Matthew Henry on Judges 19:1-15
The domestic affairs of this Levite would not have been related thus largely but to make way for the following story of the injuries done him, in which the whole nation interested themselves. Bishop Hall's first remark upon this story is, That there is no complain of a public ordered state but there is a Levite at one end of it, either as an agent or as a patient. In Micah's idolatry a Levite was active; in the wickedness of Gibeah a Levite was passive; no tribe shall sooner feel the want of government than that of Levi; and, in all the book of Judges, no mention is made of any of that tribe, but of these two. This Levite was of Mount Ephraim, Jdg 19:1. He married a wife of Bethlehem-Judah.…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 19:13
in Gibeah, or in Ramah--The first of these places was five miles northeast, the other from four to five north of Jerusalem.
John Gill on Judges 19:13
And he said to his servant, come, and let us draw near,.... And get on as fast as we can:
to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah; which were both in the tribe of Benjamin, and he left it to his servant to go to either, to that which was most convenient, because of the time of the day, it being near sun setting; now, as before observed, Gibeah was not quite four miles from Jerusalem; whereas, according to Jerom (s), Ramah was six miles, and therefore we find they took up at Gibeah, as being nearest of these two places; See Gill on Joshua 18:24, Joshua 18:25, Hosea 5:8.
(s) De loc. Heb. fol. 94. B.
Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 19:11-13
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 o…
