John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered, and said , etc.] He rose up, and, in answer to their request, declared the whole affair as follows: and none so proper as he, who was upon the spot when it was done, and so near a relation of the deceased, and had a right to demand justice to be done; for from hence it appears that she was his lawful wife, though called a concubine: I came into Gibeah, that belongeth to Benjamin ; which he so particularly describes, to distinguish it from another of the same name in the tribe of Judah, lest any mistake should be made, and an innocent people should suffer in their reputation, or otherwise; and which also would account for the tribe of Benjamin not being present at this convention: I and my concubine, to lodge ; thither they came, not with an intention to stay, to sojourn there, and much less to do them any injury, or to infringe any of their rights and privileges; nor in the least to be burdensome to them, having brought all necessary provisions with them for themselves, servants, and cattle, only to get a night’s lodging with them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- The tribe of Benjamin nearly extirpated.
--The Israelites' abhorrence of the crime committed at Gibeah, an their resolution to punish the criminals, were right; but they forme their resolves with too much haste and self-confidence. The eterna ruin of souls will be worse, and more fearful, than these desolation of a tribe _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew ויען6030 האישׁ376 הלוי3881 אישׁ376 האשׁה802 הנרצחה7523 ויאמר559 הגבעתה1390 אשׁר834 לבנימן1144 באתי935 אני589 ופילגשׁי6370 ללון׃3885
