And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

JUDGES 19:17KJV
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Judges 19:17 (KJV)

What does Judges 19:17 mean?

Judges 19:17 describes an old man in the city noticing a traveler in the street and asking him where he is going and where he has come from. The verse shows the old man's curiosity and concern for the stranger's situation as he sees him out in the open.

The setting is the city of Gibeah, where an old man, returning from his work in the fields, sees a wayfaring man (the Levite) in the street. The old man addresses the Levite, asking about his journey and origin. This exchange sets the stage for the hospitality—or lack of it—that becomes a key part of the story in the following verses.

The Hebrew behind Judges 19:17

  • The word for "wayfaring" (אֹרֵחַ, ’oreach) means a traveler or someone on a journey, highlighting that the Levite is a stranger and not a local resident.
  • The word for "street" (רְחוֹב, rechov) refers to an open area or plaza in the city, not just a narrow road, suggesting the Levite was exposed and vulnerable.
  • The old man's question "Whither goest thou?" uses the word (יָלַךְ, yalak), which often means to walk or go, emphasizing the direction and purpose of the Levite's journey.
  • The question "whence comest thou?" uses (בּוֹא, bo), meaning to come or arrive, focusing on the Levite's origin and background.

Why Judges 19:17 matters

  • The verse highlights the importance of hospitality in ancient Israelite society, as travelers depended on the kindness of locals for shelter and safety.
  • By showing the Levite in the open street, the verse hints at a lack of hospitality from the city’s residents, which becomes a major theme in the chapter.
  • The old man's questions set up the tension and moral issues that unfold in the story, helping readers understand the seriousness of what follows.

Where else these words appear

“wayfaring” Hebrew H732 · used in 5 verses

  • 2 Samuel 12:4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
  • Job 34:8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
  • Jeremiah 9:2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

“whence” Hebrew H370 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 29:4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
  • Judges 17:9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
  • Job 28:12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

“street” Hebrew H7339 · used in 41 verses

  • Genesis 19:2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
  • Esther 6:11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
  • Jeremiah 9:21 For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.