Judges 19:2

Jdg 19:2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.

Ver. 2. And his concubine played the whore against.] Which she could not have done had she not been a kind of secondary wife, according to the corrupt custom of those times. Josephus saith {a} that she was a fair woman, and not affecting her husband as she ought, but lingering after other lovers, great strife grew between them, whereupon she went away to her parents within four months after marriage. Varium et mutable semper femina.

And went away from him.] An odious woman she was, which is one of those four things that disquiet the earth. {Pro 30:20}

Unto her father’s house.] Who, as a fond father, received her, whenas he should rather have rated or punished her, and sent her home again.

{a} Antiq, lib. iii. cap. 2.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jdg 19:2-3. Played the whore against him — Against her faith given to him. Went away — Either for fear of punishment, or because her heart was alienated from him; wherein not only she sinned, but her father, by connivance at her sin, and neglect of just endeavours for her reconciliation to her husband. Her husband went to speak friendly unto her — To offer her pardon and reconciliation.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrew, besides him, to wit, with others.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

his concubine . . . went away from him unto her father's house--The cause of the separation assigned in our version rendered it unlawful for her husband to take her back (Deu 24:4); and according to the uniform style of sentiment and practice in the East, she would have been put to death, had she gone to her father's family. Other versions concur with JOSEPHUS, in representing the reason for the flight from her husband's house to be, that she was disgusted with him, through frequent brawls.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. Played the whore] Neither the Vulgate, Septuagint, Targum, nor Josephus, understand this word as implying any act of conjugal infidelity on the woman's part. They merely state that the parties disagreed, and the woman returned to her father's house. Indeed all the circumstances of the case vindicate this view of the subject. If she had been a whore, or adulteress, it is not very likely that her husband would have gone after her to speak friendly, literally, to speak to her heart, and entreat her to return. The Vulgate simply states, quae reliquit eum, that she left him; the Septuagint, ωργισθη αυτω, that she was angry with him; the Targum ובסרת עלוהי ubserath alohi, that she despised him; Josephus, αλλοτοιως ειχε, that she was alienated, or separated herself, from him. Houbigant translates the clause: quae cum ab eo alienata esset, vel irata in eum esset, eum reliquit; "who when she was alienated from him, or angry with him, left him;" and he defends this version in his note. I think the true meaning to be among the above interpretations. They had contentions; she ceased to love him, her affections were alienated from him; and she left his house, and went home to her father.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) Four whole months.—Literally, days, four months, which some interpret to mean “a year (see Note on Jdg_17:10) and four months.” The incident has, however, little bearing on the general story.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. played the harlot against him] The text is open to suspicion. LXX. cod. A reads was angry with him; this suits the context, which implies a quarrel, but not unfaithfulness, on the woman’s part; she left him in anger and returned to her father’s house, whither the Levite followed to pacify her (Jdg_19:3 f.). How are we to account for the reading of the text? Moore ingeniously suggests that by the transposition of two letters she was angry (te’ĕnaph) might have become ‘she committed adultery’ (tin’aph), which was altered by the Jews to ‘played the harlot,’ on the ground that only a wedded wife could be said to commit adultery. It is simpler to suppose that the original she was angry was deliberately altered under a misconception of the relationship.

the space of four months] lit. days, four months; days sometimes has the specific sense of a year, e.g. 1Sa_27:7 ‘a full year and four months’; cf. ch. Jdg_17:10 ‘by the year,’ lit. ‘by the days.’ But days can also have an indefinite sense, some time, as probably here.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And his concubine played the whore against him,.... Was unfaithful to him and his bed, and broke the covenant and agreement between them; or "with him" (i), while she was with him in the house; or "before him" (k), of which he had knowledge and proof; though some think this is not to be understood of whoredom or adultery, but of her ill usage of him, and departure from him. The Targum is, she despised him; so Kimchi and Ben Gersom interpret it of her declining and turning aside from him, and returning to her father's house, as follows: and indeed, had she been guilty of such a crime, one would think he would never have sought after her to reconcile her, and take her again, since she not only deserved to be put away, but to be put to death according to the law of God:

and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehemjudah; where she was received, as she knew she should, having a parent perhaps too indulgent, and which was an encouragement to her to leave her husband:

and was there some whole months or a year and four whole months, according to Ben Gersom; so Kimchi and Ben Melech observe the copulative "and" is wanting, which is expressed in Sa1 27:7 and "yamim, days", is so the times used for a year, Jdg 14:8.

(i) "apud eum", Pagninus, Piscator; "cum eo", Junius & Tremellius. (k) "Conspectu ejus", Vatablus; "coram eo", Drusius.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Played the whore against him - Perhaps only meaning that she ran away from him, and left him, for she returned to her father’s house.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Left him. Hebrew Thozne. Now tizne, (Du Hamel) "his concubine, fell into fornication against (Junius improperly translates with) him." Chaldean, "She despised went from him." Septuagint, "She was vexed at or she left him." (Calmet) --- Josephus, "as he was deeply in love with her on account of her beauty, he was displeased that she did not correspond with his love. Hence a quarrel ensuing, the woman would not bear his continual expostulations, and leaving her husband, after four months, returns to her parents. Hither, overcome by his love for her, he follows, and, by the mediation of her parents, he is reconciled to his wife, both agreeing to lay aside all complaints." (Antiquities v. 2.) --- It is clear that the Septuagint, Vulgate, &c., have read the text in a different manner from what we do at present, and their explanation seems more rational than the Hebrew. For, is it probable that a Levite should go to be reconciled to an adulteress, contrary to the intention of the law (Deuteronomy xxiv. 2., Jeremias iii. 1., and Proverbs xviii. 22.) and the custom of the Jews, as well as of pagan nations, who looked upon those with contempt, who kept a woman of this character? The word concubine, we have often remarked, signifies a wife without a dowry, &c., (Calmet) such as the Mahometans still maintain as lawful wives. (Busbec. ii.) --- Months. Josephus explain this of the time she had remained with her husband.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Against him, i.e. against her faith given to him, or to his wrong; or, with him, i.e. in his house; or whilst she lived with him, which is opposed to her going away, which here follows.

Went away from him; either for fear of his severe rebukes or punishment, or because her heart was alienated from him.

Four whole months, Heb. some days, to wit, four months; or, a year (so days commonly signify) and four months; wherein not only site sinned, but her father by some indulgence and connivance at her sin, and neglect of just endeavours for her reconciliation to her husband, the ill effects whereof he speedily felt, in the loss of his daughter in so dreadful a manner.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. Played the whore — Dr. Clarke, on the authority of Josephus and several of the ancient versions, understands that they had contentions, and, being alienated in her affections from her husband, she ran away, and went home to her father’s house; but the Hebrew word here used ever means a criminal act of conjugal infidelity.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Played the whore, etc. Perhaps the phrase only means that she revolted from him and left him. Her returning to her father"s house, and his anxiety to make up the quarrel, both discourage taking the phrase in its worst sense. Four whole months. Literally, days, four months; meaning either a year and four months, as in 1Sa_27:7, where, however, the and is expressed; or days (i.e. many days), viz., four months. For the use of days for a year see Exo_13:10 Jud_1:17:10, etc.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Against him - That is, against her faith given to him. Went away - Either for fear of punishment; or, because her heart was alienated from him; wherein not only she sinned, but her father by connivance at her sin, and neglect of just endeavours for her reconciliation to her husband.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

His concubine strayed away from him She strayed away from his home to the outside. The word זְנוּת, "promiscuity," always denotes departure—"One who departs to the outside," who leaves her husband and loves another.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.