Judges 19:29
New International Version
When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.

New Living Translation
When he got home, he took a knife and cut his concubine’s body into twelve pieces. Then he sent one piece to each tribe throughout all the territory of Israel.

English Standard Version
And when he entered his house, he took a knife, and taking hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
When he entered his house he took a knife, laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.

New American Standard Bible
When he entered his house, he took a knife and seized his concubine, and cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb. Then he sent her throughout the territory of Israel.

NASB 1995
When he entered his house, he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.

NASB 1977
When he entered his house, he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he entered his house and took a knife and took hold of his concubine and cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.

Amplified Bible
When he arrived at his house, he took a knife, and taking hold of his [dead] concubine, he cut her [corpse] limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her [body parts] throughout all the territory of Israel.

Christian Standard Bible
When he entered his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and then sent her throughout the territory of Israel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When he entered his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her into 12 pieces, limb by limb, and then sent her throughout the territory of Israel.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
When he got home, he took a butcher knife and cut her body into twelve pieces. Then he told some messengers, "Take one piece to each tribe of Israel

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When he arrived home, he got a knife. He took his concubine and cut her limb from limb into 12 pieces. Then he sent the pieces throughout the territories of Israel.

Good News Translation
When he arrived, he went in the house and got a knife. He took his concubine's body, cut it into twelve pieces, and sent one piece to each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

International Standard Version
When he arrived home, he grabbed a knife, took hold of his mistress, cut her apart limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her remains throughout the land of Israel.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
When he got home, he took a knife, grabbed his concubine, and carved her up into twelve pieces. Then he sent the pieces throughout Israel.

New Heart English Bible
When he had come into his house, he took a knife, and took hold of his secondary wife and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and comes into his house, and takes the knife, and lays hold on his concubine, and cuts her in pieces to her bones—into twelve pieces, and sends her into all the border of Israel.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will come to his house and will take a knife, and will lay hold upon his concubine, and he will give her, even to her bones, into twelve pieces, and he will send her into all the bound of Israel.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he was come home he took a sword, and divided the dead body of his wife with her bones into twelve parts, and sent the pieces into all the borders of Israel.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when he had arrived, he took up a sword, and he cut into pieces the dead body of his wife, with her bones, into twelve parts. And he sent the pieces into all the parts of Israel.

New American Bible
On reaching home, he got a knife and took hold of the body of his concubine. He cut her up limb by limb into twelve pieces and sent them throughout the territory of Israel.

New Revised Standard Version
When he had entered his house, he took a knife, and grasping his concubine he cut her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when he had come to his house, he took a knife and cut his concubine in pieces, and divided her into twelve portions, and distributed them throughout all the tribes of Israel.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he entered his house and he took a knife and he cut his Concubine into twelve parts and he sent them to all the borders of Israel
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he took his sword, and laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve parts, and sent them to every coast of Israel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Gibeah's Crime
28“Get up,” he told her. “Let us go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home. 29When 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. 30And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”…

Cross References
Genesis 34:25-31
Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male. / They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away. / Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled. ...

1 Samuel 11:7
He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out together as one man.

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?

2 Samuel 20:1
Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”

1 Kings 11:30-31
And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces, / and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes.

1 Kings 13:24-28
As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. / And there were men passing by who saw the body lying in the road with the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported this in the city where the old prophet lived. / When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard this, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the command of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, and it has mauled him and killed him, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to him.” ...

2 Kings 6:29
So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.”

Isaiah 1:15
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Jeremiah 19:9
I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives.’

Ezekiel 16:20-21
You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough? / You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols.

Ezekiel 23:37-39
For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols. / They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths. / On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house.

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

Mark 13:12
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.

Luke 17:26-30
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man: / People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. / It was the same in the days of Lot: People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. ...


Treasury of Scripture

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.

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.

1 Chronicles 20:6,7
And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of the giant…

Romans 10:2
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

with her bones

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: …

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Bone Bones Border Borders Coasts Concubine Cut Cutteth Cutting Divided Entered Hold Home House Israel Knife Laid Parts Pieces Reached Territory Throughout Together Twelve
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Bone Bones Border Borders Coasts Concubine Cut Cutteth Cutting Divided Entered Hold Home House Israel Knife Laid Parts Pieces Reached Territory Throughout Together Twelve
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














When he reached his house
This phrase indicates the Levite's return to his own dwelling after the horrific events in Gibeah. The Levite's homecoming marks a transition from the public sphere of Gibeah to the private sphere of his own household, highlighting the personal nature of the subsequent actions. The home, in ancient Israelite culture, was a place of refuge and safety, which contrasts sharply with the violence that follows.

he picked up a knife
The knife is a tool often associated with sacrifice and covenant in the Old Testament. In Genesis 22, Abraham uses a knife in the near-sacrifice of Isaac, symbolizing obedience and covenant with God. Here, the knife becomes a tool of judgment and a call to action for the tribes of Israel, rather than a symbol of divine covenant.

