Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 19:2
And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Bethlehem-judah, and was there four whole months.
2. played the harlot against him ] The text is open to suspicion. LXX. cod. A reads was angry with him; this suits the context, which implies a quarrel, but not unfaithfulness, on the woman’s part; she left him in anger and returned to her father’s house, whither the Levite followed to pacify her ( Jdg 19:3 f.). How are we to account for the reading of the text? Moore ingeniously suggests that by the transposition of two letters she was angry ( te’naph) might have become ‘she committed adultery’ ( tin’aph), which was altered by the Jews to ‘played the harlot,’ on the ground that only a wedded wife could be said to commit adultery. It is simpler to suppose that the original she was angry was deliberately altered under a misconception of the relationship.
the space of four months ] lit. days, four months; days sometimes has the specific sense of a year, e.g. 1Sa 27:7 ‘a full year and four months’; cf. ch. Jdg 17:10 ‘by the year,’ lit. ‘by the days.’ But days can also have an indefinite sense, some time, as probably here.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Played the whore against him – Perhaps only meaning that she ran away from him, and left him, for she returned to her fathers house.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Played the whore] Neither the Vulgate, Septuagint, Targum, nor Josephus, understand this word as implying any act of conjugal infidelity on the woman’s part. They merely state that the parties disagreed, and the woman returned to her father’s house. Indeed all the circumstances of the case vindicate this view of the subject. If she had been a whore, or adulteress, it is not very likely that her husband would have gone after her to speak friendly, literally, to speak to her heart, and entreat her to return. The Vulgate simply states, quae reliquit eum, that she left him; the Septuagint, , that she was angry with him; the Targum ubserath alohi, that she despised him; Josephus, , that she was alienated, or separated herself, from him. Houbigant translates the clause: quae cum ab eo alienata esset, vel irata in eum esset, eum reliquit; “who when she was alienated from him, or angry with him, left him;” and he defends this version in his note. I think the true meaning to be among the above interpretations. They had contentions; she ceased to love him, her affections were alienated from him; and she left his house, and went home to her father.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Against him, i.e. against her faith given to him, or to his wrong; or, with him, i.e. in his house; or whilst she lived with him, which is opposed to her going away, which here follows.
Went away from him; either for fear of his severe rebukes or punishment, or because her heart was alienated from him.
Four whole months, Heb. some days, to wit, four months; or, a year (so days commonly signify) and four months; wherein not only site sinned, but her father by some indulgence and connivance at her sin, and neglect of just endeavours for her reconciliation to her husband, the ill effects whereof he speedily felt, in the loss of his daughter in so dreadful a manner.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. his concubine . . . went awayfrom him unto her father’s houseThe cause of the separationassigned in our version rendered it unlawful for her husband to takeher back (De 24:4); andaccording to the uniform style of sentiment and practice in the East,she would have been put to death, had she gone to her father’sfamily. Other versions concur with JOSEPHUS,in representing the reason for the flight from her husband’s house tobe, that she was disgusted with him, through frequent brawls.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And his concubine played the whore against him,…. Was unfaithful to him and his bed, and broke the covenant and agreement between them; or “with him” i, while she was with him in the house; or “before him” k, of which he had knowledge and proof; though some think this is not to be understood of whoredom or adultery, but of her ill usage of him, and departure from him. The Targum is, she despised him; so Kimchi and Ben Gersom interpret it of her declining and turning aside from him, and returning to her father’s house, as follows: and indeed, had she been guilty of such a crime, one would think he would never have sought after her to reconcile her, and take her again, since she not only deserved to be put away, but to be put to death according to the law of God:
and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah; where she was received, as she knew she should, having a parent perhaps too indulgent, and which was an encouragement to her to leave her husband:
and was there some whole months or a year and four whole months, according to Ben Gersom; so Kimchi and Ben Melech observe the copulative “and” is wanting, which is expressed in 1Sa 27:7 and “yamim, days”, is so the times used for a year, Jud 14:8.
i “apud eum”, Pagninus, Piscator; “cum eo”, Junius Tremellius. k “Conspectu ejus”, Vatablus “coram eo”, Drusius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) Four whole months.Literally, days, four months, which some interpret to mean a year (see Note on Jdg. 17:10) and four months. The incident has, however, little bearing on the general story.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Played the whore Dr. Clarke, on the authority of Josephus and several of the ancient versions, understands that they had contentions, and, being alienated in her affections from her husband, she ran away, and went home to her father’s house; but the Hebrew word here used ever means a criminal act of conjugal infidelity.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jdg 19:2 a
‘And his concubine played the harlot against him.’
That is, she was unfaithful to him (compare Deuteronomy Gen 38:24; Gen 22:21; Hos 2:5 etc). This may well have been connected with her religious ideas and she may have offered herself as a cult prostitute to Baal. But whatever it was she broke the covenant and agreement between them by unfaithfulness.
