Judges 19 30

Judges 19:30 kjv

And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

Judges 19:30 nkjv

And so it was that all who saw it said, "No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, confer, and speak up!"

Judges 19:30 niv

Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, "Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!"

Judges 19:30 esv

And all who saw it said, "Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak."

Judges 19:30 nlt

Everyone who saw it said, "Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are we going to do? Who's going to speak up?"

Judges 19 verses

Judges 19 30 Meaning

Judges 19:30 records the stunned and horrified reaction of the Israelites who witnessed or heard of the Levite's brutally murdered concubine and her dismembered body. It declares that such an abominable act had never been seen or occurred in Israel's history since their departure from Egypt, highlighting the unprecedented depth of their national moral depravity. The verse then calls for a communal response of earnest reflection, counsel, and clear communication on how to address this profound evil.

Judges 19 30 Context

Judges 19 presents one of the Bible's most horrifying narratives, serving as a climactic depiction of Israel's moral and spiritual deterioration during the period of the Judges. The chapter details a Levite, his concubine, and their journey through Gibeah in Benjamin. The city's inhabitants, described as "worthless fellows" (sons of Belial), mirrored the depravity of Sodom by attempting to gang-rape the Levite. Instead, they viciously abused his concubine all night, resulting in her death. The Levite's gruesome act of dismembering her body into twelve pieces and sending them throughout Israel was a desperate, shocking appeal for justice and national awareness. This verse, Judges 19:30, captures the collective, unprecedented horror that gripped the entire nation upon receiving these fragments and understanding the magnitude of the crime. Historically, this incident takes place during a time when "there was no king in Israel," leading to a society where "every man did what was right in his own eyes," creating a vacuum of spiritual authority and moral accountability. The context leads directly into Judges 20 and 21, which recount a devastating civil war against the tribe of Benjamin sparked by this atrocious act.

Judges 19 30 Word analysis

• And all who saw it:

  • Meaning: Refers to those Israelites in various tribes who received a piece of the dismembered body and the accompanying message, as well as those who simply heard the full account. It indicates a wide, encompassing awareness among the people.
  • Significance: This was not a private tragedy but a national revelation, a public outcry compelling universal recognition.

• said:

  • Hebrew: וַיֹּאמְרוּ (vayyom'ru), "and they said." This verb emphasizes immediate vocalization, expressing shock and outrage. It highlights the unanimous and profound initial reaction of the collective.
  • Significance: More than just "thinking," they "spoke," indicating a public declaration of the gravity of the situation.

• "There has never been such a thing, nor seen:

  • Hebrew: לֹא נִהְיְתָה כַזֹּאת וְלֹא נִרְאֲתָה (lo nihy'tah kazot v'lo nir'ata), "it has not been such as this, nor has it been seen." The double negation powerfully asserts an unparalleled and unimaginable horror.
  • Significance: This hyperbole underscores the extreme moral degeneracy revealed by the event. It reflects an intuitive sense among the people that a line has been crossed that differentiates them profoundly from other nations or from their own past, signaling an existential crisis for the nation. It stands in stark contrast to God's assessment of His creation, where He saw "all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Gen 1:31). Here, humanity had produced something "never seen" in its depravity.

• since the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day."

  • Hebrew: מִיּוֹם עֲלוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה (miyom 'alot b'ney Yisra'el me'eretz Mitzrayim 'ad hayom hazzeh). This phrase establishes a critical historical boundary. "From the land of Egypt" marks the beginning of Israel's covenant nationhood, deliverance from slavery, and establishment under divine law.
  • Significance: The statement measures the extent of their spiritual fall from their national birth. They were rescued from Egyptian darkness and idolatry to be a holy nation (Exod 19:6), and now they are performing acts reminiscent of—or worse than—the depravity of the very nations God commanded them to dispossess. This historical marker sets the benchmark for Israel's covenant obligations, highlighting how far they have strayed from their identity as God's chosen people, distinct from surrounding pagans.

• "Consider it, take counsel, and speak."

