Judges 19:30

And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The text records a universal reaction from "everyone who saw" the dismembered body parts after the Levite sent them throughout Israel. No specific speaker addresses a formal assembly; the statement functions as a widespread public declaration.

The words — כָל־רֹאֶה (khol-ro'eh) literally means "every [one who] saw," establishing the scope of the reaction. לֹא נִהְיְתָה וְ/לֹֽא־ נִרְאֲתָה (lo'-nih.ye.Tah ve./lo'- nir.'a.Tah) translates literally as "not it has occurred and not it has been seen," marking the event as unprecedented.

The thread — The call to deliberate and seek guidance echoes in Judges 20:7, where Israel is urged to give advice and verdict. The emphasis on counsel aligns with Proverbs 11:14 and Proverbs 13:10, which link wise deliberation to national stability and warn against arrogance.

Why it lands — The text demands immediate public assessment of a moral crisis rather than passive observation. It requires readers to recognize that unprecedented violence necessitates collective counsel and decisive action.

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 it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

Cross-references

Judges 20:7 Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”
Proverbs 13:10 Arrogance leads only to strife, but wisdom is with the well-advised.
Proverbs 11:14 For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but with many counselors comes deliverance.
Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
Proverbs 20:18 Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.
Proverbs 24:6 Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
Hosea 9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.