The Meaning of Judges 20:6 Explained

Judges 20:6

KJV: And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.

YLT: and I lay hold on my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and send her into all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have done wickedness and folly in Israel;

Darby: And I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed abomination and wantonness in Israel.

ASV: And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I took  my concubine,  and cut her in pieces,  and sent  her throughout all the country  of the inheritance  of Israel:  for they have committed  lewdness  and folly  in Israel. 

What does Judges 20:6 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Judges 20

1  The Levite in a general assembly declared his wrong
8  The decree of the assembly
12  The Benjamites, being cited, make head against the Israelites
18  The Israelites in two battles lose forty thousand
26  They destroy by a plan all the Benjamites, except six hundred

What do the individual words in Judges 20:6 mean?

So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel because they committed lewdness and outrage in Israel
וָֽאֹחֵ֤ז בְּפִֽילַגְשִׁי֙ וָֽאֲנַתְּחֶ֔הָ וָֽאֲשַׁלְּחֶ֔הָ בְּכָל־ שְׂדֵ֖ה נַחֲלַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֥י עָשׂ֛וּ זִמָּ֥ה וּנְבָלָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וָֽאֹחֵ֤ז  So  I  took  hold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָחוּז 
Sense: grasp, take hold, seize, take possession.
בְּפִֽילַגְשִׁי֙  of  my  concubine 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: פִּלֶגֶשׁ  
Sense: concubine, paramour.
וָֽאֲנַתְּחֶ֔הָ  and  cut  her  in  pieces 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: נָתַח  
Sense: to cut, cut up, cut in pieces, divide.
וָֽאֲשַׁלְּחֶ֔הָ  and  sent  her 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
בְּכָל־  throughout  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
שְׂדֵ֖ה  the  territory 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
נַחֲלַ֣ת  of  the  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
כִּ֥י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עָשׂ֛וּ  they  committed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
זִמָּ֥ה  lewdness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: זִמָּה  
Sense: plan, device, wickedness, evil plan, mischievous purpose.
וּנְבָלָ֖ה  and  outrage 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְבָלָה  
Sense: senselessness, folly.
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל  in  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.