Shofetim 20:4

4 And the Levi, the ish haisha that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Giv’ah that belongeth to Binyamin, I and my pilegesh, to lodge.

Shofetim 20:4 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:4

And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain,
answered, and said
He rose up, and, in answer to their request, declared the whole affair as follows: and none so proper as he, who was upon the spot when it was done, and so near a relation of the deceased, and had a right to demand justice to be done; for from hence it appears that she was his lawful wife, though called a concubine:

I came into Gibeah, that belongeth to Benjamin;
which he so particularly describes, to distinguish it from another of the same name in the tribe of Judah, lest any mistake should be made, and an innocent people should suffer in their reputation, or otherwise; and which also would account for the tribe of Benjamin not being present at this convention:

I and my concubine, to lodge;
thither they came, not with an intention to stay, to sojourn there, and much less to do them any injury, or to infringe any of their rights and privileges; nor in the least to be burdensome to them, having brought all necessary provisions with them for themselves, servants, and cattle, only to get a night's lodging with them.

Shofetim 20:4 In-Context

2 And the Pinot (Corner pillars, Leaders, Chiefs) kol HaAm, even of kol Shivtei Yisroel, presented themselves in the Kahal Am HaElohim, four hundred thousand foot soldiers armed with cherev.

3 (Now the Bnei Binyamin heard that the Bnei Yisroel were gone up to Mitzpah.) Then said the Bnei Yisroel, Tell us, how this ra’ah came to be?

4 And the Levi, the ish haisha that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Giv’ah that belongeth to Binyamin, I and my pilegesh, to lodge.

5 And the ba’alei haGiv’ah rose against me, and surrounded the bais upon me by lailah, and intended to have murdered me; and my pilegesh have they raped, that she is dead.

6 And I took my pilegesh, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout kol sedeh nachalat Yisroel; for they have committed zimmah (lewdness) and nevalah (wickedness, outrage, disgrace) in Yisroel.