11

over

10 But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.

11 And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. 12 And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.

13 And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

15 And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.

16 And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.

17 And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

18 And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.

19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.

20 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.

21 So he brought him into his house, and 12 Heb. gathereth.

11 Heb. to over against.

gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

22 ¶ Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

23 And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.

24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let

her go.

26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.

27 And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

28 And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.

29 ¶ And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

30 And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

Verse 1. A concubine.'-We have explained in the note to Gen. xvi. 3, that the original word means, not what we should understand by the word concubine,' but a legal and proper wife, with inferior rights and privileges-a 'secondary wife,' 'a concubine-wife. The effect of the narrative is much impaired by the use of a word so liable

to misconstruction as that of concubine.' The woman whose sad history this chapter contains was evidently a free woman before marriage, and not a slave married to her master; and her condition was, therefore, in so much superior to that of Hagar, the handmaid-wife of Abraham, and of Bilhah and Zilpah, the handmaid-wives of Jacob. Jo

sephus calls the woman, without reserve, the Levite's wife. See also the notes to Gen. xxi. 10; xxv. 6.

2. Played the whore.'-The whole narrative is adverse to this statement. If she had done this, her husband would have been more likely to have followed her to get her capitally punished, than to undertake a journey to speak friendly to her 'to speak to her heart,' as the original expresses to rekindle her tenderness, and entreat her to return to the home she had left cheerless. And if he had been so lost to oriental feeling, most assuredly the father himself, or the woman's brothers, if she had any, would not have received her; but rather would have proved implacable avengers of the dishonour which her conduct had brought upon them. It is the general feeling in the East that, in such cases, the wrong falls more heavily on the woman's own family than on the husband; and, under this feeling, the Arabs, for instance, often send the adulteress home, where she receives her death from the hands of her father or her brothers, if the crime is proved to their satisfaction. On the other hand, a wife, not an adulteress, is sure of refuge and protection at her father's: neither can her husband compel her to return; but he often prevails upon her to do so by speaking to her heart,' and by offering her propitiatory presents of trinkets and fine clothes. But if she will not be persuaded, all he can do is to oblige her to remain single by withholding a divorce; neither has she then any claim to the dowry which she would receive if dismissed by her husband. That the Levite's concubine was of this last class is evinced not only by such probabilities, but by the testimony of the Chaldee Paraphrase, the Septuagint, and Josephus; which merely say that she 'disliked' or 'despised her husband-or, simply, that she separated herself from him-or, as Josephus more particularly explains, that such continual bickerings arose, that the woman was disgusted, and went home to her father.

8. They tarried until afternoon.'-The verses 5-9, inclusive, may perhaps be the better understood from the following statement.

The Orientals have generally two meals a-day, one from ten to twelve in the morning, and the other (which is the principal) about seven in the evening. As they commonly rise as soon as it is light, and there is a long interval to breakfast, they usually take some small matter that cannot be called a meal, such as a crust of bread and a cup of coffee. What we understand here is, that the hospitable father-in-law persuaded the Levite to delay his journey, both on the fourth and fifth days, till after the late breakfast, at which he engaged him so long, that the lateness of the hour for commencing a journey furnished him with an argument to induce the Levite to stay another day. Until afternoon,' in this verse, explains what is meant by the day groweth to an end' in the ninth verse. This does not mean that it was late in the evening, but that it was, as the marginal reading has it, the pitching-time of the day,' that is, the time, about the middle of the afternoon, when travellers who (unless they journey by night) start at daybreak begin to think of pitching their tents for their rest and refreshment till the following morning. This was a late hour to begin a day's journey; but not so late but that a person bent on proceeding might hope to make considerable progress before sunset. Indeed, it is usual for persons beginning a journey to depart in the afternoon, and, after proceeding a short distance, remain in camp or otherwise till the next morning, when the journey may be said to commence regularly, the first day being merely a start.

