p Though they were ſoft and effeminate in other reſpeCts, yet they were hard=hearted towards Srrangers or indigent perſons E1- th2r thzre were no pub/ick Houſes to receive and entertain Travel- lers, as may be gathered from Gen: 28: and 42: and 45> and Joſh: 9, ©c. or, if there were ſuch an one here, they might perceive it to be a very wicked Houſe. as being in ſo leud a place, and there- fore mighr decline it, and expe& that ſ-me private perſon would ex- erciſe Hoſpitality ro them, as perſons of any worth uſed to dog as Gen: 183 1, 2, 3, 4. and 1931, 2. Heb; 13: 2. F
16 4 And behold, there came an old man from his work, out of the field at even,which was alſo of mount Ephraim q; and he ſojourned in Gibeah, but the men +Heb: Of Che place-were | Benjamites 7.
Sim: of Je= q Whence alſo the L:wvite was, which obliged and enclined him
milk. to ſhew rhe more kindnels to his Countrey-man. r This was in-
Chap: 3:15, deed one of rhe Cities belonging to the Prieſts, Joſh: 21. x Chron. 6. bur you conſider that the Cities which were given to the Prieſts, and whereof they were Profeſſors and Owners, were not inhabited by the Prieſts or Lwwites only, eſpecially atriisrime when they were bur f w i number. bu- .y many otixcr p-rſo.:s - f differing Profel- ſions and Callin ys, which was neceflary for their conveniency.
17 And when he had lift up his eyes, he ſaw a way- faring man in the ſtreet of the city : and the old man ſaid, Whither goeſt thou ? and whence comeſt thou ?
18 And he faid unto him We are paſſing from Beth- lehem-Judah, rowa:d che ſide of mount Ephraim, from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehem-Judah, bur I am ow going to the houſe of the LORL /, and there 3s
« no man that Þ receiveth me to houſe.
ſ Which was in Sh:loh, Joſh: 18t r. and 222 12. Thither he wenr, either becauſe he !ived there, for that was in che Tribe of Ephraim ; ory rather, becauſe te would there offer Prayers and Praiſes, and Sacrifices unto GOD, for his M=-rcy in reco:cihng nimand his Wife together, and for his Bleſſing upon them again, and to maks atone- menc for his Wite.
19 Yet there is both ſtraw and provender for our aſ- ſes, and there is bread and wine alſo for me, and for thy hand-maid, and for the young man which is with thy ſervants: zhere is no want of any thing.
| 29 And the old man ſaid, Peace be with thee : how- *Genz19: Toever Ver all thy wants lie upon me 7, * only lodge not 2, in the ſtreet.
t It matrers not whether thou wanteſt nothing or every thing, I w1ll take care to ſupply all thy Wants.
21 0 he brought him into his houſe, and gave pro- vender unto the aiſes: and they walhed their feer u,and did eat and drink.
u As they uſed ro do to Travellers in thoſe hot Countries, Gen: 18: 4+-and 19: 2. and 24: 32, Oc
-22 © Now as they were making their hearts merry 'Hof.g:g, *> Þ&hoId, the mey of the city, certain * ſons of Be- | euno;y, lial y, beſer the houſe round abour. and beat at the door, and ſpake to the maſter ot the houſe, the old man, ſay- ing, Bring forth the man that came into thine houle,
that we may know him &. | x 1.e. Refr-ſhing themiclves with rhe Proviſions ſer before them. 9 Wicked and Licentious Men; ſee Deur: 13:13, 2 Anambigucus expreſſion ; whereby they pretended only & delire to know and ſee
alſo was in their power, if they had luſted afrer him. Bur this of. ter was ſinful, becauſe he offered thar which was nor in his, nor 1n the Man's power to diſpoſe of, even the Chaſtity of his Daughter, and the mans Wife; and becauſe no man muſt do any evil, though never ſo ſmall, for the prevention of any evi! of Sin or Miſery, or for the procuring of the greateſt good, Rom: 3- 8 though this Sin was much mirigated by his Ignorance, by his honeſt and generous In- tention of ProteCting a Stranger ; by the force which was in ſome ſort put upon him, and by the tuddenneſs and violence of the Tem- ' PratiGNe ; |
25 But the men would not hearken to him : ſo the 'man took his concubine c, and brought her forth unto
'them, and they knew her,and abuſed her all the nighe,
[until che morning : and when the day began to ſpring, 15 And they turned afide thither to go in, «nd to ; they let her go. |
lodge in Gibeah : and when he went in, he fate him |
c Being willing to expoſe her, rather. than the Daughter of his Hoſt, who had exprefſzd ſuch a ſingular care and affeftion for him.
26 Then came the woman in the dawning of the
day, and fell down 4 at the door of the mans houſe, where her lord e was, till ic was light.
d To wit, dead, as the foilowing words ſhew, and asthe word is ofr uſed, as Exod: 19: 2:« Pſal: 823 7. and 91:7» Hoſe 5: 5. killed, partly with grief of heart, and partly with cxceffive abuſe of her Body, of which there have been divers inſtances. Thus the Sin ſhe formerly choſe; wv. 2, is. now her Deſtrutin; and though her husband pardoned her, God would pu-iſh er, at Jezſt as to this life. e Sy he is called. either becavſe he was her hunsband ; for which cauſe Sarah called Abravam lord, 1 Pet: 3: 6. or becauſe ſhe had been his maid-ſervant, as Cor.c.bines oftenrimes were ; as Gen. 303 3» 9 | :
; 27 And her lordrolſe up in the morning, and open- ed 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 threjhoid f. |
f The poilure either of one that had fallen down ; or of one that was laid down to fleep, her haiids or Arms ( for the Hebrew word ſignifies borh ) leaning upon the threſhld, and being pur under her head ; and therefore he thcught to awake ner, and raiſe her up.
' 28 And he ſaid unto her, Up, and letgus be going. ; Burt none anſwered g: then the man trookMer up upon an aſs, and the man roſe up, and gat him into his place.
g For ſhe was dead, as is ſaid, Judges 20% 5.
29 4 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 h, into tweive pieces z, and ſent her into ail the coaſts of Iſrael &.