Judges 19 · Verse 29

Judges 19:29

And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

Judges 19:29, King James Version

Judges 19:29 in other translations

BSB	When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
WEB	When he had come into his house, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.
ASV	And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.
YLT	and cometh in unto his house, and taketh the knife, and layeth hold on his concubine, and cutteth her in pieces to her bones--into twelve pieces, and sendeth her into all the border of Israel.
DARBY	And when he was come into his house, he took the knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, according to her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the borders of Israel.
BBE	And when he had come to his house, he got his knife, and took the woman, cutting her up bone by bone into twelve parts, which he sent through all Israel.
Webster	And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the borders of Israel.

What does Judges 19:29 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

29. divided her ... into twelve pieces--The want of a regular government warranted an extraordinary step; and certainly no method could have been imagined more certain of rousing universal horror and indignation than this terrible summons of the Levite.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 29 Divided her - into twelve pieces - There is no doubt that with the pieces he sent to each tribe a circumstantial account of the barbarity of the men of Gibeah; and it is very likely that they considered each of the pieces as expressing an execration, "If ye will not come and avenge my wrongs, may ye be hewn in pieces like this abused and murdered woman!" It was a custom among the ancient Highlanders in Scotland, when one clan wished to call all the rest to avenge its wrongs, to take a wooden cross, dip it in blood, and send it by a special messenger through all the clans. This was called the fire cross, because at sight of it each clan lighted a fire or beacon, which gave notice to all the adjoining clans that a general rising was immediately to take place.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Judges 19:29 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.

וַיָּבֹ֣אvai.ya.Vo'and he cameH935

אֶל\־'el-toH413

בֵּית֗וֹbei.Tohouse hisH1004

וַיִּקַּ֤חvai.yi.Kachand he tookH3947

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

הַֽמַּאֲכֶ֙לֶת֙ha.ma.'a.Khe.letthe knifeH3979

וַיַּחֲזֵ֣קvai.ya.cha.Zekand he took holdH2388

בְּפִֽילַגְשׁ֔וֹbe.fi.lag.Shoon concubine hisH6370

וַֽיְנַתְּחֶ֙הָ֙vay.na.te.Che.haand he cut in pieces herH5408

לַעֲצָמֶ֔יהָla.'a.tza.Mei.hato bones herH6106

לִשְׁנֵ֥יםlish.Neiminto two [plus]H8147

עָשָׂ֖ר'a.SartenH6240

נְתָחִ֑יםne.ta.ChimpiecesH5409

וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֔הָvay.sha.le.Che.haand he sent out herH7971

בְּכֹ֖לbe.Kholin allH3605

גְּב֥וּלge.Vul[the] territory ofH1366

יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

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

Cross references for Judges 19:29

1 Samuel 11:7
And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.
Judges 20:6-7
And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
Romans 10:2
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23
And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

divided her.It is probable, that with the pieces he sent to each tribe a circumstantial account of the barbarity of the men of Gibeah; and that they considered each of the pieces as expressing an execration. That a similar custom prevailed in ancient times is evident from 1 SA 11:7. It had an inhuman appearance, thus to mangle the corpse of this unhappy woman; but it was intended to excite a keener resentment against so horrible a crime, which called for a punishment proportionally severe.
20:6,7; Ro 10:2
with her bones.
De 21:22,23

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

Context

Judges 19:28
And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.
Judges 19:29
And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.
Judges 19:30
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.

Read all of Judges 19

Judges 19:29 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y en llegando á su casa, toma un cuchillo, y echa mano de su concubina, y despedázala con sus huesos en doce partes, y enviólas por todos los términos de Israel.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il entra dans sa maison, et prit le couteau, et saisit sa concubine, et la partagea selon ses os en douze morceaux, et l’envoya dans tous les confins d’Israël.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und als er in sein Haus gekommen war, nahm er sein Messer und ergriff sein Kebsweib und zerstückte sie, nach ihren Gebeinen, in zwölf Stücke; und er sandte sie in alle Grenzen Israels.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Quam cum esset ingressus, arripuit gladium, et cadaver uxoris cum ossibus suis in duodecim partes ac frustra concidens, misit in omnes terminos Israël.