Judges 19:15

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 19:15

And they turned aside thither to go in and lodge in Gibeah ,.... Instead of going right forward, and passing by Gibeah, over against which they were, they turned out of their road, and went into the city to seek a lodging in it: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city ; to see whether any person would invite him into any of their houses, as was usual in those hospitable times and countries, and where there were few inns for the entertainment of travellers and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 19:15

No man - took them into his house to lodging - There was probably no inn or house of public entertainment in this place, and therefore they could not have a lodging unless furnished by mere hospitality. To say that there were no inns in those primitive times, is not true; there were such places, though not very frequent. Joseph's brethren found their money in their sacks when they loosed them at an inn, Genesis 42:27 . The house of Rahab was an inn, Joshua 2:1 . And the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 19:15

A street - Probably the square or place within the gates, where courts were held, bargains made, and where the chief men and strangers congregated. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 19:15

Judges 19:15. He sat down in the street of the city There being no public inns in that country in those days, this was the general custom. Travellers sat down in the streets till some person invited them into his house. And this was generally readily done by one or other, except in places where there was a great degeneracy of manners. Here, although they were soft and effeminate in other respects, yet they were hard-hearted to strangers, for there was no man that took them into his house... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 19:1-30

The war with Benjamin (19:1-21:25)A Levite whose concubine had run away from him came to Judah looking for her. When they were reunited, her father was so pleased he did not want them to leave. They therefore stayed with him a few days, then set out to return to the Levite’s home in Ephraim (19:1-9).The route back to Ephraim took the couple through the tribal territory of Benjamin. Looking for somewhere to sleep the night, they preferred not to stay in Jerusalem, which was inhabited by... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Judges 19:15

street = open place. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Judges 19:15

15. when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city—The towns of Palestine at this remote period could not, it seems, furnish any establishment in the shape of an inn or public lodging-house. Hence we conclude that the custom, which is still frequently witnessed in the cities of the East, was then not uncommon, for travellers who were late in arriving and who had no introduction to a private family, to spread their bedding in the streets, or wrapping themselves up in their cloaks, pass... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 19:1-15

The background of the incident 19:1-15We meet another Levite in Judges 19:1 who was paying no attention to God’s directions concerning where the Levites should live (cf. Judges 17:7). Since monogamy was God’s standard for marriage the Levite should not have married a concubine (Genesis 2:24). This was doubly wrong in the case of a Levite because the Levites were to remain as holy as possible in view of their special ministry in Israel. It appears that the Levite and his concubine had a... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 19:1-30

1. The atrocity in Gibeah ch. 19This incident and chapter closely relate to those that follow. read more

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