Judges 19:1 Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

◄ Judges 19:1 ►

New International Version
In those days Israel had no king. Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

New Living Translation
Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.

English Standard Version
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

Berean Standard Bible
Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

King James Bible
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.

New King James Version
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

New American Standard Bible
Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.

NASB 1995
Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.

NASB 1977
Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.

Amplified Bible
Now it happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite living [as an alien] in the most remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.

Christian Standard Bible
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite staying in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim acquired a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as his concubine.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite living in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim acquired a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as his concubine.

American Standard Version
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

Contemporary English Version
Before kings ruled Israel, a Levite was living deep in the hill country of the Ephraim tribe. He married a woman from Bethlehem in Judah,

English Revised Version
And it came to pass in these days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
In those days when Israel didn't have a king, there was a Levite who lived in a remote area in the mountains of Ephraim. He took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.

Good News Translation
In those days before Israel had a king, there was a Levite living far back in the hill country of Ephraim. He took a young woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.

International Standard Version
Now it happened in those days, before there was a king in Israel, that a certain male descendant of Levi, who lived in a remote part of the mountainous region of Ephraim, took a mistress for himself from Bethlehem in the territory of Judah.

Majority Standard Bible
Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

NET Bible
In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levite living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

New Heart English Bible
It happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a secondary wife from Bethlehem Judah.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite dwelling on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.

World English Bible
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass in those days, when there is no king in Israel, that there is a man, a Levite, a sojourner in the sides of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he takes a wife for himself, a concubine, out of Beth-Lehem-Judah;

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, in those days, when there is no king in Israel, that there is a man a Levite, a sojourner in the sides of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he taketh to him a wife, a concubine, out of Beth-Lehem-Judah;

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be in those days, and no king in Israel; and it will be a man, a Levite, sojourning in the sides of mount Ephraim, and he will take to him a wife, a concubine, from the House of Bread, of Judah.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
There was a certain Levite, who dwelt on the side of mount Ephraim, who took a wife of Bethlehem Juda:

Catholic Public Domain Version
There was a certain man, a Levite, living beside mount Ephraim, who took a wife from Bethlehem of Judah.

New American Bible
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a Levite residing in remote parts of the mountain region of Ephraim who had taken for himself a concubine from Bethlehem of Judah.

New Revised Standard Version
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite, residing in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
AND it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Beth-lehem of Judah.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And it was in those days and a King was not in the house of Israel, and there was a man, Levi, dwelling in the precipice of the mountain, and he took for himself a woman, a concubine, from Bayth Lekhem of Yehuda

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem in Judah.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And there was a Levite sojourning in the sides of mount Ephraim, and he took to himself a concubine from Bethleem Juda.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Levite and His Concubine
1Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Judges 17:6
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 21:25
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Deuteronomy 12:8
You are not to do as we are doing here today, where everyone does what seems right in his own eyes.

Ruth 1:1
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.

1 Samuel 3:1
And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare, and visions were scarce.

Hosea 9:9
They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.

Hosea 10:9
Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?

Proverbs 21:2
All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Isaiah 3:5
The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable.

Matthew 24:12
Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.

Romans 1:21-22
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,

Romans 1:28-32
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. / They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, / slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. ...

2 Timothy 3:1-5
But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. / For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, / unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, ...

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.

when there

Judges 17:6
In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Judges 18:1
In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

Judges 21:25
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

mount

Judges 17:1,8
And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah…

Joshua 24:30,33
And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash…

a concubine.

Genesis 22:24
And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

Genesis 25:6
But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

2 Samuel 3:7
And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?

Beth-lehem-judah

Judges 17:8
And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

Genesis 35:19
And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

Matthew 2:6
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Jump to Previous

Bethlehem Beth-Lehem Bethlehemjudah Beth-Lehem-Judah Concubine Country Dwelling Ephraim E'phraim Hill Hill-Country Inmost Israel Judah Levite Mount Part Parts Remote Servant-Wife Side Sojourning Staying

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Judges 19

1. A Levite goes to Bethlehem to fetch home his concubine
16. An old man entertains him at Gibeah
22. The Gibeonites abuse his concubine to death
29. He divides her into twelve pieces, and sends them to the twelve tribes

Berean Study Bible

In those days
This phrase sets the historical context for the narrative, indicating a period in Israel's history when there was no centralized leadership. The Hebrew word for "days" (יָמִים, yamim) often signifies a specific era or epoch. This was a time of moral and social chaos, as described in the Book of Judges, where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). The absence of a king or strong leadership led to a cycle of sin and redemption, highlighting the need for divine guidance and the eventual establishment of a monarchy in Israel.

when there was no king in Israel
This phrase underscores the political and spiritual vacuum in Israel during the time of the Judges. The Hebrew word for "king" (מֶלֶךְ, melech) implies not just a political leader but also a figure who upholds justice and righteousness. The lack of a king symbolizes the absence of order and divine authority, pointing to the Israelites' need for a godly leader who would guide them according to God's laws. This sets the stage for the eventual anointing of Saul and David as kings, foreshadowing the ultimate kingship of Christ.

a Levite
The Levites were a tribe set apart for religious duties, serving as priests and caretakers of the tabernacle. The Hebrew term for Levite (לֵוִי, Levi) is derived from the root meaning "to join" or "to attach," reflecting their role in connecting the people to God. This particular Levite's actions in the narrative highlight the spiritual decline even among those who were supposed to be spiritual leaders, emphasizing the need for personal holiness and integrity.

