Judges 19:22
Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
Original Language Analysis
מֵֽיטִיבִ֣ים
merry
H3190
מֵֽיטִיבִ֣ים
merry
Strong's:
H3190
Word #:
2 of 31
to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right)
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
3 of 31
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
לִבָּם֒
Now as they were making their hearts
H3820
לִבָּם֒
Now as they were making their hearts
Strong's:
H3820
Word #:
4 of 31
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the center of anything
אַנְשֵׁ֣י
behold the men
H582
אַנְשֵׁ֣י
behold the men
Strong's:
H582
Word #:
6 of 31
properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified h0120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively)
הָעִ֜יר
of the city
H5892
הָעִ֜יר
of the city
Strong's:
H5892
Word #:
7 of 31
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
אַנְשֵׁ֣י
behold the men
H582
אַנְשֵׁ֣י
behold the men
Strong's:
H582
Word #:
8 of 31
properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified h0120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively)
בְנֵֽי
sons
H1121
בְנֵֽי
sons
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
9 of 31
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
בְלִיַּ֗עַל
of Belial
H1100
בְלִיַּ֗עַל
of Belial
Strong's:
H1100
Word #:
10 of 31
without profit, worthlessness; by extension, destruction, wickedness
נָסַ֙בּוּ֙
beset
H5437
נָסַ֙בּוּ֙
beset
Strong's:
H5437
Word #:
11 of 31
to revolve, surround, or border; used in various applications, literally and figuratively
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
12 of 31
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
בֵּֽיתְךָ֖
into thine house
H1004
בֵּֽיתְךָ֖
into thine house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
13 of 31
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
15 of 31
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
הַדָּ֑לֶת
at the door
H1817
הַדָּ֑לֶת
at the door
Strong's:
H1817
Word #:
16 of 31
something swinging, i.e., the valve of a door
הָאִ֛ישׁ
man
H376
הָאִ֛ישׁ
man
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
19 of 31
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)
בַּ֣עַל
to the master
H1167
בַּ֣עַל
to the master
Strong's:
H1167
Word #:
20 of 31
a master; hence, a husband, or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense)
בֵּֽיתְךָ֖
into thine house
H1004
בֵּֽיתְךָ֖
into thine house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
21 of 31
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
הוֹצֵ֗א
Bring forth
H3318
הוֹצֵ֗א
Bring forth
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
24 of 31
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
25 of 31
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
הָאִ֛ישׁ
man
H376
הָאִ֛ישׁ
man
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
26 of 31
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)
אֲשֶׁר
H834
אֲשֶׁר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
27 of 31
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
Cross References
1 Corinthians 6:9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,Judges 20:5And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.Deuteronomy 13:13Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;2 Corinthians 6:15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?1 Samuel 25:25Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.1 Samuel 2:12Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.Judges 16:25And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.Jude 1:7Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Historical Context
Gibeah was a Benjamite city approximately three miles north of Jerusalem, later becoming King Saul's hometown (1 Samuel 10:26). Archaeological excavations at Tell el-Ful (ancient Gibeah) have revealed destruction layers from this period, possibly connected to the civil war described in Judges 20. The parallel to Sodom is deliberate—the narrator intends readers to see Israel had become like the cities God destroyed. While Sodom's wickedness brought divine judgment through fire and brimstone (Genesis 19:24-25), Israel's wickedness brought internal civil war and near-extinction of an entire tribe. The subsequent events—gang rape and murder of the concubine, Israel's shocked response, war killing 25,000 Benjamites and destroying their cities (Judges 20:35-48)—demonstrate that covenant people can fall to depths rivaling pagan nations when they abandon God's law.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the parallel to Sodom demonstrate that covenant status doesn't prevent moral collapse apart from genuine faithfulness?
- What does this narrative teach about the end result of moral relativism ("everyone did what was right in his own eyes")?
- How should the church respond when such grievous sin occurs within the covenant community?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. This verse directly parallels Genesis 19:4-5, where Sodom's men surrounded Lot's house demanding to "know" (sexually abuse) his angelic guests. The phrase "sons of Belial" (benei beliyaal, בְּנֵי בְלִיָּעַל) means "worthless" or "wicked" men, emphasizing their moral depravity. That this occurs in Gibeah, a Benjamite city in covenant Israel, demonstrates how far God's people had fallen—they had become indistinguishable from Canaan's most wicked cities.
The demand to "know him" (veda'enu oto) uses the same Hebrew verb (yada, יָדַע) as Genesis 19:5, clearly indicating homosexual gang rape. This represents the nadir of Israel's moral collapse during Judges. From a Reformed perspective, this passage demonstrates total depravity and the inevitable consequences of rejecting God's moral law. When "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25), autonomous moral reasoning led not to enlightenment but to Sodom-like wickedness. This validates the necessity of objective, divinely-revealed moral standards and warns that covenant community status doesn't prevent moral collapse apart from genuine heart transformation.