And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
The Levite, whose concubine had been murdered, answered and said, 'My concubine and I came to Gibeah in Benjamin's territory to spend the night.'
The Levite is beginning to tell the story of what happened to him and his concubine when they stayed overnight in Gibeah.
📚 Historical Context
This verse begins the Levite's testimony before the assembled tribes of Israel about the horrific crime that occurred in Gibeah. In ancient Israel, Levites were members of the priestly tribe who served in religious functions, and a concubine was a secondary wife with lower status than a primary wife. The incident at Gibeah would become one of the darkest episodes in Israel's history, leading to civil war.
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