Judges 20 4

Judges 20:4 kjv

And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

Judges 20:4 nkjv

So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "My concubine and I went into Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, to spend the night.

Judges 20:4 niv

So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, "I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.

Judges 20:4 esv

And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.

Judges 20:4 nlt

The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, said, "My concubine and I came to spend the night in Gibeah, a town that belongs to the people of Benjamin.

Judges 20 verses

Judges 20 4 Meaning

Judges 20:4 is the Levite's solemn and formal testimony before the united tribes of Israel. He begins to recount the events that led to the tragic death of his concubine, detailing their innocent arrival at Gibeah, a city belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, with the simple intention of spending the night. This verse sets the stage for the horrific tale of sin, violation of sacred hospitality, and gross injustice that follows, directly prompting the nation's demand for righteous action against the Benjamites of Gibeah.

Judges 20 4 Context

Judges 20:4 appears near the climax of one of the most harrowing narratives in the book of Judges (chapters 19-21), occurring at the end of the "Judges cycle" and serving as the grim epitome of Israel's moral decay. Chapters 19 and 20 depict a breakdown of order, morality, and justice, driven by the oft-repeated phrase, "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judg 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25).

Specifically, Judges chapter 20 opens with the full assembly of the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, gathered before the Lord at Mizpah. They have been summoned by the gruesome act of the Levite, who had dismembered his concubine's body into twelve pieces and sent them throughout Israel as a desperate and shocking plea for justice after she was raped and murdered by men of Gibeah. The assembly, outraged by the atrocity (described as "such a thing has never happened or been seen since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt," Judg 19:30), demands to hear a firsthand account of the evil. Verse 4 marks the beginning of the Levite's direct testimony, a response to their solemn question: "Tell us, how did this evil come about?" (Judg 20:3). His account sets the stage for the ensuing civil war against the tribe of Benjamin.

