King James Version

Judges 19:1

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וַיְהִי֙vayhiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.בַּיָּמִ֣יםbayamimin as long asיוֹםpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “in as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…הָהֵ֔םhahemthe theyהֵםdefinite article, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “the they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.וּמֶ֖לֶךְumelekhand kingמֶלֶךְconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.אֵ֣יןeynelseאַיִןparticle, negative — “else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לbeyisraelin Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלpreposition, noun, proper name — “in Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.וַיְהִ֣יvayhiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.אִ֣ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…לֵוִ֗יleviLeviiteלֵוִיִּיnoun, gentilic, masculine, singular, absolute — “Leviite”, the ordinary formH3881a Levite or descendant of LeviLeviite.גָּ֚רgarfearגּוּרverb, qal, participle, absolute — “fear”, a verb used as a describing wordH1481properly, to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather forhostility (as afraid)abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather (together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe, (be) stranger, [idiom] surely.בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֣יbeyarketein borderיְרֵכָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, dual, construct — “in border”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3411properly, the flank; but used only figuratively, the rear or recessborder, coast, part, quarter, side.הַרharhillהַרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “hill”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2022a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion.אֶפְרַ֔יִםefrayimEphraimאֶפְרַיִםnoun, proper name — “Ephraim”H669Ephrajim, a son of Joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its territoryEphraim, Ephraimites.וַיִּֽקַּֽחvayiqachand takeלָקַחconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and take”, the next action in the storyH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.לוֹ֙lvotoלוֹ֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toאִשָּׁ֣הishaheachאִשָּׁהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “each”, the ordinary formH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.פִילֶ֔גֶשׁfilegeshconcubineפִּילֶגֶשׁnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “concubine”, the ordinary formH6370a concubine; also (masculine) a paramourconcubine, paramour.מִבֵּ֥יתmibeytfrom Bethlehemבֵּית לֶחֶםpreposition, noun, proper name — “from Bethlehem”H1035Beth-Lechem, a place in PalestineBethlehem.לֶ֖חֶםlechemBethlehemבֵּית לֶחֶםnoun, proper name — “Bethlehem”H1035Beth-Lechem, a place in PalestineBethlehem.יְהוּדָֽהyehudahJudahיְהוּדָהnoun, proper name — “Judah”H3063Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territoryJudah.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem in Judah.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Young’s Literal Translation

And it cometh to pass, in those days, when there is no king in Israel, that there is a man a Levite, a sojourner in the sides of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he taketh to him a wife, a concubine, out of Beth-Lehem-Judah;

World English Bible

In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.

Darby Translation

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite, sojourning on the further side of mount Ephraim, took him a concubine out of Bethlehem-Judah.

Douay-Rheims

There was a certain Levite, who dwelt on the side of mount Ephraim, who took a wife of Bethlehem Juda:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And there was a Levite sojourning in the sides of mount Ephraim, and he took to himself a concubine from Bethleem Juda.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐγένετο ἀνὴρ Λευίτης παροικῶν ἐν μηροῖς ὄρους Ἐφραὶμ, καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτῷ γυναῖκα παλλακὴν ἀπὸ Βηθλεὲμ Ἰούδα.