Judges 19:25 But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.

◄ Judges 19:25 ►

New International Version
But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.

New Living Translation
But they wouldn’t listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his concubine and pushed her out the door. The men of the town abused her all night, taking turns raping her until morning. Finally, at dawn they let her go.

English Standard Version
But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go.

Berean Standard Bible
But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.

King James Bible
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

New King James Version
But the men would not heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go.

New American Standard Bible
But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought her outside to them; and they raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn.

NASB 1995
But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them; and they raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn.

NASB 1977
But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them. And they raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn.

Legacy Standard Bible
But the men were not willing to listen to him. So the man took hold of his concubine and brought her out to them; and they knew her and abused her all night until morning, and they let her go at the breaking of dawn.

Amplified Bible
But the men would not listen to him. So the man took the Levite’s concubine and brought her outside to them; and they had relations with her and abused her all night until morning; and when daybreak came, they let her go.

Christian Standard Bible
But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and took her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning. At daybreak they let her go.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and took her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning. At daybreak they let her go.

American Standard Version
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

Contemporary English Version
The men refused to listen, so the Levite grabbed his wife and shoved her outside. The men raped her and abused her all night long. Finally, they let her go just before sunrise,

English Revised Version
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But the men refused to listen to him. So the Levite grabbed his concubine and forced her outside. They had sex with her and abused her all night until morning. They let her go when the sun was coming up.

Good News Translation
But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and put her outside with them. They raped her and abused her all night long and didn't stop until morning.

International Standard Version
But the men were unwilling to listen to him. So the descendant of Levi grabbed his mistress, took her out to them, and they raped and tortured her all night until morning. Then they released her as the first daylight was beginning to appear.

Majority Standard Bible
But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.

NET Bible
The men refused to listen to him, so the Levite grabbed his concubine and made her go outside. They raped her and abused her all night long until morning. They let her go at dawn.

New Heart English Bible
But the men wouldn't listen to him: so the man laid hold of his secondary wife, and brought her out to them. And they raped her and abused her all night until the morning, and when the day began to dawn they let her go.

Webster's Bible Translation
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth to them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

World English Bible
But the men wouldn’t listen to him; so the man grabbed his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they had sex with her, and abused her all night until the morning. When the day began to dawn, they let her go.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And the men have not been willing to listen to him, and the man takes hold on his concubine and brings [her] out to them outside, and they know her and roll themselves on her all the night until the morning, and they send her away in the ascending of the dawn;

Young's Literal Translation
And the men have not been willing to hearken to him, and the man taketh hold on his concubine, and bringeth her out unto them without, and they know her, and roll themselves upon her all the night, till the morning, and send her away in the ascending of the dawn;

Smith's Literal Translation
And the men were not willing to hear to him: and the man will lay hold upon his concubine and will bring out to them without, and they will know her, and will gratify their desires upon her all the night, even till morning: and they will send her away in the ascending of the dawn.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
They would not be satisfied with his words; which the man seeing, brought out his concubine to them, and abandoned her to their wickedness: and when they had abused her all the night, they let her go in the morning.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But they were not willing to agree to his words. So the man, discerning this, led out his mate to them, and he delivered her to their sexual abuse. And when they had abused her for the entire night, they released her in the morning.

New American Bible
But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and thrust her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning, and let her go as the sun was coming up.

New Revised Standard Version
But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine, and put her out to them. They wantonly raped her, and abused her all through the night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
But the men would not listen to him; so the man took his concubine and brought her outside to them: and they raped her and abused her all the night until the morning; and when dawn began to break, they let her go.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And those men were not willing to listen to him, and the man took his concubine and brought her out to them outside, and they raped her and they abused her all night until the morning, and they left her when the dawn came up

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
But the men would not hearken to him; so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning; and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But the men would not consent to hearken to him; so the man laid hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they knew her, and abused her all night till the morning, and let her go when the morning dawned.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Gibeah's Crime
…24Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.” 25But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. 26Early that morning, the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, collapsed at the doorway, and lay there until it was light.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Genesis 19:5-8
They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!” / Lot went outside to meet them, shutting the door behind him. / “Please, my brothers,” he pleaded, “don’t do such a wicked thing! ...

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?

Deuteronomy 22:25-27
But if the man encounters a betrothed woman in the open country, and he overpowers her and lies with her, only the man who has done this must die. / Do nothing to the young woman, because she has committed no sin worthy of death. This case is just like one in which a man attacks his neighbor and murders him. / When he found her in the field, the betrothed woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.

