Albert Barnes Commentary Judges 19
Albert Barnes Commentary
Judges 19
Albert Barnes Commentary
Judges 19
"And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah." — Judges 19:1 (ASV)
A concubine - See the margin. The name does not imply any moral reproach. A concubine was as much the man’s wife as the woman formally called wife, though she did not have the same rights. See (Judges 19:3–4).
"And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him unto her father`s house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months." — Judges 19:2 (ASV)
Played the whore against him: Perhaps only meaning that she ran away from him, and left him, for she returned to her father’s house.
"And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel`s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thy heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home." — Judges 19:9 (ASV)
This is a perfect picture of the manners of the time. It is probable that the father showed more than usual hospitality, in order to ensure the kind treatment of his daughter by her husband. These particulars are given to account for their journey running so far into the evening, which was the immediate cause of the horrible catastrophe which followed.
"And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside into the city of a foreigner, that is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah." — Judges 19:12 (ASV)
City of a stranger - This shows how completely, even in these early days, the Jebusite population had excluded both the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
"So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin." — Judges 19:14 (ASV)
Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin - See Joshua 18:24 note.
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