Some see it as simply referring to her desertion of him, as the versions suggest, translating, ‘because she was angry with him’. But this is unlikely, as the story may be seen as, among other things, a hint that her end was related to her beginning, and ‘play the harlot’ was a regular phrase for infidelity. Indeed to ‘play the harlot’ was a regular prophetic picture of those whose following after Baal and after idolatry brought them into extreme sexual misbehaviour (Hos 4:15; Jer 3:1; Jer 3:8; Eze 16:41; Eze 23:44). The emendation probably arose because the translators could not believe that if she were an adulteress she had been allowed to live.
That the Levite did not demand that she face the penalty of the law may demonstrate that there had been a slackening of obedience to the law and to the covenant, although it may be that he loved her deeply and was willing, somewhat reluctantly, to forgive her. It would have been up to him to charge her. That she was very desirable comes out later in that the would be sodomites forgot their plans when they saw her.
But the Levite did not forget what she had done, and his behaviour in later letting the men have their way with her, and then assuming that she would cope with it, suggests something of this background.
Jdg 19:2 b
‘And went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehem-judah, and was there the space of four months.’
The Levites’s wife left him and returned to her parental home. There she was clearly received, in spite of the fact that she had broken a contractual relationship. Strictly some attempt should have been made to restore her to her husband, but they may have feared that she might be put to death for what she had done, and if she was a cult prostitute they may have felt her Levite husband would not want her back.
“And was there the space of four months.” Time enough for some action to have been taken if she were to be sent back.
Jdg 19:3 a
‘And her husband arose, and went after her to speak to her heart, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses.’
Her husband went after her, and thus it was not the husband who was directly responsible for her leaving. He wanted her back. Perhaps he was finding living on his own a little tedious, and wanted someone to look after the household. He certainly took his time over following her, but this may have been because he did not know where she had gone and was waiting to hear from her father. Perhaps it was such a message that sent him on his errand.
“To speak to her heart” This suggests that he loved her and wanted to convince her that he was willing to forgive her, so that she would return and be his wife. But the phrase strictly may only mean that he wanted to remind her that she was contracted to him.
“To bring her again.” To restore her to his own house and bed, as before.
“Having his servant with him, and a couple of asses.” One of the asses would be for her (or him) to ride on, and the other to carry provisions. He was clearly not a poor man. But it seems he was not fulfilling his Levitical responsibilities, or alternatively that the tithes were not being supplied as they should have been, leaving him and other Levites to have to find a living some other way.
Jdg 19:3 b
‘And she brought him into her father’s house, and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.’
She received him. It may be that she met him at the door, or that they providentially met while he was approaching the house. But at least she did not turn him away, although that may be because she knew her contractual obligations and was aware her father would wish to see him.
“And when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.” Whatever his inward feelings he put on a show of rejoicing. Perhaps he was pleased, hoping it would save his daughter from disgrace. He must have recognised that his daughter was at fault, and perhaps he hoped that the Levite would rescue his daughter from the consequences of her wild behaviour
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 19:2. And his concubine played the whore against him The Chaldee renders this, she despised him, &c. the LXX, she separated herself from him, with which Josephus agrees. It is probable, that this is the true reading; for one can hardly imagine, that otherwise her husband would have made such haste to follow, and obtain a reconciliation with her.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.
I think it probable, that though she is called his concubine, it meant his lawful wife; and indeed in the margin it is said so, for how otherwise could she be said to have acted the part of an whore.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 19:2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.
Ver. 2. And his concubine played the whore against. ] Which she could not have done had she not been a kind of secondary wife, according to the corrupt custom of those times. Josephus saith a that she was a fair woman, and not affecting her husband as she ought, but lingering after other lovers, great strife grew between them, whereupon she went away to her parents within four months after marriage. Varium et mutable semper femina.
And went away from him.
Unto her father’s house.] Who, as a fond father, received her, whenas he should rather have rated or punished her, and sent her home again.
a Antiq, lib. iii. cap. 2.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
four whole months. Hebrew “days, four months”, so some think = “a year and four months”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
played: Lev 21:9, Deu 22:21, Eze 16:28
four whole months: or, a year and four months, Heb. days, four months
Reciprocal: Gen 25:6 – concubines Gen 38:24 – played the harlot Jdg 17:7 – General Rth 1:1 – a famine Jer 3:1 – but thou hast 1Co 7:11 – or
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 19:2-3. Played the whore against him Against her faith given to him. Went away Either for fear of punishment, or because her heart was alienated from him; wherein not only she sinned, but her father, by connivance at her sin, and neglect of just endeavours for her reconciliation to her husband. Her husband went to speak friendly unto her To offer her pardon and reconciliation.