Judges 19:13-23

13 And he said to his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them [when they were] by Gibeah, which [belongeth] to Benjamin.

15 And they turned aside thither, to go in [and] to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat down in a street of the city: for [there was] no man that took them into his house to lodge.

16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening, who [was] also of mount Ephraim; and he dwelt in Gibeah: but the men of the place [were] Benjaminites.

17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a way-faring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

18 And he said to him, We [are] passing from Beth-lehem-Judah towards the side of mount Ephraim; from thence [am] I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I [am now] going to the house of the LORD; and there [is] no man that receiveth me into [his] house.

19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man [which is] with thy servants: [there is] no want of any thing:

20 And the old man said, Peace [be] with thee; however, [let] all thy wants [lie] upon me; only lodge not in the street.

21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender to the asses: and they washed their feet and ate and drank.

22 [Now] as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house on all sides, [and] beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him.

23 And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, Nay, my brethren, [nay], I pray you, do not [so] wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this folly.

Judges 19:13-23 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.