Judges 19:16
And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
The time marker "at even" (ba'erev, בָּעֶרֶב) indicates late afternoon, when field laborers returned home before sunset. Ancient Near Eastern hospitality customs made evening a critical time for welcoming travelers, as spending the night in the open exposed them to bandits, wild animals, and exposure. The Levite's earlier delay at his father-in-law's house (vv. 4-9) had forced late departure, resulting in this dangerous evening arrival. Gibeah's residents violating hospitality norms constituted serious covenant breach—Abraham (Genesis 18:1-8), Lot (Genesis 19:1-3), and Reuel (Exodus 2:20) all exemplified urgent hospitality to strangers. The old man's Ephraimite origin connects him to the Levite (v. 1), creating kinship bond and shared vulnerability in Benjamite territory.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the old man's status as a sojourner showing hospitality while native Israelites refuse challenge assumptions about who truly lives out covenant faith?
- What does this reversal—outsiders demonstrating covenant loyalty while insiders fail—teach about the nature of genuine faith versus external religious identity?
- How does Jesus use similar reversals (Good Samaritan, Canaanite woman, Roman centurion) to challenge religious pride and expand understanding of kingdom citizenship?
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Analysis & Commentary
And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites. This verse introduces the narrative's tragic hero—an old man (ish zaqen, אִישׁ זָקֵן) returning from field work at evening. The narrator emphasizes he is from Ephraim, not a native Benjamite, making him a fellow sojourner (gar, גָּר) with the Levite. This detail is theologically significant: only a sojourner, an outsider, shows covenant hospitality in Israel.
The contrast "he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites" indicts the native population. The conjunction "but" (ve, וְ) creates deliberate tension—the Ephraimite immigrant displays covenant loyalty while native Benjamites abandon it. This inverts expectations: Israelites should exemplify hospitality (chesed, חֶסֶד), yet only the stranger fulfills Torah obligations (Leviticus 19:33-34, Deuteronomy 10:18-19). The phrase "men of the place" (anshei hamaqom, אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם) echoes Genesis 19:4 describing Sodom's men, reinforcing the typological parallel. When covenant people fail to practice covenant love, strangers must become examples—a theme Jesus develops in the Good Samaritan parable (Luke 10:25-37).