And he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.

JUDGES 19:18KJV
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Judges 19:18 (KJV)

What does Judges 19:18 mean?

Judges 19:18 records a traveler explaining his journey: he is passing from Bethlehem in Judah toward the hill country of Ephraim, where he is from, and is headed to the house of the LORD, but no one has offered him a place to stay. The verse highlights his difficulty in finding hospitality, even though he is traveling for a religious purpose.

The speaker is a Levite, talking to an old man in the town of Gibeah. The Levite describes his route and destination, mentioning both Bethlehemjudah and Mount Ephraim. He points out that, despite his connection to the house of the LORD (the tabernacle at Shiloh), no one in the town has welcomed him into their home, which sets the stage for the troubling events that follow in the story.

The Hebrew behind Judges 19:18

  • "House" (בַּיִת, bayit): Used twice in this verse, this word means "house" or "home," but here it also refers to the "house of the LORD" (בֵּית יְהוָה, beit YHWH), meaning the place of worship. This shows the Levite's religious motivation for his journey.
  • "Receiveth" (אָסַף, asaf): This word means "to gather" or "to take in." The Levite is saying that no one has gathered him into their home, emphasizing the lack of hospitality he has experienced.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible, showing that the Levite's destination is a sacred place, not just any house.

Why Judges 19:18 matters

  • Judges 19:18 clarifies that the Levite is not just a random traveler but someone on a religious journey, which makes the lack of hospitality from the townspeople more striking.
  • The verse highlights a breakdown in social customs, as hospitality to travelers was a key expectation in ancient Israelite society, especially for someone connected to the house of the LORD.
  • This moment sets up the moral and social crisis that unfolds in the following verses, helping the reader understand the seriousness of the events that take place in Gibeah.

Where else these words appear

“side” Hebrew H3411 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 49:13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.
  • 1 Kings 6:16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
  • Jeremiah 31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

“Bethlehemjudah” Hebrew H1035 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 35:19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
  • Ruth 1:19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
  • 2 Samuel 23:24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,