Bible Strands
Judges 19:16
That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was residing in Gibeah (the men of that place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the field.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator reports an elderly Ephraimite resident arriving in Gibeah that evening after working in the field, while the Levite and his companion remain exposed in the city square.
The words — The Hebrew construction בָּא מִן־מַעֲשֵׂהוּ מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה (ba min-ma'asehu min-hassa.deh) literally states "he came from his work from the field," marking his direct transition from labor to the city gate.
The thread — The timing of his return aligns with the daily work cycle concluding at dusk described in Psalm 104:23, and his geographic origin mirrors the Levite’s own background noted in Judges 19:1.
Why it lands — The text positions a weary traveler at the exact moment the Levite’s lack of hospitality becomes critical, requiring the reader to recognize the immediate vulnerability before the narrative shifts to the city's response.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Judges 19:1 Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
- Psalms 104:23 Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening.
- Psalms 128:2 For when you eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours.
- Proverbs 14:23 There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
- Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
- Judges 19:14 So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
- Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.
- Proverbs 24:27 Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
- Ecclesiastes 1:13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!
- Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.