Judges 19:22 Meaning and Explanation
“Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →As they enjoy the evening, wicked men of the city surround the house and demand the guest be handed over.
What Does Judges 19:22 Mean?
The peace of the evening shatters. As the household is making their hearts merry, worthless men of the city surround the house, pounding on the door and demanding that the old man bring out his guest so they can abuse him. The very townsmen who would not shelter a stranger now gather to assault him. The earlier merry-making, an innocent gladness, is interrupted by sudden, encircling evil.
The narrator calls them sons of Belial, men of utter worthlessness, and their demand exposes how thoroughly Gibeah has corrupted itself. This scene deliberately echoes the night in Sodom, marking how the covenant people have sunk to the level of the cities God once judged. Scripture does not soften such moments; it lets the horror stand as a warning of what a community becomes when it forgets the fear of God. That this happens in Israel, among the chosen people, is the chapter's deepest grief, a measure of how desperately the nation needed deliverance.
Judges 19:22 in the Original Language
beliyya'al (בְּלִיַּעַל), 'Belial' -- worthlessness or wickedness; 'sons of Belial' means utterly base, lawless men.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 19:22
What does Judges 19:22 mean?
As they enjoy the evening, wicked men of the city surround the house and demand the guest be handed over.