13. In Gibeah or in Ramah.-Gibeah was over five miles north by cast from Jerusalem, and Ramah four and a half miles north of the same city. 15. There was no man that took them into his house to lodging. It seems that, up to this time, no caravanserais or inns, in which travellers now obtain lodging in the East, existed. We have not yet, certainly, found any distinct trace of their existence. Strangers, therefore, relied entirely for accommodation upon the hospitality of the people to whose towns they came; as is still the case in many Oriental towns, particularly in those where no caravanserai has been erected, or other place set apart for their reception. Under these circumstances, such an inhospitable reception as that which the Levite experienced rarely or never occurs, and can only be explained by a reference to the peculiarly vile character of the people of Gibeah, which rendered them insensible to that honour and distinction which a character for hospitality never fails to procure, and which is in many places so eagerly sought, that when a stranger enters a town the inhabitants almost come to blows in the sharpness of the contest for having him as a guest.

19. There is both straw and provender for our asses'— (See the note on Gen. xxiv. 25); and there is bread and wine also for me,' etc. He had provisions for his party and cattle, only wanting lodging for the night. People still carry provisions with them in a journey even through a peopled country. No one calculates on obtaining, unless in very great towns, more than house-room, with the chance of being able to buy bread and fruit. It is not certain that even bread can be procured, and, not to leave the matter entirely to chance, the traveller usually takes from one great town to another so much bread as will serve him intermediately. If he desires better fare than he is likely thus to obtain, he takes with him cooking utensils, rice, vegetables, preserved meat, butter, etc., and at the resting-place for the day has a warm meal prepared by a servant or himself, from his own stores and with his own utensils. We have known a single traveller accompanied by a mule, exclusively laden with his bedding, provisions, and cooking vessels. It is within the writer's own experience, that, in a journey of more than a fortnight through a comparatively well-peopled part of Western Asia, it was not possible more than twice (in two great towns) to obtain other food than bread and fruit, and often this not without much difficulty, and sometimes not at all.

20. Lodge not in the street.'-Unless they had bedding, which travellers often carry with them, this would not have been convenient: and it would be thought disgraceful to the character of a town to allow a stranger, accompanied by his wife, to do so even then. But in other respects, lodging in the streets of a town is a less singular circumstance in the East than it would seem to us in England. When the Bedouin Arabs visit a town, they usually prefer sleeping in the street to spending the night in a house. So also, when a person walks through the streets of Malta in the nights of summer, he finds the foot-pavement obstructed by beds, occupied by married couples and single people. These belong to shopkeepers and others who rent the ground floors, and who, having no right to take their beds to the roof, bring them out into the street to enjoy the luxury of sleeping in the cool open air. 29. Divided her on 1 Sam. xi. 7.

...

into twelve pieces.'—See the note

CHAPTER XX.

I The Levite in a general assembly declareth his wrong. 8 The decree of the assembly. 12 The Benjamites, being cited, make head against the Israelites. 18 The Israelites in two battles lose forty thousand. 26 They destroy by a stratagem all the Benjamites, except six hundred.

THEN all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh. 2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

4 And 'the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.

6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel."

7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.

8 ¶ And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.

9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;

10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.

11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man,

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?

13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil

from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.

17 And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of

war.

18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.

19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

21 And the children of Benjamin came. forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)

24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.

30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.

35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.

36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

9 Heb. with.

37 And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait 'drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

38 Now there was an appointed "sign between the men of Israel 'and the liers in wait, that they should make a great 1oflame with smoke rise up out of the city.

39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.

41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil 13, 'was come upon them.

42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

43 Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease "over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.

44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour. 45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and pursued hard after thei unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.

46 So that all which fell that day of Benjanin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.

47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.

48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that "came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

5 Heb. to smite of the people wounded as at, &c. fo Heb. elevation. 14 Or, from Menuchah, &c.

7 Or, made a long sound with the trumpets. 8 Or, time. 12 Heb, the whole consumption. 13 Heb. touched them. 16 Chap. 21. 13. 17 Heb. was found. 18 Heb. were found.