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.

2 But 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,

3 her husband got up and went after her to speak kindly to her and bring her back, taking his servant and a pair of donkeys. So the girl brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
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.
KJV
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 Beth-lehem-judah.
WEB
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.
ASV
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.
DARBY
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite, sojourning on the further side of mount Ephraim, took him a concubine out of Bethlehem-Judah.
BLB
And it came to pass in those days, when [there was] no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the sides of the hill country of Ephraim, and He took for himself a woman, a concubine from Bethlehem [in] Judah.
ÅB
På denne tid da det ingen konge fantes i Israel, var det en mann av Levi stamme som oppholdt seg som fremmed langt inne på Efra'imfjellet. Han tok seg en medhustru fra Betlehem i Juda.
OTB
I de dager var det ingen konge i Israel. En viss levitt som bodde i en avsidesliggende del av fjellandet i Efraim tok en medhustru fra Betlehem i Juda.
B1930
På denne tid da det ingen konge fantes i Israel, var det en mann av Levi stamme som opholdt sig som fremmed langt inne på Efra'imfjellet. Han tok sig en medhustru fra Betlehem i Juda.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Judges 18:1

    In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

    Read in context
  • Judges 17:8

    This man left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to settle where he could find a place. And as he traveled, he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

    Read in context
  • Judges 21:25

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

    Read in context
  • Matthew 2:6

    ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’”

    Read in context
  • Joshua 24:30

    And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

    Read in context
  • Malachi 2:15

    Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.

    Read in context
  • Judges 17:6

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

    Read in context
  • Joshua 24:33

    Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.

    Read in context