5 And it came to pass on the fourth H7243 day, H3117 when they arose early H7925 in the morning, H1242 that he rose up H6965 to depart: H3212 and the damsel's H5291 father H1 said H559 unto his son in law, H2860 Comfort H5582 thine heart H3820 with a morsel H6595 of bread, H3899 and afterward H310 go your way. H3212
And I will fetch H3947 a morsel H6595 of bread, H3899 and comfort ye H5582 your hearts; H3820 after that H310 ye shall pass on: H5674 for therefore are ye come H5674 to H5921 your servant. H5650 And they said, H1696 So do, H6213 as thou hast said. H559
And he arose early H7925 in the morning H1242 on the fifth H2549 day H3117 to depart: H3212 and the damsel's H5291 father H1 said, H559 Comfort H5582 thine heart, H3824 I pray thee. And they tarried H4102 until afternoon, H3117 H5186 and they did eat H398 both H8147 of them.
But Jonathan H3129 heard H8085 not when his father H1 charged H7650 the people H5971 with the oath: H7650 wherefore he put forth H7971 the end H7097 of the rod H4294 that was in his hand, H3027 and dipped H2881 it in an honeycomb, H3295 H1706 and put H7725 his hand H3027 to his mouth; H6310 and his eyes H5869 were enlightened. H215 Then answered H6030 one H376 of the people, H5971 and said, H559 Thy father H1 straitly H7650 charged H7650 the people H5971 with an oath, H7650 saying, H559 Cursed H779 be the man H376 that eateth H398 any food H3899 this day. H3117 And the people H5971 were faint. H5774 Then said H559 Jonathan, H3129 My father H1 hath troubled H5916 the land: H776 see, H7200 I pray you, how mine eyes H5869 have been enlightened, H215 because I tasted H2938 a little H4592 of this honey. H1706
And they gave H5414 him a piece H6400 of a cake H1690 of figs, and two H8147 clusters of raisins: H6778 and when he had eaten, H398 his spirit H7307 came again H7725 to him: for he had eaten H398 no bread, H3899 nor drunk H8354 any water, H4325 three H7969 days H3117 and three H7969 nights. H3915
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,