Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Behold, you children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel.”
- KJV Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
- NKJV Look! All of you are children of Israel; give your advice and counsel here and now!”
- NASB Behold, all you sons of Israel, give your response and advice here.”
- NLT Now then, all of you—the entire community of Israel—must decide here and now what should be done about this!”
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 Levite calls on all Israel to give counsel and decide what to do. The matter is placed before the whole assembly for judgment.
Overview
He invites the gathered tribes to deliberate and render a verdict. The appeal to collective counsel reflects a desire for united action against the crime. It moves the assembly toward the demand for justice that follows.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Judg 19:30And 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!”
- 1 Cor 5:10–12I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
- Josh 9:14Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of the LORD.
- Deut 4:6Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
- 1 Cor 5:6Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough?
- 1 Cor 5:1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
- Prov 24:6Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
- Prov 20:18Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.
- Deut 14:1–2You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead,
- Jas 1:5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
- Exod 19:5–6Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 20:7 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.