Judges 19:11-21

11 As the day was almost over, they came near Jebus. So the servant said to his master, "Let's stop at this city of the Jebusites, and spend the night here."

12 But his master said, "No. We won't go inside a foreign city. Those people are not Israelites. We will go on to the city of Gibeah."

13 He said, "Come on. Let's try to make it to Gibeah or Ramah so we can spend the night in one of those cities."

14 So they went on. The sun went down as they came near Gibeah, which belongs to the tribe of Benjamin.

15 They stopped there to spend the night. They came to the public square of the city and sat down, but no one invited them home to spend the night.

16 Finally, in the evening an old man came in from his work in the fields. His home was in the mountains of Ephraim, but now he was living in Gibeah. (The people of Gibeah were from the tribe of Benjamin.)

17 He saw the traveler in the public square and asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"

18 The Levite answered, "We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to my home in the mountains of Ephraim. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah, but now I am going to the Holy Tent of the Lord. No one has invited me to stay in his house.

19 We already have straw and food for our donkeys and bread and wine for me, the young woman, and my servant. We don't need anything."

20 The old man said, "You are welcome to stay at my house. Let me give you anything you need, but don't spend the night in the public square."

21 So the old man took the Levite into his house, and he fed their donkeys. They washed their feet and had something to eat and drink.

Judges 19:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 19

This chapter gives an account of a sad affair of a Levite and his concubine, and of the bad consequence of it, how that she played the whore, and went away from him to her father's house, whither he followed her, and where he was kindly entertained by her father several days, Jud 19:1-9 and then set out on his journey to his own country; and passing by Jebus or Jerusalem, he came to Gibeah, and could get no lodging, Jud 19:10-15, but at length was taken in by an old man, an Ephraimite, Jud 19:16-21 when the house where he was beset by some wicked men in Gibeah, with the same intent as the men of Sodom beset the house of Lot, Jud 19:22-24 and after some expostulation of the old man with them, the concubine was brought out to them and abused by them even unto death, Jud 19:25-28 upon which the Levite her husband cut her into twelve pieces, and sent them into all the coasts of Israel, which was shocking and surprising, Jud 19:29,30 the consequence of which is related in the next chapter.