Judges 19:13-15 · Bible study
Judges 19:13-15 Commentary: The Levite Avoids Jebus
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the Levite refuse to stay in Jebus but choose Gibeah? This study explores his reasoning and the tragic lack of hospitality that follows.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Levite avoids the foreign city of Jebus and chooses to lodge among Israelites, but finds no hospitality in Gibeah, revealing moral decline.
- Key words: rechov (open square, not a narrow street); me'asef (receiving, gathering into the house); Gibeah (Benjaminite town identified with Tell el-Ful).
- Main debate: Whether the lack of hospitality was due to fear of strangers, absence of inns, or deeper spiritual corruption. Most commentators see moral decay as the primary cause.
- Theological theme: The failure of God's people to reflect His character. Hospitality as a covenant marker that has been abandoned.
- Best use: A warning against trusting in outward identity without inward faithfulness, and a call to active welcome of strangers.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
13He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
14So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
15They 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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
13He said to his servant, “Come and let’s draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.”
14So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15They 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.
KJV King James Version 1769
13And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
15And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
13And he said unto his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
15And 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
13And he saith to his young man, `Come, and we draw near to one of the places, and have lodged in Gibeah, or in Ramah.'
14And they pass over, and go on, and the sun goeth in upon them near Gibeah, which is to Benjamin;
15and 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.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
13And he said to his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places, and lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them [when they were] by Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15And 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.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
13And when I shall come thither, we will lodge there, or at least in the city of Rama.
14So they passed by Jebus, and went on their journey, and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gabaa, which is in the tribe of Benjamin:
15And they turned into it to lodge there. And when they were come in, they sat in the street of the city, for no man would receive them to lodge.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Judges 19:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators from different traditions agree that the Levite's decision to bypass Jebus (Jerusalem) was based on a clear preference: he would not lodge in a city of foreigners. Keil and Delitzsch highlight his stated reason in verse 12, that he would not enter a city 'of a foreigner that is not of the children of Israel.' Barnes notes that the 'street' where he sat is actually the open square near the city gates, a common place for travelers to wait for an invitation. Clarke points out that inns were rare, so travelers depended on private hospitality. The Cambridge Bible draws a parallel with Genesis 19, where Lot also sat at the gate but was promptly taken in. All agree that the failure of any resident to offer shelter reveals a severe breakdown of customary hospitality and a foreboding moral decay in Gibeah.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Ethnic separation view: The Levite's words in v.12 show he wants to avoid 'the city of a foreigner,' consistent with a desire for purity.
- Irony of misplaced trust view: He expects safety among Israelites but receives none, setting up the tragedy of vv.22-30.
- Hospitality failure view: The lack of welcome is the main point; it signals the community's moral condition.
What is clear: The Levite deliberately chooses an Israelite city over a foreign one, and no one in Gibeah offers him lodging.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Reason for the Levite's choice | He deliberately avoids Jebus because it is a city of foreigners, wanting to stay among Israelites. | Some see this as proper religious separation; others see it as naive trust in ethnic identity that is then betrayed. |
| Meaning of 'street' | The Hebrew word rechov refers to an open square or plaza near the gate, not a narrow street. | No significant debate on this point among the supplied sources. |
| Whether inns existed | Travelers depended on private hospitality, as public inns were uncommon. | Clarke notes that inns did exist (e.g., Joseph's brothers at an inn), but others say inns were rare and not found in every town. |
| Why no one took them in | The absence of hospitality is notable and indicates a breakdown of custom. | Some attribute it to the bad character of the Gibeahites (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown); others see it as a sign of general moral decay. The text does not give a specific reason. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Gibeah, the town the Levite chose, lay about three miles north of Jerusalem in the territory of Benjamin (Joshua 18:28). Ramah, the alternative he mentioned, was another Benjaminite town a short distance farther north (Joshua 18:25). The Levite's refusal to stay in Jebus reflects the mixed status of Jerusalem at the time: although the city had been assigned to Benjamin, the Jebusite fortress remained largely in Canaanite hands (Joshua 15:63). By declining to lodge among foreigners, the Levite followed a pattern of ethnic separation common in the period of the judges.
Hospitality was a sacred duty in the ancient Near East, especially when the sun set. Travelers often sat in the open square near the city gate to signal their need for shelter. That is what the Levite does here. The same posture appears in Genesis 19:1, where Lot sees the angels sitting in the gate and insists they stay with him. The contrast is stark: Lot, in notoriously wicked Sodom, offers welcome; the Levite, in Israelite Gibeah, receives none. The parallel underscores how far the covenant community had fallen. Later, Gibeah became Saul's home (1 Samuel 10:26), but at this point its failure to show hospitality foreshadows the violence that follows in the rest of Judges 19.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this passage. The Hebrew text is stable, and the ancient versions (Septuagint, Vulgate) agree with the Masoretic reading. The Cambridge Bible suggests that the verbs in verse 15 should probably be read as plurals, but this is a minor shift and does not affect the meaning.