took hold of his concubine
The concubine, a secondary wife, reflects the complex social and familial structures of ancient Israel. Her status was lower than that of a primary wife, which may have contributed to her vulnerability and the subsequent tragedy. This act of taking hold signifies the Levite's control and authority over her, yet it also underscores the tragic objectification and dehumanization she suffers.

cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces
This gruesome act is reminiscent of sacrificial rituals, yet it is a perversion of such practices. The number twelve is significant, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. This dismemberment serves as a symbolic act, calling each tribe to witness the atrocity and to respond. It echoes the division of the covenant people and foreshadows the internal strife and division that will plague Israel.

and sent her throughout the territory of Israel
The distribution of the concubine's body parts serves as a call to national unity and action against the crime committed in Gibeah. It is a shocking summons to the tribes, demanding justice and highlighting the moral decay within Israel. This act parallels the later call to unity seen in the prophetic books, where Israel is urged to return to covenant faithfulness. The sending out of the pieces can also be seen as a type of prophetic action, akin to the symbolic acts of prophets like Ezekiel, designed to provoke a response from the people.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Levite
A central figure in this account, the Levite is a man from the hill country of Ephraim who takes a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. His actions and decisions drive the events of this chapter.

2. The Concubine
The Levite's concubine, who is tragically abused and ultimately dies. Her account highlights the severe moral and social decay during this period in Israel's history.

3. Gibeah
A town in the territory of Benjamin where the Levite and his concubine seek shelter. The events in Gibeah reveal the depravity and lack of hospitality among the Israelites at this time.

4. The Twelve Tribes of Israel
The Levite's actions in response to the tragedy serve as a call to the tribes of Israel, leading to a national crisis and subsequent civil war.

5. The Dismemberment
The Levite dismembers his concubine's body into twelve pieces and sends them throughout Israel, a shocking act intended to provoke a response from the tribes.
Teaching Points
Moral Decay and Its Consequences
The events in Judges 19 illustrate the severe moral decline in Israel when they turned away from God's laws. This serves as a warning about the dangers of moral relativism and the importance of adhering to biblical principles.

The Role of Leadership
The absence of strong, godly leadership in Israel during this time led to chaos and injustice. This highlights the need for leaders who uphold righteousness and justice according to God's standards.

The Power of Collective Action
The Levite's drastic actions led to a collective response from the tribes of Israel. This demonstrates the power and responsibility of a community to address injustice and seek righteousness.

The Importance of Hospitality
The lack of hospitality in Gibeah contrasts with biblical teachings on welcoming strangers and caring for others, reminding us of the importance of kindness and generosity.

The Cost of Sin
The tragic events in this chapter underscore the destructive nature of sin and the far-reaching consequences it can have on individuals and communities.(29) Divided her.--We see again that the narrative is taking us back to wild times, when the passions of men expressed themselves in wild and fierce expedients. A similar method of arousing a nation, but different in its details, is narrated in 1Samuel 11:7, when Saul sends round the pieces of an ox, as was done by the ancient Scythians (Lucian, Toxaris, chap. 48). Many analogous customs existed among the ancient Highlanders, and have been repeated even in recent days among the Arab tribes (Stanley, i. 301).

With her bones.--Literally, according to her bone.

Into twelve pieces.--One for each tribe. Benjamin was probably thus appealed to as well as the other tribes. It is needless to suppose that one was sent to Eastern Manasseh or to Levi.

Verse 29. - Compare 1 Samuel 11:8.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When he reached
וַיָּבֹ֣א (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

his house,
בֵּית֗וֹ (bê·ṯōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

he picked up
וַיִּקַּ֤ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

a knife,
הַֽמַּאֲכֶ֙לֶת֙ (ham·ma·’ă·ḵe·leṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3979: Something to eat with, a knife

took hold
וַיַּחֲזֵ֣ק (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

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

cut her
וַֽיְנַתְּחֶ֙הָ֙ (way·nat·tə·ḥe·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5408: To cut up, cut in pieces, divide by joints

limb by limb
לַעֲצָמֶ֔יהָ (la·‘ă·ṣā·me·hā)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6106: A bone, the body, the substance, selfsame

into twelve
לִשְׁנֵ֥ים (liš·nêm)
Preposition-l | Number - md
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

pieces,
נְתָחִ֑ים (nə·ṯā·ḥîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5409: A piece (of a divided carcass)

and sent
וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֔הָ (way·šal·lə·ḥe·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

her throughout
בְּכֹ֖ל (bə·ḵōl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the territory
גְּב֥וּל (gə·ḇūl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1366: A cord, a boundary, the territory inclosed

of Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc


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OT History: Judges 19:29 When he was come into his house (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 19:28
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