Judges 19:16 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →At evening an old man, himself an Ephraimite sojourning in Gibeah, returns from his work in the field.
What Does Judges 19:16 Mean?
As evening deepens, an old man comes in from his labor in the field. The narrator marks him out carefully: he is from the hill country of Ephraim, only sojourning in Gibeah, while the men of the place are Benjamites. He alone, it seems, will notice the stranger sitting in the square. The one who shows compassion is himself an outsider in this town.
The detail that the rescuer is not a native of Gibeah but a sojourner like the traveler he helps is pointed. It is the foreigner, the one passing through, who keeps the law of welcome that the townsmen have abandoned. Scripture often shows mercy arising from the margins, from those whom the settled and comfortable might overlook. The old man's simple act of returning from honest work and seeing the need before him is a small light in a darkening chapter, a reminder that even where a whole community fails, God often preserves a faithful few who still remember what love requires.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 19:16
What does Judges 19:16 mean?
At evening an old man, himself an Ephraimite sojourning in Gibeah, returns from his work in the field.