Reception History
This passage has been read primarily as part of the larger story of the Levite's concubine, which is often cited as an example of the depths of sin in Israel during the period of the judges. Early church writers such as Ambrose used the narrative to warn against the neglect of hospitality, drawing a contrast with Abraham and Lot. Later commentators have focused on the irony: the Levite avoids a foreign city only to face greater evil among his own people. The story remains a haunting illustration of how moral decay can infect even those who consider themselves God's people.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Choosing your company. The Levite deliberately avoids a foreign city and seeks shelter among Israelites. This shows a desire to stay among God's people, but also an assumption that kinship guarantees safety.
- The setting sun. The timing creates urgency. Travelers caught at night without shelter were exposed to danger. The sunset drives the narrative forward and increases tension.
- No one takes them in. The absence of hospitality in an Israelite town is the core shock. It signals a moral vacuum that will soon erupt into tragedy.
Five-point outline
- The Levite's itinerary: from Bethlehem toward Ephraim.
- The servant's suggestion to stop at Jebus is rejected.
- The decision to press on to Gibeah or Ramah.
- The sun sets as they approach Gibeah.
- They enter the square and sit, but no one offers lodging.
Illustration hooks
- Arriving in a new place late at night with no one to meet you, and every door stays closed.
- Expecting help from people in your own church or community and being ignored.
- The embarrassment of sitting in a public space while others pass by.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did the Levite think Gibeah would be safe if it was an Israelite city?
- What does this story teach us about the state of faith in the time of the judges?
- How do we practice hospitality today, especially toward strangers?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a traveler who deliberately chooses to stay among his own people, only to find no welcome. The absence of hospitality in Gibeah sets the stage for one of the darkest stories in Scripture. As you discuss, consider how quickly a community can lose the marks of faith.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about the Levite from his decision to avoid Jebus and go to Gibeah?
- Why does the narrator mention that the sun went down as they approached Gibeah?
- In what ways does the Levite expect to be received? What does his sitting in the street suggest?
- Compare this scene with Genesis 19:1-3. What is similar? What is different?
- What does the phrase “no man took them into his house” reveal about the people of Gibeah?
- How does this story challenge our assumptions about safety among “our own” people?
- Where do you see opportunities to practice hospitality in your own setting?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Joshua 18:25 | Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, |
| Joshua 18:26 | Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, |
| Joshua 18:28 | Zelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families. |
| I Samuel 10:26 | Saul also went to his house in Gibeah; and the army went with him, whose hearts God had touched. |
| Isaiah 10:29 | They have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled. |
| Hosea 5:8 | “Blow the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah! Sound a battle cry at Beth Aven, behind you, Benjamin! |
| Genesis 18:2 | He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, |
| Genesis 18:8 | He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke corrects the assumption that ancient Israel lacked public inns. He notes that Joseph's brothers stopped at an inn, Rahab's house served as one, and Samson's hostess in Gaza likely ran a place of public lodging. Such establishments existed, though they were not common.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the "street" in Gibeah is not a modern road but the open square within the city gates, the public space where legal proceedings, business, and the gathering of important townspeople took place.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator identifies Gibeah as a specific site near Jerusalem, distinct from Geba, and notes the Hebrew name means "hill," which causes frequent confusion. The text's verbs should likely be read as plurals, and "the street" refers to a broad public space near the gate. Parallels with Genesis 19 begin to appear at this point.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes a practical reason the Levite chose Gibeah over Ramah: it was nearer, barely four miles from Jerusalem. He also observes that hospitality had declined so severely that even willing hosts hesitated, fearing their wicked neighbours would attack any strangers they took in.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that in ancient Palestine, travelers without lodging normally slept in the streets, but locals typically invited them home. The failure of anyone in Gibeah to show this customary hospitality points to the city's notoriously bad character.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the Levite's words "I walk at the house of Jehovah" do not mean he was traveling to the tabernacle but that he served there as a Levite. This distinction underlines the shame: though he ministered to the Lord, no one in Gibeah thought him worthy of hospitality.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange focuses on the moral weakness of the Levite, who takes a concubine, pursues her after her unfaithfulness, and then shows no self-discipline during the extended feasting. His conduct dishonors his calling as one who walks in the house of God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes the father-in-law's warm, persistent hospitality toward the Levite who came to reclaim his estranged concubine. The repeated delays, he observes, show a genuine delight in reconciliation and a desire to strengthen family bonds, which stands in marked contrast to the violence that follows later in the chapter.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley rejects Matthew Henry's claim that the goodness of God's promised land will intensify the punishment of those who perish. He argues that this reasoning fails under predestination: if some are not elected, they never had a genuine offer, and if all the elect are saved, the grant was never free to the others.