Judges 19:18

‘ And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem-judah to the far side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there. And I went to Bethleham-judah, and I am now going to the house of Yahweh. And there is no man who takes me into his house.” '

He answered his last question first, giving the starting point of the journey, so as to make clear what he was doing passing Gibeah. In troublesome times it was necessary to make clear that there was nothing suspicious about his circumstance.

Then he explained his destination, and explained that that was where he lived. He did not realise that the old man also came from the same area which would warm his heart towards him. Finally he pointed out that, prior to returning home, he was bound for ‘the house of Yahweh', the tabernacle of God, possibly at this time at Bethel (Judges 20:26), but more probably at Shiloh, presumably to give thanks for his wife's return and offer appropriate sacrifices.

Thus he was on a kind of pilgrimage which meant that his treatment should, in a godly town, have been of the best. The fact that he was going to the central sanctuary of the covenant emphasises the breach of the covenant by the men of the town.

At no stage does he mention any town from which he came. Thus it may be that he actually dwelt in a house away from the towns. Or it may be that the reason for the non-mention is the same as the reason for the non-mention of his name. He was seen as standing in some way for all Levites, a reminder that they were holy to the Lord and to be protected and cared for.

“And there is no man who takes me into his house.” In most places hospitality was seen as a bounden duty, and he was clearly surprised, especially as a Levite, that he had not been welcomed. But it did explain why they were settling down in the square for the night. It was not that they had refused hospitality but that they had not been asked.

There are certain similarities with the story of Lot, but the event was not one that was so unusual that it was limited to these two incidents. The sexual mistreatment, and even murder, of strangers was probably no uncommon thing. What brought this case to the fore was that the Levite was a man of action, and was a Levite, a holy man.