Judges 19:2

2 But his concubine was unfaithful to him and left him to go to her father's house at Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah, where she stayed for some time, four months.

Judges 19:2 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 19:2

And his concubine played the whore against him
Was unfaithful to him and his bed, and broke the covenant and agreement between them; or "with him" F9, while she was with him in the house; or "before him" F11, of which he had knowledge and proof; though some think this is not to be understood of whoredom or adultery, but of her ill usage of him, and departure from him. The Targum is, she despised him; so Kimchi and Ben Gersom interpret it of her declining and turning aside from him, and returning to her father's house, as follows: and indeed, had she been guilty of such a crime, one would think he would never have sought after her to reconcile her, and take her again, since she not only deserved to be put away, but to be put to death according to the law of God:

and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehemjudah;
where she was received, as she knew she should, having a parent perhaps too indulgent, and which was an encouragement to her to leave her husband:

and was there some whole months
or a year and four whole months, according to Ben Gersom; so Kimchi and Ben Melech observe the copulative "and" is wanting, which is expressed in ( 1 Samuel 27:7 ) and "yamim, days", is so the times used for a year, ( Judges 14:8 ) ( 15:1 ) ( 21:19 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F9 (wyle) "apud eum", Pagninus, Piscator; "cum eo", Junius & Tremellius.
F11 "Conspectu ejus", Vatablus; "coram eo", Drusius.

Judges 19:2 In-Context

1 In those days, when there was no king in Isra'el, there was a certain Levi living on the far side of the Efrayim hills who took a woman from Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah to be his concubine.
2 But his concubine was unfaithful to him and left him to go to her father's house at Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah, where she stayed for some time, four months.
3 Then her husband went after her to persuade her to return; he had his servant with him and a pair of donkeys. She brought him into her father's house; and when the girl's father saw him, he was glad to meet him.
4 His father-in-law, the girl's father, kept him there; so he remained with him three days; they ate, drank and stayed there.
5 On the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and he prepared to leave. But the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "You'll feel better if you have a bite of food before you leave."
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.