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 da... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THOSE DAYS, WHEN THERE WAS NO KING IN ISRAEL,.... The same is observed in Judges 17:6 and refers to the same times, the times before the judges, between them and the death of Joshua, during which time there was no supreme magistrate or ruler in Israel, which is meant; and this... [ Continue Reading ]
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" i, while she was with him in the house; or "before him" k, of which he had knowledge and proof; though some think this is not to be understood of wh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HER HUSBAND AROSE,.... From the place where he lived: AND WENT AFTER HER; to Bethlehemjudah, where her father lived: TO SPEAK COMFORTABLY TO HER "or to her heart" l; having heard perhaps that she repented of her sin, or if it was only upon a quarrel between them, his anger might cool and subsi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS FATHER IN LAW, THE DAMSEL'S FATHER, RETAINED HIM,.... Prevailed upon him to stay some time with him: AND HE ABODE WITH HIM THREE DAYS; it seems as if he agreed to stay with him so long, and that time he stayed contentedly: SO THEY DID EAT AND DRINK, AND LODGED THERE; the Levite and his ser... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE FOURTH DAY,.... The time the Levite had agreed to stay being up: WHEN THEY AROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING the Levite, his concubine and servant, in order to set out on their journey: that he arose to depart; the Levite rose up from his seat to take his leave of his father-in-... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAT DOWN,.... Not only sat down upon their seats again, the Levite having rose up in order to go away, but sat down at table: AND DID EAT AND DRINK BOTH OF THEM TOGETHER; both the Levite and his father-in-law; and it appears by this, and what follows, that the Levite did not take only a sh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE MAN ROSE UP TO DEPART,.... Rose up from table, having ate and drank sufficiently, in order to depart the house, and proceed on his journey: HIS FATHER IN LAW URGED HIM; with much entreaty, and earnest solicitations, that he would stay all night with him: THEREFORE HE LODGED THERE AGAI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING ON THE FIFTH DAY TO DEPART,.... With a full intention to take his leave of his father, and be gone: AND THE DAMSEL'S FATHER SAID, COMFORT THINE HEART, I PRAY THEE; with a meal's meat, with a breakfast, before he set out on his journey, that he might be heartier and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE MAN ROSE UP TO DEPART, HE AND HIS CONCUBINE, AND HIS SERVANT,.... Rose up from table, having comfortably refreshed themselves: HIS FATHER IN LAW, THE DAMSEL'S FATHER, SAID UNTO HIM, BEHOLD, NOW THE DAY DRAWETH TOWARDS EVENING; or is "remiss", or "weak" n; that is, the heat, light, and... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE MAN WOULD NOT TARRY THAT NIGHT,.... He was determined upon his journey; he perceived there was no end of the solicitations of his father-in-law, and did not know how long he intended to detain him, and therefore was resolved not to hearken to him any longer: BUT HE ROSE UP AND DEPARTED; ros... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WERE BY JEBUS THE DAY WAS FAR SPENT,.... Or "was gone down very much" q, the sun was going down apace, and near setting: AND THE SERVANT SAID UNTO HIS MASTER, COME, I PRAY THEE: he proposed it to him in a submissive manner, and might use some entreaty for his master's good and safety:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS MASTER SAID UNTO HIM, WE WILL NOT TURN ASIDE HITHER INTO THE CITY OF A STRANGER,.... A city of the children of the Gentiles, as the Targum, as the Jebusites were, being one of the seven nations of the land of Canaan, who were to be dispossessed and destroyed; and which, one would think, he w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID TO HIS SERVANT, COME, AND LET US DRAW NEAR,.... And get on as fast as we can: TO ONE OF THESE PLACES TO LODGE ALL NIGHT, IN GIBEAH, OR IN RAMAH; which were both in the tribe of Benjamin, and he left it to his servant to go to either, to that which was most convenient, because of the tim... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY PASSED ON, AND WENT THEIR WAY,.... Proceeded on in their journey from Jebus or Jerusalem, near to which they were: AND THE SUN WENT DOWN UPON THEM WHEN THEY WERE BY GIBEAH, WHICH BELONGETH TO BENJAMIN; which is added, to distinguish it from another Gibeah in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:5... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY TURNED ASIDE THITHER TO GO IN AND LODGE IN GIBEAH,.... Instead of going right forward, and passing by Gibeah, over against which they were, they turned out of their road, and went into the city to seek a lodging in it: AND WHEN HE WENT IN, HE SAT HIM DOWN IN A STREET OF THE CITY; to see wh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, BEHOLD, THERE CAME AN OLD MAN FROM HIS WORK OUT OF THE FIELD AT EVEN,.... Which is the time that men come from their labour, and take their rest; and this man, though a man in years, and of some substance, as appears by what follows, yet attended the business of his calling, which was very comm... