King James Version

What Does Judges 19:30 Mean?

Judges 19:30 in the King James Version says “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 ...” — study this verse from Judges chapter 19 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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.”

Judges 19:30 · KJV

Context

28

And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.

29

And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

30

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.

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
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—the universal horror expressed by all who saw the dismembered concubine's body parts sent throughout Israel's tribes. The comprehensive time frame—from the Exodus until the present—emphasizes that this atrocity surpasses even Egypt's oppression and Israel's wilderness rebellions in its wickedness. Consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds (שִׂימוּ לָכֶם עָלֶיהָ עֻצוּ וְדַבֵּרוּ, simu lachem aleha utzu vedaberu)—three imperatives calling for national council: lay it to heart, deliberate together, speak decisively.

This verse concludes the horrific narrative of chapters 19 with a call to action. The gang rape and murder of the Levite's concubine at Gibeah (belonging to Benjamin) parallels Sodom's wickedness (Genesis 19), demonstrating that Israel has become as depraved as the Canaanites they were supposed to displace. The Levite's calculated dismemberment of her body—sending twelve pieces throughout Israel's tribes—forces the nation to confront its moral collapse. When no king governs and everyone does what is right in their own eyes (21:25), society descends to this level of barbarism. The verse's shocked rhetoric demands response: evil of this magnitude cannot be ignored or tolerated. Yet chapter 20 reveals that even righteous indignation can become self-righteous vengeance when God is not properly consulted.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The crime at Gibeah occurred during the period when Benjamin's territory had become thoroughly corrupt. Gibeah (later Saul's hometown, 1 Samuel 10:26) was only three miles from Jerusalem. The Levite's method of raising the nation—dismembering his concubine's corpse and sending parts to the twelve tribes—mirrors Saul's later action with oxen (1 Samuel 11:7), but here the medium matches the message's horror. The tribal assembly at Mizpah (20:1) became a national war council.

Reflection Questions

  1. How do you respond when confronted with shocking evil—with righteous action or self-righteous rage?
  2. What does this narrative reveal about the inevitable moral collapse when society abandons God's authority?
  3. In what ways does contemporary culture parallel Judges' moral chaos, and what is the church's prophetic response?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 23 words
נִהְיְתָ֤ה1 of 23

“And it was so”

H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

כָל2 of 23
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

נִרְאֲתָה֙3 of 23

“done nor seen”

H7200

to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

וְאָמַר֙4 of 23

“it said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

לֹֽא5 of 23
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

נִהְיְתָ֤ה6 of 23

“And it was so”

H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

וְלֹֽא7 of 23
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

נִרְאֲתָה֙8 of 23

“done nor seen”

H7200

to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

כָּזֹ֔את9 of 23

“There was no such deed”

H2063

this (often used adverb)

הַיּ֣וֹם10 of 23

“from the day”

H3117

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

עֲל֤וֹת11 of 23

“came up”

H5927

to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative

בְּנֵֽי12 of 23

“that the children”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

יִשְׂרָאֵל֙13 of 23

“of Israel”

H3478

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

מֵאֶ֣רֶץ14 of 23

“out of the land”

H776

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

מִצְרַ֔יִם15 of 23

“of Egypt”

H4714

mitsrajim, i.e., upper and lower egypt

עַ֖ד16 of 23
H5704

as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)

הַיּ֣וֹם17 of 23

“from the day”

H3117

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

הַזֶּ֑ה18 of 23
H2088

the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

שִֽׂימוּ19 of 23

“consider”

H7760

to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)

לָכֶ֥ם20 of 23
H0
עָלֶ֖יהָ21 of 23
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

עֻ֥צוּ22 of 23

“of it take advice”

H5779

to consult

וְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃23 of 23

“and speak”

H1696

perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Judges. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Judges 19:30 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Judges 19:30 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Judges 20:7Proverbs 13:10Proverbs 15:22Proverbs 24:6Proverbs 11:14Hosea 9:9

Places in This Verse

EgyptRegion · Modern: Ain Shams · 30.13°N, 31.31°E658 verses across 33 books
View all places in Judges 19 →

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