Judges 19:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And on the fifth day he arose early in the morning to depart. And the girl’s father said, “Strengthen your heart and wait until the day declines.” So they ate, both of them.

NIV: On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the woman's father said, 'Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!' So the two of them ate together.

NASB: Now on the fifth day he got up to go early in the morning, but the girl’s father said, 'Please strengthen yourself, and wait until late afternoon'; so both of them ate.

CSB: He got up early in the morning of the fifth day to leave, but the girl's father said to him, "Please keep up your strength." So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate.

NLT: On the morning of the fifth day he was up early again, ready to leave, and again the woman’s father said, 'Have something to eat; then you can leave later this afternoon.' So they had another day of feasting.

KJV: And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

NKJV: Then he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, but the young woman’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” So they delayed until afternoon; and both of them ate.

It is now the morning of the fifth day since a Levite man arrived in Bethlehem to retrieve his unfaithful concubine (Judges 19:1–4). The Levite's arrival at his father-in-law's home resolved tension about whether the situation would be hostile or friendly. The Levite was kind and forgiving, and the daughter was not resistant. The father seemed glad the Levite had come and would willingly take the girl back. The Levite, perhaps relieved, agreed to stay for three days to receive his father-in-law's hospitality.

Now a new tension has come up. The man's father-in-law does not want to let the couple leave. The Levite has given in to repeated requests not to leave on the fourth day, as he had planned. Now again, on the fifth day, the Levite attempts to leave first thing in the morning. Again, his father-in-law insists the man strengthen his heart with food until the day "declines," perhaps meaning they should wait for the heat of the day to pass (Judges 19:5–8).

The awkwardness of the situation can easily be lost on a modern audience. It's more serious when viewed through the lens of that culture. Ancient middle eastern society invested extreme importance into hospitality. Hosts were expected to urgently insist on giving more food, drink, and time than was reasonable to their guests. Guests were expected to receive everything offered with grace, honor, and gratitude. In simple terms, hosts were expected to make outlandish offers of care, and guests were expected to respond with profuse thanks. Modern readers may be tempted to view the father-in-law as annoyingly lonely for company. Ancient readers would have been more likely to see him as a model of classic hospitality, but even they would have sensed the tension beginning to build.

Judges 19:1–10 describes a Levite's journey to retrieve his runaway concubine. For reasons not given, she leaves him and goes back to her father. Months later, the Levite arrives to retrieve her, seemingly with complete forgiveness. The woman and her father are glad, and the father pressures them to stay for several days. Finally, the Levite insists on leaving. He refuses to stay in the then-Gentile-controlled city of Jebus. Instead, they will continue after dark to Gibeah. Ironically, this will lead them into shocking danger.

A Levite man travels to reconcile with his runaway concubine. On their way back home, they spend the night in the city of Gibeah, in the home of an old man. The wicked men of the town form a mob, demanding the Levite be handed over to be raped. Instead, the Levite forces his concubine outside; the mob rapes and beats her until sunrise. The Levite finds her body, carries it home, and cuts it into twelve pieces. He sends these pieces throughout Israel. This shocks the entire nation into demanding some action be taken against Gibeah.

This chapter's stomach-turning depravity provides another example of the great wickedness in Israel, in an era when everyone did whatever they wanted to without regard for law or God (Judges 21:25). A mob of rapists murders a Levite man's concubine. He sends pieces of her body throughout the nation. This shocks the people into demanding justice. In the following chapters, the tribe of Benjamin refuses to hand over their guilty members. Israel is plunged into civil war.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).