Judges 19:1

Authorized King James Version

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 Beth-lehem-judah.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וַֽיְהִי֙
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
#2
בַּיָּמִ֣ים
And it came to pass in those days
a 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 asso
#3
הָהֵ֔ם
they (only used when emphatic)
#4
וּמֶ֖לֶךְ
when there was no king
a king
#5
אֵ֣ין
a nonentity; generally used as a negative particle
#6
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
in Israel
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
#7
וַיְהִ֣י׀
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
#8
אִ֣ישׁ
that there was a certain
a 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)
#9
לֵוִ֗י
Levite
a levite or descendant of levi
#10
גָּ֚ר
sojourning
properly, 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);
#11
בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֣י
on the side
properly, the flank; but used only figuratively, the rear or recess
#12
הַר
of mount
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
#13
אֶפְרַ֔יִם
Ephraim
ephrajim, a son of joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory
#14
וַיִּֽקַּֽח
who took
to take (in the widest variety of applications)
#15
לוֹ֙
H0
#16
אִשָּׁ֣ה
to him a concubine
a woman
#17
פִילֶ֔גֶשׁ
a concubine; also (masculine) a paramour
#18
מִבֵּ֥ית
H0
#19
לֶ֖חֶם
out of Bethlehemjudah
beth-lechem, a place in palestine
#20
יְהוּדָֽה׃
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine revelation contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The historical context of the biblical period relevant to this book's composition provides crucial background for understanding this verse. The historical and cultural milieu of the biblical world informed the author's theological expression and the audience's understanding. The the cultural context of the biblical world would have shaped how the original audience understood divine revelation. Archaeological and historical evidence reveals Archaeological discoveries continue to illuminate the historical context of biblical texts.

Questions for Reflection

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