who lived in a remote area
The phrase "remote area" suggests isolation, both geographically and spiritually. The Hebrew word for "remote" (יַרְכָּה, yarkah) can also mean "extreme" or "uttermost," indicating a place far from the central worship and community life of Israel. This physical distance from the center of worship in Shiloh may symbolize the spiritual distance from God that had permeated the nation, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of straying from communal worship and accountability.

in the hill country of Ephraim
Ephraim was one of the prominent tribes of Israel, often associated with leadership and strength. The hill country of Ephraim was a rugged and fertile region, symbolizing both the potential for growth and the challenges of maintaining faithfulness in a difficult environment. The Hebrew root for Ephraim (אֶפְרַיִם) means "fruitful," yet the narrative that follows reveals moral barrenness, contrasting the tribe's potential with its spiritual failures.

took for himself a concubine
The act of taking a concubine reflects the cultural practices of the time, where concubines were secondary wives with fewer rights. The Hebrew word for concubine (פִּילֶגֶשׁ, pilegesh) indicates a relationship that falls short of the covenantal marriage God intended. This choice reveals the Levite's compromise and the broader societal decline, serving as a reminder of the importance of adhering to God's design for marriage and relationships.

from Bethlehem in Judah
Bethlehem, meaning "house of bread" in Hebrew (בֵּית לֶחֶם, Beit Lechem), is a town with significant biblical history, being the birthplace of King David and later, Jesus Christ. Its mention here foreshadows the redemptive work that would come from this seemingly insignificant town. The reference to Judah, a tribe known for leadership and praise, contrasts with the moral failures depicted in the narrative, pointing to the hope of a future righteous leader from the line of Judah.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(1) On the side of mount Ephraim.--Literally, on the two thighs (yarcethaim). (Comp. Psalm 128:3; Isaiah 37:24.) As to the residence of the Levite at Mount Ephraim, see Note on Judges 17:8. It is probably a fortuitous coincidence that both this Levite and Jonathan have relations with Mount Ephraim and with Bethlehem.

Took to him a concubine.--Such connections were not legally forbidden; yet it is probable that in the case of all but princes or eminent men they were looked on with moral disapprobation. She is called "a wife or concubine"--i.e., a wife with inferior rights for herself and her children.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 1. - When there was no king (Judges 17:6; Judges 18:1; Judges 21:25). It appears from Judges 20:27, 28 that the events narrated in these three last chapters of the Book of Judges happened in the lifetime of Phinehas, and while the ark was at Shiloh (see Judges 20:27, note). Phinehas evidently outlived Joshua (Joshua 24:29, 33), though there is no evidence to show how long. The events in these chapters must have occurred in the interval between the death of Joshua and the death of Phinehas. A certain Levite, etc. It is a curious coincidence that both the Levite whose sad story is here told, and the Levite the son of Gershom of whom we read in the preceding chapters, were sojourners in the hill country of Ephraim, and also closely connected with Bethlehem-judah. Perhaps the legitimate inference (see ver. 18, and Judges 20:26, 27) is that in both cases the Levites were drawn to Ephraim by the ark being at Shiloh, and also that there was a colony of Levites at Bethlehem-judah. Whether there was any connection between the presence of Levites at Bethlehem and the annual sacrifice at Bethlehem which existed in David's time, and which argues the existence of a high place there, can only be a matter of conjecture (see 1 Samuel 9:13, and 1 Samuel 20:29). All we can say is that there was the universal prevalence of high-place worship during the time of the judges, and that the services of Levites were sought after in connection with it (Judges 17:13). On the side. Hebrew, sides. In the masculine form the word means the hip and upper part of the thigh; in the feminine, as here, it is applied only to inanimate objects, as a house, the temple, a cave, the north, a pit, a country, etc., and is used in the dual number (see 1 Samuel 24:4; 1 Kings 6:16; Psalm 48:3; Psalm 128:3; Isaiah 37:24; Ezekiel 32:23, etc.). It means the innermost, hindmost, furthermost parts. Its application here to the northern side of Ephraim seems to imply that the writer wrote in the south, probably in Judah. A concubine. An inferior wife, who had not the same right for herself or for her children as the wife had (see Genesis 25:6).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

In those
הָהֵ֔ם (hā·hêm)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

days,
בַּיָּמִ֣ים (bay·yā·mîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

when there was no
אֵ֣ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

king
וּמֶ֖לֶךְ (ū·me·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

in Israel,
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (bə·yiś·rā·’êl)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

a Levite
לֵוִ֗י (lê·wî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

who lived
גָּ֚ר (gār)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1481: To turn aside from the road, sojourn, to shrink, fear, to gather for, hostility

in the remote
בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֣י (bə·yar·kə·ṯê)
Preposition-b | Noun - fdc
Strong's 3411: Flank, side, extreme parts, recesses

hill country
הַר־ (har-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

of Ephraim
אֶפְרַ֔יִם (’ep̄·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 669: Ephraim -- a son of Joseph, also his descendants and their territory

took
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ (way·yiq·qaḥ-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

for himself
לוֹ֙ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

a concubine
פִילֶ֔גֶשׁ (p̄î·le·ḡeš)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6370: A concubine, a paramour

from
מִבֵּ֥ית (mib·bêṯ)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew

Bethlehem
לֶ֖חֶם (le·ḥem)
Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1035: Bethlehem -- 'place of bread', a city in Judah, also a city in Zebulun

in Judah.
יְהוּדָֽה׃ (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

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OT History: Judges 19:1 It happened in those days when there (Jd Judg. Jdg)