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD LIFTED UP HIS EYES,.... For it may be, as he came out of the field, he was musing and meditating with his eyes downwards directed, but coming into the city looked up: HE SAW A WAYFARING MAN IN THE STREET OF THE CITY; whom he supposed to be a traveller and a stranger by his dress, an... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO HIM, WE ARE PASSING FROM BETHLEHEMJUDAH,.... He answers to his last question first, for this was the place from whence they came: TOWARDS THE SIDE OF MOUNT EPHRAIM: thither they were going, which is an answer to the first question: and then adds, which is more than what was request... [ Continue Reading ]
YET THERE IS BOTH STRAW AND PROVENDER FOR OUR ASSES,.... Straw to litter them with, and provender to feed them with, which he had brought with him on them: AND THERE IS BREAD AND WINE ALSO FOR ME, AND FOR THINE HANDMAID; meaning himself and his concubine; there were enough for them both, which were... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE OLD MAN SAID, PEACE BE WITH YOU,.... All happiness attend thee, particularly ease and tranquillity of mind, let nothing disturb or distress thee: HOWSOEVER, LET ALL THY WANTS LIE UPON ME; signifying, that if he had neither bread nor wine for himself, his wife, and his servant, nor any litte... [ Continue Reading ]
SO HE BROUGHT HIM INTO HIS HOUSE,.... Showed him the way to it, and in a kind and friendly manner introduced him, and bid him welcome: AND GAVE PROVENDER UNTO THE ASSES; this is mentioned first, it being then perhaps, as now, the first thing that a careful man is concerned for, to see that his catt... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW AS THEY WERE MAKING THEIR HEARTS MERRY,.... With a glass of wine after supper, and conversing together in a cheerful manner about their country and friends: BEHOLD, THE MEN OF THE CITY, CERTAIN SONS OF BELIAL; very wicked, lawless, ungovernable, worthless, and unprofitable creatures, men under... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MAN, THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE, WENT OUT UNTO THEM,.... Opened the door, and went out to converse with them, and talked them after this manner: AND SAID UNTO THEM, NAY, MY BRETHREN, NAY, I PRAY YOU, DO NOT SO WICKEDLY; it is plain he understood them in such sense, that they meant not bare kno... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, HERE IS MY DAUGHTER, A MAIDEN, AND HIS CONCUBINE,.... His own daughter, a virgin, and the concubine of the Levite his guest: THEM I WILL BRING OUT NOW, AND HUMBLE YE THEM, AND DO WITH THEM WHAT SEEMETH GOOD UNTO YOU; those he proposed to bring out, and deliver to them, to lie with, to do wi... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE MEN WOULD NOT HEARKEN TO HIM,.... Especially with respect to his daughter, whom they knew very well, and had no affection for, perhaps was not handsome enough for them: SO THE MAN TOOK HIS CONCUBINE, AND BROUGHT HER FORTH UNTO THEM; that is, not the old man, but the Levite took his own wife... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME THE WOMAN IN THE DAWNING OF THE DAY,.... When those wicked wretches who had abused her had left her, having had her from place to place, at some distance from the house out of which she was put, and to which she got again, as well as she could: AND FELL DOWN AT THE DOOR OF THE MAN'S HOUSE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HER LORD ROSE UP IN THE MORNING,.... Very early no doubt, and it is scarcely reasonable to think he should sleep quietly after such a riot, and his concubine or wife delivered up to the lust of such brutish creatures: AND OPENED THE DOORS OF THE HOUSE, AND WENT OUT TO GO HIS WAY; either in sear... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO HER, UP, AND LET US BE GOING,.... He spoke to her as supposing her asleep, in order to awake her, and prepare for their journey with all the haste they could, lest greater mischief should befall them: BUT NONE ANSWERED; for she was dead; and her death was occasioned, as Josephus w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE WAS COME INTO HIS HOUSE,.... Having taken the dead body of his wife from off the ass, and brought it in thither, and laid it in a proper place and order: HE TOOK A KNIFE; a carving knife, such as food is cut with, as the word signifies; the Targum is, a sword: AND LAID HOLD ON HIS CONC... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT WAS SO, THAT ALL THAT SAW IT,.... The dismembered pieces of the dead body, and were made acquainted with the cause of it; for so Josephus b says, he gave the messengers a command to declare what was the cause of her death: SAID, THERE WAS NO SUCH DEED DONE NOR SEEN, FROM THE DAY THAT THE CHI... [ Continue Reading ]