John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 6. And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces , etc.] Lest it should be thought that these barbarous creatures, after they had used her in such a manner that occasioned her death, that they had committed this fact also; the Levite takes it to himself, and owns that he did that: and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel ; to alarm them, and excite their attention to what had passed, and to raise their indignation against it: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel ; being guilty of adultery and murder, and would have committed the unnatural crime, if they could have had an opportunity of doing it.
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 ואחז270 בפילגשׁי6370 ואנתחה5408 ואשׁלחה7971 בכל3605 שׂדה7704 נחלת5159 ישׂראל3478 כי3588 עשׂו6213 זמה2154 ונבלה5039 בישׂראל׃3478
