And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
When he looked up, he saw a traveler in the city street. The old man asked him, 'Where are you going? And where did you come from?'
An old man notices a traveler in the city and kindly asks where he's traveling from and where he's headed.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Judges, which recounts the turbulent period after Joshua's conquest when Israel was led by various judges amid cycles of sin and deliverance, this verse is part of a larger story about a Levite traveling with his concubine to Gibeah in Benjamin's territory. The narrative highlights the cultural importance of hospitality in ancient Israelite society, where strangers were often vulnerable and expected protection from locals. An old man from the hill country of Ephraim spots the traveler and engages him, reflecting the social norms of the time that emphasized welcoming wayfarers to maintain community bonds.
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