XIX. Judges 19:1. A Levite of Mount Ephraim goes to Bethlehem to bring back his unfaithful concubine, and is hospitably received by her father. 5-9. The afternoon of the fifth day after his arrival he sets out to return. Judges 19:10. Unwilling to stop at the heathen town of Jebus, he proceeds to Gi... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THE SIDE OF MOUNT EPHRAIM. — Literally, _on the two thighs_ (_yarcethaim_). (Comp. Psalms 128:3; Isaiah 37:24.) As to the residence of the Levite at Mount Ephraim, see Note on Judges 17:8. It is probably a fortuitous coincidence that both this Levite and Jonathan have relations with Mount Ephraim... [ Continue Reading ]
FOUR WHOLE MONTHS. — Literally, _days, four months,_ which some interpret to mean “a year (see Note on Judges 17:10) and four months.” The incident has, however, little bearing on the general story.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO SPEAK FRIENDLY UNTO HER. — Literally, _to speak to her heart_ — _i.e.,_ to bring about a kindly reconciliation (Genesis 34:3; Genesis 1:21; Ruth 2:13). A COUPLE OF ASSES. — One was meant to convey back his wife on her return.... [ Continue Reading ]
RETAINED HIM. — One motive of the father-in-law would doubtless be to practise the full rights of hospitality, which are in the East so specially sacred; but he probably desired further to win back the Levite’s heart to his erring daughter.... [ Continue Reading ]
EARLY IN THE MORNING. — Except in winter, most journeys are performed in the early morning or late evening, in order to avoid the burning heat. COMFORT THINE HEART. — Literally, _Prop up thy heart,_ as in Genesis 18:5. This resembles the Latin expression _cor fulcire. _... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THINE HEART BE MERRY. — Judges 16:25; Judges 18:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS FATHER IN LAW URGED HIM. — Considering the remorselessly savage revenge which is to this day permitted to an Eastern husband in punishment of unfaithfulness, the father might well desire to be thoroughly assured that the Levite was not dissembling, and did not desire to inflict some sanguinary r... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY TARRIED UNTIL AFTERNOON. — The verb is perhaps an imperative: _and linger_ (as in Isa. (19:9) _till the day turns._ So the LXX., Chaldee, and Vulg. take it.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DAY DRAWETH TOWARD EVENING. — Literally, _is weak,_ or _has slackened to evening._ The father had purposely detained the Levite till late, in the hopes of inducing him to spend one more night under his roof. The forms of Eastern politeness would render it difficult for the Levite to resist these... [ Continue Reading ]
JEBUS, WHICH IS JERUSALEM. — See Judges 1:8; Joshua 15:8. SADDLED. — Rather, _loaded_ (Vulg., _onustos_)_. _... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DAY WAS FAR SPENT. — Jerusalem is only two hours distant from Bethlehem. The father of the woman, by his unwise neglect to “speed the parting guest,” had greatly added to the perils of their journey in a half-conquered country, and in such wild times. UNTO HIS MASTER. — Literally, _to his lord,... [ Continue Reading ]
TO GIBEAH. — This is the “Gibeah of Saul,” where the first king of Israel was born (1 Samuel 11:4). It was one of the fourteen cities of Benjamin (Joshua 18:28), and is the modern _Tuleil el Ful._ It only involved a journey of four miles more (Jos. _Antt. v._ 2, § 8).... [ Continue Reading ]
OR IN RAMAH. — This town, now _el-Ram,_ is only two miles beyond Gibeah. The two places are often mentioned together (Hosea 5:8). The Levite is naturally anxious to push on homewards as fast as he can. Perhaps he knew that Gibeah did not bear a good character, and that it would be better to get as f... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SUN WENT DOWN UPON THEM. — They were evidently reluctant to stop at Gibeah; but it was dangerous to travel after dark, and the twilight in Palestine is very brief. WHICH BELONGETH TO BENJAMIN. — There were many other Gibeahs in Palestine, and for that reason Jibah and el-Jib are common names.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN A STREET. — Rather, _in the open place_ (_Rechob_) — _i.e.,_ the square or market-place of the city, often a space _outside_ the walls (Deuteronomy 13:16). (Comp. Genesis 19:1; “The stranger did not lodge in the street” — Job 31:32.) NO MAN THAT TOOK THEM INTO HIS HOUSE. — The same neglect would... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH WAS ALSO OF MOUNT EPHRAIM. — He was therefore a fellow-countryman of the Levite, but his hospitable feelings were aroused before he had been informed of this fact. TOWARD THE SIDE OF MOUNT EPHRAIM. — Rather, _the depths of the hill-country of Ephraim._ I AM NOW GOING TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.... [ Continue Reading ]
STRAW AND PROVENDER. — Comp. Genesis 24:25. All that the Levite asked was shelter. He would provide for all his own wants. THY SERVANTS. — The ordinary language of Eastern obsequiousness.... [ Continue Reading ]
PEACE BE WITH THEE. — The words are not here a greeting, but an assurance of help. ONLY LODGE NOT IN THE STREET. — Genesis 19:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
GAVE PROVENDER UNTO THE ASSES. — Notice the humane Eastern custom of attending first the wants of the animals. THEY WASHED THEIR FEET. — One of the first necessities for personal comfort after a journey in hot countries, and where only sandals are worn (Genesis 18:4; Genesis 24:32; Genesis 43:24; L... [ Continue Reading ]
SONS OF BELIAL. — It is only by a deeply-rooted misconception that Belial is written with a capital. The word is not the name (as is supposed) of an evil spirit, but an ordinary noun, “sons of worthlessness,” _i.e.,_ “worthless fellows.” (See Deuteronomy 13:14; Psalms 18:5.) Later (comp. 2 Corinthia... [ Continue Reading ]
DO NOT THIS FOLLY. — It is from no deficiency of moral indignation that the word “folly” (_nebalah_) is used. Sometimes when crime is too dark and deadly for ordinary reproach the feelings are more deeply expressed by using a milder word, which is instantly corrected and intensified by the hearer hi... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, HERE IS MY DAUGHTER... — The main horror of these verses lies, and is meant to lie, in the nameless infamy to which these men had sunk, of whom we can only say, “Non ragionam di lor ma guarda è passa.” But we must not omit to notice that the conduct of the old man and the Levite, though it... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME THE WOMAN.... — It would be scarcely possible to enhance the depth of pathos and of horror which the sacred writer throws into these simple words. If to the wretched woman punishment had come in the guise of her sin (Wis. 11:16, “that they might know that wherewithal a man sinneth, by the... [ Continue Reading ]
HER HANDS WERE UPON THE THRESHOLD. — As though they had been stretched out towards her husband in one last agony of appeal (Vulg., _sparsis in limine cnanibus_)_. _... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NONE ANSWERED. — The sacred writer, in his horror, will not say that she was dead. UPON AN ASS. — Rather, _the ass,_ which had borne her while she was living. The omission of every detail, the narration of the naked facts in the simplest words, without pausing to say so much as a single word re... [ Continue Reading ]
DIVIDED HER. — We see again that the narrative is taking us back to wild times, when the passions of men expressed themselves in wild and fierce expedients. A similar method of arousing a nation, but different in its details, is narrated in 1 Samuel 11:7, when Saul sends round the pieces of an ox, a... [ Continue Reading ]
The verse shows that the Levite had successfully gauged the depths of moral indignation that still lay in the hearts of his countrymen. The story of the deed thrilled through all Palestine and awoke a determined desire for retribution upon the guilty inhabitants of Gibeah. The whole nation felt the... [ Continue Reading ]