19:1 days there was no king in Israel See note on Judg 17:6.

a man, a Levite Not the one from 18:30.

a concubine A woman who was a sexual partner and part of the man’s household but with a social status below that of a wife.

from Bethlehem in Judah The contrast between Ephraim and Judah is evident in the narrative’s identification of the home territories of the Levite and the concubine. The woman is from Bethlehem, the hometown of David.

19:2 felt repugnance toward him The nature of the concubine’s action described here is unclear due to multiple options for how to read the Hebrew text. The Hebrew verb used here, zanah, is a common word for describing sexual immorality (Gen 38:24; Josh 6:22). However, the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the ot, says that the woman became angry with the Levite, reading a homonym for zanah that means to become angry or hate.

19:3 and he went after her Whether the Levite is here motivated by guilt, some perceived wrong of his own, or some other reason is unclear. In any case, he wants his concubine to return.

was glad to meet him Either the Levite and the concubine’s father enjoy a good personal relationship, or the father wants his daughter restored to a stable relationship—or both. Marital breakup was a social disgrace.

19:4 to stay with him three days Such hospitality was common in ancient Near Eastern culture; inhospitality was a cause for shame (compare Judg 19:17–23).

19:5 Refresh yourself with a bit of The hospitality is extended. See v. 4 and note.

19:7 he returned and spent the night there The hospitality is prolonged yet again. See v. 4 and note.

19:9 You can rise early tomorrow The concubine’s father wants to extend hospitality a third time, a gesture that conformed to cultural norms. See v. 4 and note.

19:10 that is, Jerusalem Jebus was an ancient name for Jerusalem (or a settlement very close to it) prior to David’s capture of the city. The Jebusites were among the native peoples of Canaan (Gen 10:16). Other passages apparently equate Jebus with Jerusalem (Josh 15:8; 18:28; compare 2 Sam 5:6–9; 24:18–25).

19:12 we will cross over up to Gibeah The Levite either favors staying in a town inhabited by fellow Israelites, perhaps because he thinks it will be safer, or is motivated by ethnic bigotry against the foreign Jebusites (see note on Judg 19:10).

19:13 in Gibeah or in Ramah Gibeah (not to be confused with Gibeon) was about four miles beyond Jebus, and Ramah was near Gibeah. Both cities were within Benjaminite territory (vv. 14, 16). Gibeah was a central location in Saul’s disastrous rule (see 1 Sam 9–14).

19:14 beside Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin See Judg 19:13 and note. See note on 17:1–13.

19:15 in the open square of the city Finding someone who would accommodate strangers could be expected given the cultural norms for hospitality (see v. 4 and note). But having snubbed the Gentile city of Jebus as an option, the Levite finds his fellow Israelites less than hospitable.

19:18 Yahweh’s house It is unclear why the Levite would reference visiting Shiloh (or Bethel), where it seems the ark of the covenant was kept (18:31; 20:18). This may be why the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the ot, reads “my house” instead (compare v. 29).

19:19 there is no lack of anything The Levite will not be a burden to anyone offering shelter.

19:20 you must not spend the night An echo of Lot’s urgency to ensure the safety of the two visitors to Sodom (who were angels; Gen 19:1–2).

19:22 Bring out the man See Gen 19:7.

19:24 his concubine Lot similarly offered his two daughters to the men of Sodom.

Do not do this disgraceful thing The cultural expectations related to hospitality demanded the Levite’s protection and safety.

19:25 men were not willing to listen See Gen 19:9.

they abused her all night This horrific act casts both the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin in a dishonorable light. The victim—the concubine—is from Judah, while the men who offer the innocent women are from Ephraim; the men who perpetuate the crime are from Benjamin (Judg 19:1, 14, 16, 22, 24).

19:28 but there was no answer Nothing indicates remorse.

So he put her on the donkey It is unclear whether the concubine is already dead. In view of v. 29, she is dead by the time the Levite returns to Bethlehem.

19:29 throughout the whole territory of Israel It seems that the Levite does this hideous act to prove the truthfulness of his story and prompt others to action (20:4–7).

19:30 Take note of it Suggests that the Levite sent a message with the pieces of the corpse. This explains how the tribes knew where to meet in ch. 20.