  • Hebrew: שִׂימוּ לָכֶם, וְהִתְחַזְּקוּ, וְדַבֵּרוּ (simu lakem, v'hitkhazz'ku, v'dabberu).
    • שִׂימוּ לָכֶם (simu lakem), literally "put it to yourselves" or "set your mind on it." It's a strong imperative to internalize and actively deliberate. It's about personal reflection before collective action.
    • The phrase take counsel is derived from the call to "strengthen yourselves" or "confirm," implicitly referring to counsel, and other ancient texts support the interpretation of "take counsel." It emphasizes collective, wise deliberation (Prov 11:14). This isn't just about anger, but reasoned, deliberate discussion on a response.
    • דַּבֵּרוּ (dabberu), "and speak" or "utter" is another imperative calling for open, clear, and perhaps unanimous pronouncement of a decision. This is not for silent assent, but vocalized agreement and commitment to action.
  • Significance: This threefold imperative (reflect, consult, declare) urges the nation to move beyond shock to decisive, reasoned action. It underscores the severity of the crisis and the need for unity in purpose. It signifies a profound shift from individual despair to a call for communal judgment and responsibility. This plea represents the flicker of conscience remaining in Israel, calling them to discern and uphold God's law.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "There has never been such a thing... to this day": This sweeping declaration positions the atrocity not merely as a grave crime, but as a symbolic nadir for Israel. It expresses a communal self-awareness that their behavior has plumbed new depths, far surpassing any previous national sin, and implicitly invites divine judgment (Lam 1:12; Jer 2:10-13). It highlights the breakdown of moral standards established by God's Law and reveals the societal fruits of a people doing "what was right in their own eyes" (Jdg 21:25).
  • "Consider it, take counsel, and speak": This final triplet of imperatives transforms the shock into a mandate for action. It's a plea for thoughtful discernment (wisdom from above, cf. Jam 3:17-18) rather than rash vengeance, for collective unity (1 Cor 1:10) rather than factionalism, and for definitive public declaration (Rom 13:4) to restore order and justice. It emphasizes the collective responsibility of God's people to deal with grievous sin in their midst, echoing principles found in Deut 13:13-18 and Deut 19:16-21, for purging evil from the land.

Judges 19 30 Bonus section

The shock and outrage of Judges 19:30 not only mirrors the sin of Sodom (Gen 19), which also involved gross sexual depravity and hostility towards guests, but implicitly positions Gibeah as worse due to its context within Israel, God's covenant people. Unlike Sodom, which was destroyed by God's direct judgment, the perpetrators in Gibeah belonged to Israel, necessitating an internal "purging of evil" as outlined in Mosaic Law. This event also starkly highlights the core theme of Judges: "in those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Jdg 17:6, 21:25). Verse 30 directly leads to Israel's communal effort to act where leadership was absent, forming a temporary, reactive, yet unified front, albeit with tragic consequences, illustrating the catastrophic vacuum left by abandoning God's divine authority. The urgency in the triple command ("consider it, take counsel, and speak") signifies that the Levite's horrifying appeal was successful in breaking through the complacency and spiritual apathy of the time.

Judges 19 30 Commentary

Judges 19:30 functions as the powerful catalyst that drives the subsequent events of civil war and tribal annihilation in Judges 20-21. It captures the initial collective gasp of horror and profound shame experienced by Israel. The unparalleled nature of the crime—expressed by the hyperbolic "never been seen since the Exodus"—underscores the depth of moral rot into which the nation had fallen. This was not just a sin, but an open scandal that threatened to redefine Israel's identity, showing them to be worse than the very Canaanites they were to displace. The call to "consider it, take counsel, and speak" is a desperate attempt by what remained of the national conscience to grasp the enormity of the problem and devise a righteous, unified response. It signals that despite the rampant apostasy and fragmentation, there was still a remnant deeply disturbed by such utter depravity. This verse sets the stage for a tragic attempt at justice, one born out of great national shame and the urgent, yet deeply flawed, desire to cleanse themselves in a land devoid of proper leadership. It demonstrates that when moral authority collapses, the people's collective conscience, however weakened, must call for a return to order, however imperfectly applied.