Judges 19 26

Judges 19:26 kjv

Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.

Judges 19:26 nkjv

Then the woman came as the day was dawning, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, till it was light.

Judges 19:26 niv

At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

Judges 19:26 esv

And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, until it was light.

Judges 19:26 nlt

At daybreak the woman returned to the house where her husband was staying. She collapsed at the door of the house and lay there until it was light.

Judges 19 verses

Judges 19 26 Meaning

This verse depicts the Levite's concubine's collapse and presumed death at dawn, lying by the doorway of the house where her "master" (husband) was, after a night of brutal gang rape. It vividly portrays her final, desperate attempt to reach a place of safety or her last moment of life, marked by profound suffering, abandonment, and the complete failure of protection. Her position with hands on the threshold symbolizes a tragically uncrossed boundary, the point of absolute exhaustion and the ultimate act of neglect.

Judges 19 26 Context

Judges chapter 19 describes a horrific story set during a period of extreme moral decline in Israel, characterized by the recurring refrain: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." The Levite, initially retrieving his wayward concubine, is given hospitality in Gibeah. However, a mob of degenerate Benjaminites besieges the house, demanding the Levite for homosexual rape. In a shocking act of self-preservation and neglect, the Levite hands his concubine over to the mob, who brutalize her throughout the night. Verse 26 captures the moment she collapses at dawn, left exposed and vulnerable at the doorstep. This specific moment of her discovery, highlighting her abject state and the Levite's callous inaction, serves as the immediate precursor to his shocking dismemberment of her body and sending pieces throughout Israel, inciting a devastating civil war described in Judges 20 and 21.

Judges 19 26 Word analysis

• But the woman (וְהָאִשָּׁה – wĕha’iššâ): The definite article "the" emphasizes this woman, making her the subject of tragic attention. Her individuality and suffering are foregrounded amidst the general moral chaos.
• came at dawn (בָּאָה לָּאוֹר – bā’āh lā’ōr): Literally "she came toward the light" or "at the dawning." This phrase highlights the breaking of a new day, but it brings no relief or hope for her, only the revelation of her fate. The shift from the darkness of abuse to the light of exposure is poignant.
• and fell down (וַתִּפֹּל – watūppōl from nāphal): Signifies a sudden, forceful collapse. It indicates extreme physical and emotional exhaustion, severe injury, or the onset of death. It is a posture of helplessness and utter defeat.
• at the door (פֶּתַח הַבַּיִת – petach habbayit): The doorway is the liminal space between the relative safety of the home and the dangers of the outside. It should have been a place of refuge, but for her, it became a point of collapse and final abandonment.
• of the house where her master was (אֲשֶׁר אֲדֹנֶיהָ שָׁם – ’ăsher ’ādōnīhā shām): The phrase "her master" (’ādōnīhā) denotes her husband or owner, highlighting the societal structure but also the profound betrayal by the one who should have protected her. His immediate proximity emphasizes his chilling inaction throughout the night.
• with her hands on the threshold (וְיָדֶיהָ עַל הַמִּפְתָּן – wĕyādeyhā ‘al hammiftaḥ): This is a stark, visual detail. The "threshold" (miftaḥ) is the doorpost or lintel, often symbolizing the boundary of protection or sanctuary. Her hands on it suggest a desperate, last grasp for entry, security, or a final plea for help that was tragically unheard or too late. It can also suggest she was simply discarded there by her attackers.
• until it was light (עַד הָאוֹר – ‘ad ha’ōr): Reinforces the passage of time until daybreak. She lay in this state, unmoving, until the full light of day revealed the horror. This prolongs the agony of the situation and underscores the extent of the night's abuse and the failure of anyone to intervene.

Judges 19 26 Bonus section

The symbolic significance of the "threshold" (miftaḥ) in this verse is profound. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the threshold could be a sacred boundary, a point of passage between sacred and profane, or between the realm of the household's protection and the dangers outside. Her hands, resting on it, imply a liminal state – she is neither fully inside the protected home nor fully discarded outside. She died (or was found dying) precisely on this boundary, a vivid testament to her being denied entry, safety, and human dignity by the very people (her "master" and the Gibeahites) who should have offered it. This tragic tableau set the stage for one of the Bible's most graphic narratives of national judgment and civil war, rooted in the egregious failure of human compassion and justice.

Judges 19 26 Commentary

Judges 19:26 presents a chilling portrait of human depravity and abandonment. The Levite's concubine, an innocent victim, endures unspeakable violence and is found lifeless or dying at the door of the very person who betrayed her. This verse encapsulates the moral bankruptcy of a society without a king, where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" – leading to horrific acts and utter neglect of the vulnerable. Her prostrate body at the threshold symbolizes Israel's spiritual decay: broken, exposed, and on the brink of societal death, desperately reaching for a sanctuary that failed to protect. It serves as a stark warning about the consequences when leadership and morality collapse, leading to cycles of violence and unrighteousness.