Judges 19:2

2 But she wasn't faithful to him. She left him. She went back to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there for 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 Israel didn't have a king. There was a Levite who lived deep in the hill country of Ephraim. He got a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
2 But she wasn't faithful to him. She left him. She went back to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there for four months.
3 Then her husband went to see her. He tried to talk her into coming back with him. He had his servant and two donkeys with him. She took her husband into her father's house. When her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.
4 His father-in-law, the woman's father, begged him to stay. So he remained with him for three days. He ate, drank and slept there.
5 On the fourth day they got up early. The Levite prepared to leave. But the woman's father spoke to his son-in-law. He said, "Have something to eat. It will give you strength. Then you can go on your way."
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.