Judges 20:5

5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced,[a] that she is dead.

Judges 20:5 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:5

And the men of Gibeah rose against me
Not all of them, but some that dwelt in that city; he forbears giving them the character they justly deserved, sons of Belial. These came in a tumultuous and violent manner,

and beset the house round about upon me by night;
that he might not make his escape, resolving if possible to get him into their hands, and do with him according to their will:

and thought to have slain me;
their first intention was to commit the unnatural sin on him, and, if he resisted, to slay him; but this he modestly conceals, as being a sin not to be named in an assembly of saints; and besides he might say this, because he himself chose rather to be slain than to submit to their lust, which he knew must be the case upon his refusal and resistance; and even if he had yielded, being overpowered, this would have been the consequence, that he should have been abused even unto death, as his wife was:

and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead;
or "afflicted", or "humbled" F4 her; which is a modest expression for carnal knowledge of her, and which they had to such excess that she died through it.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 (wne) "afflixerunt", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus.

Judges 20:5 In-Context

3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.
6 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.
7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

Footnotes 1

The King James Version is in the public domain.