And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
Parallel translations
- WEB The old man said, “Peace be to you; how ever let me supply all your needs. Just don’t sleep in the street.”
- BSB “Peace to you,” said the old man. “Let me supply everything you need. Only do not spend the night in the square.”
- NKJV And the old man said, “Peace be with you! However, let all your needs be my responsibility; only do not spend the night in the open square.”
- NASB Then the old man said, “Peace to you. Only let me take care of all your needs; however, do not spend the night in the public square.”
- NLT “You are welcome to stay with me,” the old man said. “I will give you anything you might need. But whatever you do, don’t spend the night in the square.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The old man welcomes them, insisting they not spend the night in the square. He extends the hospitality the town denied.
Overview
With a blessing of peace, the old man takes responsibility for the travelers' needs. His insistence that they not sleep in the open shows genuine care and awareness of danger. His kindness stands as the last act of decency before the night's atrocity.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Judg 6:23And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
- 1 Sam 25:6And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
- 1 Chr 12:18Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.
- Luke 10:5–6And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
- Gal 6:6Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
- Heb 13:2Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
- 1 Cor 1:3Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Jas 2:15–16If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
- Gen 24:31–33And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.
- Gen 43:23–24And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
- Gen 19:2–3And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
- John 14:27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
- Rom 12:13Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
- 1 Pet 4:9Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
- 1 Jn 3:18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 19:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.