-Israelite lands and peoples, valuing his national/ethnic identity above all else, which ultimately blinds him to the deep internal corruption within Israel.
- but we will pass over: The Hebrew verb is 'ābar (עָבַר), meaning to cross over, pass through, or proceed. It denotes purposeful movement past the current location towards another destination. It signifies the determined redirection of their journey.
- to Gibeah: Gibe'ah, a city in the territory of Benjamin. Ironically, this specific Israelite city would prove to be a hotbed of extreme wickedness, far surpassing any potential threat from the "strangers" of Jebus. This highlights the grim reality that Israel's moral decay had made them more dangerous than those outside their covenant community. The choice of Gibeah is profoundly tragic, setting the stage for a parallel to Sodom.
Judges 19 12 Bonus section
The profound irony of the Levite passing on Jerusalem (then Jebus) – a city destined to become the capital of Israel and God's chosen dwelling place – to arrive at a city that becomes a byword for Israelite depravity (e.g., Hosea 9:9). This illustrates the depth of spiritual blindness and moral failure. Furthermore, the narrative functions as a strong argument for the need of a righteous king in Israel, echoing the recurring refrain "in those days there was no king in Israel." The story serves as a cautionary tale: true safety and community are found not in ethnic solidarity alone, but in faithfulness to God's covenant, upholding justice, and demonstrating genuine hospitality, virtues conspicuously absent in Gibeah. The parallel between Gibeah's actions and those of Sodom (Genesis 19) is intentional and serves to shock the reader, indicating that Israel's own people were engaging in "Sodom-like" behaviors, requiring God's judgment and intervention.
Judges 19 12 Commentary
Judges 19:12 is a tragically ironic turning point in one of the most disturbing narratives in the Bible. The Levite's decision to shun a non-Israelite city for an Israelite one, based on a presumed moral or physical safety, exposes the profound spiritual decay within Israel during the Judges period. He makes a "religious" or "nationalistic" choice that proves disastrous, revealing that adherence to mere ethnic or tribal identity, without genuine devotion to God and His covenantal laws, is utterly hollow. The wickedness in Gibeah, a Benjamite city, illustrates that Israel had descended to a level of depravity akin to (or even exceeding) the Canaanites they were supposed to dispossess. This verse subtly criticizes the superficiality of identity when righteousness is absent, challenging the reader's assumptions about "insiders" and "outsiders." It lays bare the horrific consequences when everyone "does what is right in his own eyes," creating an "internal Sodom" that requires the collective judgment and action of the entire Israelite community.