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
In the era of the Judges, Israel was a loose confederation of tribes without a central king, leading to frequent moral and social disorder as described in the biblical narrative. This verse occurs during a dark story where a Levite and his concubine are traveling and seeking hospitality in Gibeah, a town belonging to the Benjaminite tribe, highlighting the cultural norms of hospitality and the risks of tribal divisions. The old man from Ephraim represents a potential source of kindness in a society often plagued by inhospitality and violence.
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