Judges 20 4 Word analysis

• And the Levite: וְהַלֵּוִי (wəhal-lēwî). הַלֵּוִי is the definite article "the" combined with לֵוִי (lēwî), meaning "Levite." The Levites were members of the tribe of Levi, consecrated to serve the Lord, primarily involved in temple duties and religious instruction (Num 3, Deut 18:1-8). Unlike other tribes, they received no tribal land inheritance in Canaan, depending on tithes and hospitality from other tribes (Num 18:20, Deut 10:9). His identity as a Levite heightens the moral scandal of the events, as a representative of the priestly tribe is deeply embroiled in such a sordid affair, highlighting the widespread spiritual declension in Israel.
• the husband: אִישׁ (’îš). Meaning "man" or "husband." In this context, it refers to his male identity and marital status in relation to the woman. While the term בעל (ba‘al) also means husband, אִישׁ here points more simply to the relationship of being "the man of" the woman.
• of the woman: הָאִשָּׁה (hā’ishāh). Definite article "the" combined with אִשָּׁה (’ishāh), meaning "woman" or "wife." She is specified further as "the murdered woman," distinguishing her from others.
• who was murdered: הַנִּרְצָחָה (han-nirṣāḥāh). From the root רָצַח (rāṣaḥ), meaning "to murder, slay." The passive נִּרְצָחָה emphasizes her status as a victim of a violent, unlawful killing. This term denotes unjust homicide, which carried a severe penalty and the shedding of innocent blood (Num 35:31-33). It is not just "dead" but specifically "murdered," signifying culpability and the need for retribution.
• answered and said: וַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמֶר (wayya‘an wayyō’mer). A common Hebrew idiom, indicating a formal and direct response to a question or statement. Here, it signifies the beginning of the Levite's testimony, offered in reply to the Israelites' demand in Judges 20:3. It's a structured and solemn beginning to his recounting of the facts.
• My concubine: פִּילַגְשִׁי (pîlaḡshī). The suffix "-i" means "my." פִּילֶגֶשׁ (pilegesh) was a recognized legal status in ancient Israel, indicating a secondary wife, often without the full dowry rights of a primary wife but still part of a legitimate union (e.g., Gen 22:24, 1 Kgs 11:3). Her status may have contributed to her vulnerability and the willingness of the men of Gibeah to disrespect and abuse her. The Levite acknowledges her as "his."
• and I came: וְאָנֹכִי בָּאתִי (wə’ānōḵī bā’tî). וְאָנֹכִי means "and I," בָּאתִי is the first-person singular perfect of בּוֹא (bō’), "to come." The Levite clearly includes himself in the journey, setting the context of their shared experience as travelers.
• to Gibeah: אֶל־גִּבְעָה (’el-giḇ‘āh). גִּבְעָה (Gibeah) literally means "hill" or "height." This specific city was located in the territory of Benjamin and would later become Saul's capital (1 Sam 10:26). Its name ironically contrasts with the moral degradation that occurred there, symbolizing the high places where sin could flourish.
• which belongs to Benjamin: אֲשֶׁר לְבִנְיָמִין (’ăšer ləḇinyāmīn). אֲשֶׁר means "which" or "that," לְ is the preposition "to" or "belonging to," and בִּנְיָמִין (binyāmīn) is the tribe of Benjamin. Explicitly identifying Gibeah with the tribe of Benjamin links the atrocities to the tribe, demanding accountability not just from the perpetrators but from the entire tribal leadership that harbored them and refused justice (Judg 20:13). This attribution is crucial for the tribal war that follows.
• to spend the night: לָלוּן (lālûn). The infinitive form of לון (lûn), "to stay overnight, to lodge." This indicates the innocent and routine purpose of their visit – to find a safe place for travelers to rest. This expectation of hospitality was a sacred cultural custom in the ancient Near East (Gen 18, 19). The violation of this custom signifies the extreme depth of the evil committed.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered": This opening phrase identifies the central figure delivering the testimony, framing him as a person of religious standing (Levite) and the one most directly affected by the atrocity (husband of the murdered woman). This immediately draws the audience's sympathy and focuses on the enormity of the crime committed against a woman associated with a priestly family. It highlights the depravity not just in Gibeah, but the widespread moral breakdown that could implicate even a Levite in such a terrible event (his later dismemberment of her body).
• "My concubine and I came to Gibeah": This establishes the direct participants and the specific location of the crime. The phrasing implies a shared journey and an expectation of safety in their destination, setting the scene for the violent subversion of normal communal interactions. It's a simple, factual statement leading into an unbelievable horror.
• "which belongs to Benjamin, to spend the night": This crucial addition broadens the scope of culpability beyond the immediate perpetrators to the entire tribe of Benjamin by explicitly naming their territorial association. The phrase also underlines the initial innocent intention of their visit—a standard request for lodging—which underscores the heinousness of the hospitality's desecration. This detail elevates the conflict from a mere criminal act to an inter-tribal crisis, demonstrating the profound disregard for divine and human laws within Israel.

Judges 20 4 Bonus section

• The shocking nature of the Levite cutting his concubine into twelve pieces and sending them across Israel (Judg 19:29) served as a profound "horrified appeal" for collective justice, echoing a primitive form of justice-seeking that aimed to galvanize a nation into action by making them visually confront the atrocity. Judges 20:4 is his follow-up, providing the spoken word behind the horrific visual.
• The comparison of the events in Gibeah to the destruction of Sodom (Gen 19) is clear, underscoring the severity of the sin: both involve gross violations of hospitality, sexual perversion, and collective defiance against moral order. However, the tragedy of Gibeah is greater, as it occurred within Israel itself, highlighting its profound moral fall from the standards of God's covenant people.
• The fact that a Levite, from the tribe designated to uphold God's law and standards, is at the center of this narrative highlights the complete moral collapse of the nation, reaching even into its spiritual leadership. His own questionable actions later (his treatment of his concubine) complicate his portrayal as a blameless victim, further demonstrating the pervasive nature of the corruption.

Judges 20 4 Commentary

Judges 20:4 captures the very moment the horrific narrative of Judges 19-21 transforms into a national crisis. The Levite's testimony is a concise, yet powerful, account intended to lay bare the depravity encountered. He acts as the chief witness, presenting himself and his concubine as innocent travelers whose trust in hospitality was catastrophically betrayed. By specifically naming Gibeah as a city of Benjamin, he effectively shifts the burden of guilt from a mere locality to an entire tribe, making the subsequent national war an act of tribal accountability and the administration of justice. The deliberate choice of words, especially "murdered" and the innocent purpose of "to spend the night," are potent emotional appeals. This scene exemplifies the severe consequences of the period described by "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" – a society so morally adrift that the sacred trust of hospitality and basic human decency are utterly discarded, compelling the rest of the nation to take drastic action.