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.
Look, an old man came home from working in the field that evening. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and was staying temporarily in Gibeah, but the local people there were from the tribe of Benjamin.
The writer is introducing an old man from Ephraim who was living as a temporary resident among the Benjamites in Gibeah.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the period of the Judges when Israel had no king and tribal territories were clearly defined. Gibeah was a Benjamite city, so someone from Ephraim staying there would be considered a foreigner or temporary resident. This distinction between tribes becomes significant as the story unfolds into one of the darkest episodes in Judges.
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