16 And, behold, there came H935 an old H2205 man H376 from his work H4639 out of the field H7704 at even, H6153 which was also H376 of mount H2022 Ephraim; H669 and he sojourned H1481 in Gibeah: H1390 but the men H582 of the place H4725 were Benjamites. H1145
And it came to pass in those days, H3117 when there was no king H4428 in Israel, H3478 that there was a certain H376 Levite H3881 sojourning H1481 on the side H3411 of mount H2022 Ephraim, H669 who took H3947 to him a concubine H802 H6370 out of Bethlehemjudah. H1035 H3063
And they passed on H5674 and went their way; H3212 and the sun H8121 went down H935 upon them when they were by H681 Gibeah, H1390 which belongeth to Benjamin. H1144
In all labour H6089 there is profit: H4195 but the talk H1697 of the lips H8193 tendeth only to penury. H4270
Prepare H3559 thy work H4399 without, H2351 and make it fit H6257 for thyself in the field; H7704 and afterwards H310 build H1129 thine house. H1004
The sleep H8142 of a labouring man H5647 is sweet, H4966 whether he eat H398 little H4592 or much: H7235 but the abundance H7647 of the rich H6223 will not suffer H3240 him to sleep. H3462
Let G2813 him that stole G2813 steal G2813 no more: G3371 but G1161 rather G3123 let him labour, G2872 working G2038 with his hands G5495 the thing which is good, G18 that G2443 he may have G2192 to give G3330 to him that needeth. G5532 G2192
And G2532 that ye study G5389 to be quiet, G2270 and G2532 to do G4238 your own business, G2398 and G2532 to work with G2038 your G5216 own G2398 hands, G5495 as G2531 we commanded G3853 you; G5213 That G2443 ye may walk G4043 honestly G2156 toward G4314 them that are without, G1854 and G2532 that ye may have G2192 lack G5532 of nothing. G3367
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Judges 19
Commentary on Judges 19 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 19
The three remaining chapters of this book contain a most tragical story of the wickedness of the men of Gibeah, patronised by the tribe of Benjamin, for which that tribe was severely chastised and almost entirely cut off by the rest of the tribes. This seems to have been done not long after the death of Joshua, for it was when there was no king, no judge, in Israel (v. 1, and 21:25), and Phinehas was then high priest, 20:28. These particular iniquities, the Danites' idolatry, and the Benjamites' immorality, let in that general apostasy, 3:7. The abuse of the Levite's concubine is here very particularly related.
Jdg 19:1-15
The domestic affairs of this Levite would not have been related thus largely but to make way for the following story of the injuries done him, in which the whole nation interested themselves. Bishop Hall's first remark upon this story is, That there is no complain of a public ordered state but there is a Levite at one end of it, either as an agent or as a patient. In Micah's idolatry a Levite was active; in the wickedness of Gibeah a Levite was passive; no tribe shall sooner feel the want of government than that of Levi; and, in all the book of Judges, no mention is made of any of that tribe, but of these two. This Levite was of Mount Ephraim, v. 1. He married a wife of Bethlehem-Judah. She is called his concubine, because she was not endowed, for perhaps he had nothing to endow her with, being himself a sojourner and not settled; but it does not appear that he had any other wife, and the margin calls her a wife, a concubine, v. 1. She came from the same city that Micah's Levite came from, as if Bethlehem-Judah owed a double ill turn to Mount Ephraim, for she was as bad for a Levite's wife as the other for a Levite.
Jdg 19:16-21
Though there was not one of Gibeah, yet it proved there was one in Gibeah, that showed some civility to this distressed Levite, who was glad that any one took notice of him. It was strange that some of those wicked people, who, when it was dark, designed so ill to him and his concubine, did not, under pretence of kindness, invite them in, that they might have a fairer opportunity of perpetrating their villany; but either they had not wit enough to be so designing, or not wickedness enough to be so deceiving. Or, perhaps, none of them separately thought of such a wickedness, till in the black and dark night they got together to contrive what mischief they should do. Bad people in confederacy make one another much worse than any of them would be by themselves. When the Levite, and his wife, and servant, were beginning to fear that they must lie in the street all night (and as good have laid in a den of lions) they were at length invited into a house, and we are here told,
Jdg 19:22-30
Here is,