Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · Judges · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
HEre followeth another most lamentable accident of a Levites concubine, or wife abused unto death by the men of Gibeah in Benjamin, whereupon that whole tribe almost perished, to shew further the misery of that State where therein is no King. Josephus relating this history, saith, that hee took Joseph. Anti{que} lib. 5. c. 2.her to wife, and that the time of her departure from him, was within foure months after that he had marryed her. And that the cause was the quarrels that were between them, shee being a faire woman, for which his affection was greatly towards her, and shee not answering him with the like, contentions arose, whereupon shee went away to her Parents, &c. This Levite dwelt in V. 1.Mount Ephraim, not farre from Micahs house, and hee tooke his concubine from Bethlehem Judah, where Micahs Levite had sojourned, before that he came unto him, Chap. 17. 7. so that the strange accidents here, and in the former Chapters set downe, happened to those of the same places, whereby we may gather, that many more villanies were then committed throughout that kingdome. An odious woman, such as this was, is one of the foure things that disquieteth the earth. Shee played the whore against him, and went away from Prov. 30. 21. V. 2.him to her fathers house. The Vulg. Latine, Septuagint, and Josephus likewise speaketh of 30 furlongs, and of 20, counting 5 furlongs to a mile. In that comming to Gibeah no man entertained them, till that this old man came from his worke, who was more hospitable, … may note both the inhumanity of that people; and that of old there were neither Innes nor Alehouses, into which a man might bee received in his travaile for his money, nor Bakers, nor Victuallers in Cities, of whom hee might buy bread or other provision. But the manner was then to take beasts loaden with provision, as this Levite had two Asses and a servant with him, and provender for the beasts; and at night if any hospitable person would receive him that travailed into his house to lodge him, hee went in, otherwise hee lay in the street; as the two Angels said to Lot, that they would lye in the street all night, or in the field, as Jacob neare Bethel pitching a tent there. This in hospitablenesse and inhumanity Note. was in the men of Gibeah a fore-runner of their destruction, as the like had been in Sodome. It is then a most wicked thing to be thus unkind to strangers in their travaile, and a most excellent to bee hospitable, as Abraham and Lot.Heb. 13. 2.
Touching Gibeon or Gibeah, the place, were this was done, Josh. 21. 17. it is said to have beene a City given to the Levites out of Benjamins lot, how Qu. then did the Benjamites now inhabit there? Answ. The Levites did not now injoy what was given them, all things being so out of order, which made them wander and sojourne, where they could get a living, others in the meane season possessing their rights, and so did the Benjamites, Gibeah. Some thinke, that Levites dwelt there and Benjamites amongst them.
The wicked men of Gibeah, that came to the old mans house, where they V. 22.were entertained, are called sonnes of Beliall, that is, saith Ierom, in his translation, without a yoke, but of this phrase see before Deut. 13. 13. Like the most wicked and unnaturall Sodomites they require not his wife, but him to bee brought forth unto them, that they might know him, that is, satisfie their filthy losts with him. See how averse some are from all goodnesse, they not onelyonly gave no hospitality, but would not suffer these strangers to be quiet in Note. another mans house, and this is an high degree of sinning, to doe no good, and to hinder others from doing good also. Iosephus against the common exposition Ioseph. Lyra.of Christian Doctors saith, that these wicked men asked the man to bee brought forth unto them, that hee might deliver his wife, and this Lyra seemeth to assent unto, because when they had his wife, they were content: but this their contentment was forced, seeing they could not have the man. Hereby wee may see, to what an height of impiety these men were grown so Note. soone after the death of Ioshua, so that some horrible judgement could not but bee now expected to come upon them, as it did, to their destruction. The old man to save his guest from so unnaturall an abuse, offereth them his owne V. 23, 24.daughter a Virgin and the Levites concubine, as sometime Lot had offered his two daughters to the Sodomites in the like case, Gen. 19. 8. where it hath beene already considered, whether such an offer were justifyable or not.
Then the Levite put forth his concubine unto them, who led her away and V. 25.abused her, &c. For so it must needs bee understood, that they tooke her to their owne houses, because they are said at the springing of the day to let her goe, and so that shee came to the doore of the house, where her Lord was. This abuse offered unto her, whereupon shee dyed immediately, as Ferus Ferus.noteth, was a just punishment by God brought upon her for her former adultery, v. 2. for now shee perished in her kinde by adultery, although the act was most hainous in those, that committed it. And although wicked doers escape the sword of the Magistrate, yet they must not looke finally to eescape the hand of God, who will punish every one in his kinde, onelyonly repentance preventeth his wrath.
The Levites wife being dead hee carryeth her home upon his Asse, and then V. 29. Lyra.divided her body into 12 parts, and sent them into the 12 Tribes of Israel, that is, saith Lyra, two parts into the two halves of Manasseh: for to Benjamin it is not likely, that hee would send any part, where this villany had beene committed, lest they should slay his messengers: and they that were sent, doubtlesse had it committed to them to relate, what had beene done, which was the cause of their carrying this strange spectacle about, that every where they might be the more moved to t… revenge. Others by the 12 Tribes understand Benjamin also, because onelyonly a little part of that Tribe was guilty hitherto, and not the whole Tribe, till that by abetting these malefactors it became all guilty.