Judges 19:16-26

16 In the evening, an old man came in from his work in the field. He was from the hill country of Ephraim but was residing in Gibeah, and the men of that place were Benjaminites.

17 When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?"

18 He answered him, "We're traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I'm going to the house of the Lord.^[a] No one has taken me into his home,

19 although we have both straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me, your female servant, and the young man with your servant.^[b] There is nothing we lack."

20 "Peace to you," said the old man. "I'll take care of everything you need. Only don't spend the night in the square."

21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. Then they washed their feet and ate and drank.

22 While they were enjoying themselves, all of a sudden, perverted men of the city surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man who was the owner of the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him!"

23 The owner of the house went out and said to them, "No, don't do [this] evil, my brothers. After all, this man has come into my house. Don't do this horrible thing.

24 Here, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man's concubine now. Use them and do whatever you want^[c] to them. But don't do this horrible thing to this man."

25 But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and took her outside to them. They raped^[d] her and abused her all night until morning. At daybreak they let her go.

26 Early that morning, the woman made her way back, and as it was getting light, she collapsed at the doorway of the man's house where her master was.

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Judges 19:16-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 19

This chapter gives an account of a sad affair of a Levite and his concubine, and of the bad consequence of it, how that she played the whore, and went away from him to her father's house, whither he followed her, and where he was kindly entertained by her father several days, Jud 19:1-9 and then set out on his journey to his own country; and passing by Jebus or Jerusalem, he came to Gibeah, and could get no lodging, Jud 19:10-15, but at length was taken in by an old man, an Ephraimite, Jud 19:16-21 when the house where he was beset by some wicked men in Gibeah, with the same intent as the men of Sodom beset the house of Lot, Jud 19:22-24 and after some expostulation of the old man with them, the concubine was brought out to them and abused by them even unto death, Jud 19:25-28 upon which the Levite her husband cut her into twelve pieces, and sent them into all the coasts of Israel, which was shocking and surprising, Jud 19:29,30 the consequence of which is related in the next chapter.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 4

[a]. LXX reads to my house
[b]. Some Hb mss, Syr, Tg, Vg; other Hb mss read servants
[c]. Lit do what is good in your eyes
[d]. Lit knew

Judges 19:16-26

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Judges 19:16-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 19

Footnotes 4