Judges 19:11
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Please, let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
But as the day had gone far down when they were by Jebus (רד, third pers. perf., either of ירד with י dropped like תּתּה in Sa2 22:41 for נתתּה, or from רדד in the sense of ירד), the attendant said to his master, "Come, let us turn aside into this Jebusite city, and pass the night in it." But his master was unwilling to enter a city of the foreigners (נכרי( sre is a genitive), where there were none of the sons of Israel, and would pass over to Gibeah. "Come (לך = לכה, Num 23:13), we will draw near to one of the places (which he immediately names), and pass the night in Gibeah or Ramah." These two towns, the present Jeba and er Rm, were not a full hour's journey apart, and stood opposite to one another, only about two and a half or three hours from Jerusalem (see at Jos 18:25, Jos 18:28).
Open source ↗The three remaining chapters of this book contain a most tragical story of the wickedness of the men of Gibeah, patronised by the tribe of Benjamin, for which that tribe was severely chastised and almost entirely cut off by the rest of the tribes. This seems to have been done not long after the death of Joshua, for it was when there was no king, no judge, in Israel (Jdg 19:1, and Jdg 21:25), and Phinehas was then high priest, Jdg 20:28. These particular iniquities, the Danites' idolatry, and the Benjamites' immorality, let in that general apostasy, Jdg 3:7. The abuse of the Levite's concubine is here very particularly related. I. Her adulterous elopement from him (Jdg 3:1, Jdg 3:2). II. His reconciliation to her, and the journey he took to fetch her home (Jdg 3:3). III. Her father's kind entertainment of him (Jdg 3:4-9). IV. The abuse he met with at Gibeah, where, being benighted, he was forced to stop. 1. He was neglected by the men of Gibeah (Jdg 3:10-15) and entertained by an Ephraimite that sojourned among them (Jdg 3:16-21). 2. They set upon him in his quarters, as the Sodomites did on Lot's quests (Jdg 3:22-24). 3. They villainously forced his concubine to death (Jdg 3:25-28). V. The course he took to send notice of this to all the tribes of Israel (Jdg 3:29, Jdg 3:30).
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.
the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,
But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.
Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you.” For they thought, “David cannot get in here.”
But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.