Bible Strands
Judges 19:18
The Levite replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD; but no one has taken me into his home,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Levite addresses an elderly Ephraimite host in Gibeah, directly answering the man’s inquiry about his origin and destination.
The words — עֹבְרִים ('oe.Rim) literally means [are] passing or traveling, and אֲנַ֜חְנוּ ('a.Nach.nu) means we, emphasizing the speaker’s self-description as a transient party rather than a settled inhabitant.
The thread — The Levite’s stated destination to the house of the LORD aligns with the Tent of Meeting’s location at Shiloh (Joshua 18:1) and contrasts with the later displacement of worship during the tribal conflict (Judges 18:31).
Why it lands — The text records the Levite’s explicit claim that no one offered shelter despite his religious destination, requiring the reader to confront how institutional worship is undermined when ordinary hospitality fails.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth–lehem–judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth–lehem–judah, but I am now going to the house of the Lord; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.
Cross-references
- Judges 18:31 So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.
- Joshua 18:1 Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,
- Psalms 26:9 Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed,
- John 15:6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
- Judges 19:5 On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to depart, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and then you can go.”
- Judges 20:18 The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.
- 1 Samuel 1:3 Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 1:7 And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat.