· Translation: KJV

Judges 19:20The old man said, "Peace be to you; howsoever let all your wants lie on me; only don't lodge in the street."

The setting

Gibeah, Israel, ~1100 BC. Evening. A Levite and his concubine desperately need shelter in this Benjamite town that has become lawless like Sodom...

The emotion here: urgent compassion seeing fellow travelers in danger

The original word

shalom (שָׁלוֹם) — complete peace, safety, wholeness, not just greeting

Why it matters

Gibeah was Saul's hometown, but this was before Israel had kings

Read with care

What most readers miss in Judges 19:20

The old man is an Ephraimite immigrant, not a local Benjamite

Common misconceptionThis looks like simple ancient hospitality, but the old man knew this town had become violent like Sodom. He's risking his own safety.

Bible Genome reading

Judges 19:20 — Bible Genome reading

Speakerold_man
Erajudges
Primary emotiongrateful
Literary typedialogue
MarkPromise of God
MarkCommand

Emotional genome

Comfort power70%
Quotability60%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance60%
Standalone50%
Themes:hospitalitygenerosityprotection

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Judges 19

Judges 19:20 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to old_man. The dominant emotion in this verse is grateful, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is tender. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include hospitality, generosity, protection. Notable phrases: Peace be to you; let all your wants lie on me. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains a command.

Your reflection

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