Judges 19:2

2 But she became angry with him and returned to her father’s home in Bethlehem. After about 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 Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.
2 But she became angry with him and returned to her father’s home in Bethlehem. After about four months,
3 her husband set out for Bethlehem to speak personally to her and persuade her to come back. He took with him a servant and a pair of donkeys. When he arrived at her father’s house, her father saw him and welcomed him.
4 Her father urged him to stay awhile, so he stayed three days, eating, drinking, and sleeping there.
5 On the fourth day the man was up early, ready to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have something to eat before you go.”

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or she was unfaithful to him.
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