Judges 19:28 (KJV)

What does Judges 19:28 mean?

Judges 19:28 shows a man preparing to leave after the woman traveling with him has been violently abused. He tells her to get up, but she gives no answer. He then puts her on a donkey and returns to his home.

The man is a Levite, and the woman is his concubine, a partner whose standing was different from that of a wife. The verse follows her collapse at the doorway where he had spent the night. His command meets only silence.

The Hebrew behind Judges 19:28

• “Up” — קוּם (qum): This word means “rise” or “get up.” The man uses it as a command to the woman, expecting her to move.
• “answered” — עָנָה (ʿanah): This word can mean “answer” or “respond.” Here it draws attention to the absence of any reply to his command.

Why Judges 19:28 matters

• The woman’s silence leaves her condition uncertain at this point. The verse says “none answered”; it does not directly say whether she is still alive.
• The Levite’s words contrast sharply with the violence the woman has suffered. He speaks as though the journey can resume, while her lack of response shows that she cannot answer him.
• His return home leads into the next part of the account. In verse 29, he cuts her body into pieces and sends them throughout Israel, bringing the violence at Gibeah to the attention of the wider community.