Everyone who saw it said, “Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are we going to do? Who’s going to speak up?”
Parallel translations
- WEB It was so, that all who saw it said, “Such a deed has not been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day! Consider it, take counsel, and speak.”
- KJV 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.
- BSB And everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has been seen or done from the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until this day. Think it over, take counsel, and speak up!”
- NKJV And so it was that all who saw it said, “No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, confer, and speak up!”
- NASB All who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, make a plan, and speak up!”
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
All who see the pieces are horrified, declaring such a deed unprecedented in Israel's history. The nation is called to consider and act.
Overview
The universal shock shows that even a corrupt generation recognized this evil as beyond the pale. The call to 'consider, take counsel, and speak' sets up the national assembly of chapter 20. The verse marks a turning point, as outrage over Gibeah's sin moves Israel toward collective judgment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Judg 20:7Behold, you children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel.”
- Prov 13:10Pride only breeds quarrels, but with ones who take advice is wisdom.
- Prov 11:14Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory.
- Prov 24:6for by wise guidance you wage your war; and victory is in many advisors.
- Prov 20:18Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war!
- Prov 15:22Where there is no counsel, plans fail; but in a multitude of counselors they are established.
- Hos 9:9They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish them for their sins.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 19:30 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.