A Sojourner’s Welcome

The Levite, along with his concubine and servant, are sitting in the open square of Gibeah, all the people of the city having failed in their civic duty to show kindness to strangers. They “were beginning to fear that they must lie in the street all night (and as good have laid in a den of lions),” Matthew Henry writes. However, “Though there was not one of Gibeah, yet it proved there was one in Gibeah that showed some civility to this distressed Levite.”

An old man suddenly arrives, returning to his home in the city after working in the fields during the day. But he is not a native of Gibeah or even of the tribe of Benjamin. Like the Levite, he is from Ephraim, and he is merely staying in Gibeah for reasons that are not explained. He takes notice of the strangers and pauses to ask about their journey. The Levite explains, adding that he is in the open square because no one in Gibeah has invited the party to come under a roof for the night. He also mentions a detail that further discredits the people of Gibeah—lodging the Levite and his party would not be a great expense, for they are carrying provisions for themselves and their donkeys. In response, the old man does what each of the residents of Gibeah should have done—he invites the strangers into his home. And he does not simply offer a spare room for the night; he takes responsibility for all their needs. Henry speculates that, being older, this man remembers the divine commands concerning strangers, commands that younger, more-worldly generations have forgotten. However, the man does not seem to regard the people of Gibeah as merely neglectful of their duty to strangers. There is an urgency to his invitation: “ ‘Only do not spend the night in the open square,’ ” he says. It appears that he is aware of the evil nature of the people, which soon will be made manifest.

So the old man leads the travelers to his home, where he provides all he can to make them comfortable and content. He feeds their donkeys, provides water by which they may wash their feet, and sets food and drink before them. After facing the prospect of spending the night in the street, the Levite and his companions are no doubt delighted to be in this warm, welcoming home, and the evening becomes a time of great enjoyment for guests and host alike (v. 22).