Judges 19 · Verse 15

Judges 19:15

And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
Judges 19:15, King James Version

Judges 19:15 in other translations

BSBThey stopped to go in and lodge in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one would take them into his home for the night.
WEBThey went over there, to go in to stay in Gibeah. He went in, and sat down in the street of the city; for there was no one who took them into his house to stay.
ASVAnd they turned aside thither, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.
YLTand they turn aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah, and he goeth in and sitteth in a broad place of the city, and there is no man gathering them into the house to lodge.
DARBYAnd they turned aside thither, to go in, to lodge in Gibeah. And he went in, and sat down in the open place of the city; and there was no one that received him into his house to pass the night.
BBEAnd they went off the road there with the purpose of stopping for the night in Gibeah: and he went in, seating himself in the street of the town, for no one took them into his house for the night.
WebsterAnd they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge.

What does Judges 19:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city--The towns of Palestine at this remote period could not, it seems, furnish any establishment in the shape of an inn or public lodging-house. Hence we conclude that the custom, which is still frequently witnessed in the cities of the East, was then not uncommon, for travellers who were late in arriving and who had no introduction to a private family, to spread their bedding in the streets, or wrapping themselves up in their cloaks, pass the night in the open air. In the Arab towns and villages, however, the sheik, or some other person, usually comes out and urgently invites the strangers to his house. This was done also in ancient Palestine (Ge 18:4; 19:2). That the same hospitality was not shown in Gibeah seems to have been owing to the bad character of the people.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 No man - took them into his house to lodging - There was probably no inn or house of public entertainment in this place, and therefore they could not have a lodging unless furnished by mere hospitality. To say that there were no inns in those primitive times, is not true; there were such places, though not very frequent. Joseph's brethren found their money in their sacks when they loosed them at an inn, Gen 42:27. The house of Rahab was an inn, Jos 2:1. And the woman whose house Samson frequented at Gaza was a hostess, or one who kept a place of public entertainment.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Judges 19:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיָּסֻ֣רוּvai.ya.Su.ruand they turned asideH5493
שָׁ֔םShamthereH8033
לָב֖וֹאla.Vo'to goH935
לָל֣וּןla.Lunto spend [the] nightH3885
בַּגִּבְעָ֑הba.giv.'Ahin <the> GibeahH1390
וַיָּבֹ֗אvai.ya.Vo'and he wentH935
וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙vai.Ye.shevand he satH3427
בִּרְח֣וֹבbir.Chovin [the] open square ofH7339
הָעִ֔ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
וְאֵ֥יןve.'Einand notH369
אִ֛ישׁ'ishanyoneH376
מְאַסֵּֽף\־me.'a.sef-[was] receivingH622
אוֹתָ֥ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853
הַבַּ֖יְתָהha.Bay.tahthe house towardsH1004
לָלֽוּן\׃la.Lunto spend [the] nightH3885

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 19:15

  • Hebrews 13:2

    Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

  • Judges 19:18

    And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth–lehem–judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth–lehem–judah, but I am now going to the house of the Lord; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.

  • Matthew 25:43

    I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

  • Matthew 25:35

    For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

  • Genesis 18:2-8

    And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. …

  • Genesis 19:2-3

    And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
no man.There was probably no inn, or house of public entertainment in this place; and therefore they could not have a lodging unless furnished by mere hospitality. But these Benjamites seem to have added to their other vices, avarice and inhospitality, like the inhabitants of Akoura in mount Lebanon, mentioned by Burckhardt.
18; Ge 18:2-8; 19:2,3; Mt 25:35,43; Heb 13:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 19:14

    And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

  • Judges 19:15

    And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.

  • Judges 19:16

    And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.

Read all of Judges 19

Judges 19:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y apartáronse del camino para entrar á tener allí la noche en Gabaa; y entrando, sentáronse en la plaza de la ciudad, porque no hubo quien los acogiese en casa para pasar la noche.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils se détournèrent pour entrer et pour passer la nuit à Guibha. Et il entra, et s’assit sur la place de la ville, et il n’y eut personne qui les reçoive dans sa maison pour passer la nuit.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie wandten sich dahin, daß sie hineinkämen, um in Gibea zu übernachten. Und er kam hinein und setzte sich hin auf den Platz der Stadt; und niemand war, der sie ins Haus aufgenommen hätte, um zu übernachten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		diverteruntque ad eam, ut manerent ibi. Quo cum intrassent, sedebant in platea civitatis, et nullus eos recipere voluit hospitio.