2 Samuel 13:14
But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.

Romans 1:24-27
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. / They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen. / For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ...

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.

Ephesians 5:3-5
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed. / Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving. / For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, / not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;

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, ...

Leviticus 18:22-23
You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination. / You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.

Leviticus 20:13
If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they have both committed an abomination. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

Ezekiel 16:49-50
Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy. / Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them, as you have seen.

Ezekiel 22:11
One man commits an abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another wickedly defiles his daughter-in-law; and yet another violates his sister, his own father’s daughter.

Isaiah 3:9
The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.

Treasury of Scripture

But the men would not listen to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth to them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

knew her

Genesis 4:1
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

and abused

Jeremiah 5:7,8
How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses…

Hosea 7:4-7
They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened…

Hosea 9:9
They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

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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

But the men would not listen to him
This phrase highlights the obstinacy and moral depravity of the men of Gibeah. The Hebrew root for "listen" is "שָׁמַע" (shama), which implies not just hearing but obeying or heeding. The refusal to listen indicates a willful rejection of moral and social norms, reflecting the chaotic and lawless period of the Judges when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). This sets the stage for understanding the depth of Israel's spiritual and moral decline.

so the man seized his concubine
The term "seized" comes from the Hebrew "חָזַק" (chazaq), meaning to take hold of or grasp firmly. This action underscores the desperation and cowardice of the Levite, who prioritizes his own safety over the dignity and life of his concubine. The use of "concubine" (פִּילֶגֶשׁ, pilegesh) reflects her vulnerable social status, lacking the full rights of a wife, which tragically contributes to her exploitation and abuse.

and set her outside to them
This phrase is a chilling depiction of betrayal and abandonment. The act of setting her outside is a physical manifestation of the Levite's moral failure. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, hospitality and protection of guests were paramount, yet here, the Levite violates these sacred duties. This action foreshadows the societal breakdown and the need for righteous leadership.

and they raped her and abused her throughout the night
The Hebrew word for "raped" is "יָדַע" (yada), which in this context is a euphemism for sexual violence. The phrase "abused her" further emphasizes the brutality and inhumanity of the act. The night-long duration of the abuse highlights the depth of depravity and the absence of justice or intervention. This horrific event serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God's laws and the need for repentance and restoration.

and at dawn they let her go
"Dawn" symbolizes a new beginning or hope, yet here it is tragically ironic. The release of the concubine at dawn signifies the end of her torment but also the beginning of a national crisis that would lead to civil war. The phrase "let her go" (שָׁלַח, shalach) implies a dismissive release, underscoring her dehumanization. This moment calls for reflection on the need for societal transformation and the pursuit of justice and compassion in accordance with God's will.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 25. - The man took his concubine, etc. One's blood boils at such selfish baseness and such cowardly cruelty. It is not quite clear whether the man means the Levite or the old Ephraimite.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

But the men
הָאִישׁ֙ (hā·’îš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

would
אָב֤וּ (’ā·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 14: To breathe after, to be acquiescent

not
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

listen to him.
לִשְׁמֹ֣עַֽ (liš·mō·a‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

So [the man]
ל֔וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

took
וַיַּחֲזֵ֤ק (way·ya·ḥă·zêq)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

his concubine
בְּפִ֣ילַגְשׁ֔וֹ (bə·p̄î·laḡ·šōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6370: A concubine, a paramour

and sent her
וַיֹּצֵ֥א (way·yō·ṣê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

outside
הַח֑וּץ (ha·ḥūṣ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors

to them,
אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם (’ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

and they raped
וַיֵּדְע֣וּ (way·yê·ḏə·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3045: To know

her
א֠וֹתָהּ (’ō·w·ṯāh)
Direct object marker | third person feminine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

and abused
וַיִּֽתְעַלְּלוּ־ (way·yiṯ·‘al·lə·lū-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5953: To effect thoroughly, to glean, to overdo, maltreat, be saucy to, pain, impose

her
בָ֤הּ (ḇāh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

throughout
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the night,
הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ (hal·lay·lāh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3915: A twist, night, adversity

and at dawn
כַּעֲל֥וֹת (ka·‘ă·lō·wṯ)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

they let her go.
וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּהָ (way·šal·lə·ḥū·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

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OT History: Judges 19:25 But the men wouldn't listen to him: (Jd Judg. Jdg)