Juízes 19

Juízes 19

MacArthur notes that the phrase worthless fellows "elsewhere is used for idolaters (Dt 13:13), neglecters of the poor (Dt 15:9), drunks (1Sa 1:16), immoral people (1Sa 2:12), and rebels against the civil authority (2Sa 20:1; Pr 19:28). (See context MacArthur Study Bible,) ESV Study note - This section closely echoes Gen. 19:4-9; indeed, it is likely that the author intentionally patterned this text after the Genesis account, as if to say, “Things are as bad now as they were in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah!” (See ESV Study Bible or borrow the ESV study Bible) NET NOTE - Hebrew literally reads “the men of the city, men, the sons of wickedness.” The phrases are in apposition; the last phrase specifies what type of men they were. It is not certain if all the men of the city are in view, or just a group of troublemakers. In Jdg 20:5 the town leaders are implicated in the crime, suggesting that all the men of the city were involved. If so, the implication is that the entire male population of the town were good-for-nothings! Woe! Adam Clarke on certain worthless fellows - “Rascals and miscreants of the deepest dye; worse than brutes, being a compound of beast and devil inseparably blended.” Pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came into your house: BANG! BANG! BANG! The verb form of pounding indicates that there was an increasingly loud pounding on the door. This was a command not a polite or casual request. Bring out the man is a similar to the request made by the men of Sodom who "called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them." (Ge 19:5) The desire of these worthless fellows is clear. Homosexuality was common among the Canaanites but then these are not Canaanites but Benjaminites! Israel God's peculiar, chosen people had become as wicked and abominable as Sodom and Gomorrah (cf Dt. 32:32; Isa. 1:10; Isa 3:9)! THOUGHT- Since this story is early in the period of Judges (cf Phinehas in Jdg 20:28+), it emphasizes how incredibly quickly men who do not know God or the mighty deeds of God (Jdg 2:10) and who fail to drive out the Canaanite enemies (Jdg 1:21) of their flesh can plunge to such depths of depravity. This section of Scripture should cause us all to be so wary of the power of the flesh when it is given full reign. That we may have relations (yada; Lxx - ginosko) - The same expression is found in Ge 19:5 "Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.” In essence Gibeah had become like Sodom, a city so wicked that God wiped it off the face of the earth (Ge19). The men of the city were indulging in immoral practices that were contrary to nature and the laws of God. The word "know" (Yada) means "to have sexual experience with." These sinners were excited because a new man was in town, and they wanted to enjoy him! Little did they know that they were unleashing the fury of God on the entire tribe of Benjamin to the point that they were almost entirely destroyed! NET NOTE on have relations - Hebrew is literally “so we can know him.” On the surface one might think they simply wanted to meet the visitor and get to know him, but their hostile actions betray their double-talk. The old man, who has been living with them long enough to know what they are like, seems to have no doubts about the meaning of their words (see Jdg 19:23). Arthur Cundall comments on their conduct as follows - In his concern for the accepted conventions of hospitality the old man was willing to shatter a code which, to the modern reader, appears of infinitely more importance, namely, the care and protection of the weak and helpless. Womanhood was but lightly esteemed in the ancient world; indeed it is largely due to the precepts of the Jewish faith, and particularly the enlightenment which has come through the Christian faith, that women enjoy their present position. The old man was willing to sacrifice his own virgin daughter and the Levite’s concubine to the distorted lusts of the besiegers, rather than allow any harm to befall his principal guest. (Borrow Judges & Ruth: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary) Worthless (wicked, Belial)(01100) beliyyaal from belî + yaʿal: "not, without" and "to be of use, worth, or profit.") A worthless person,"without profit," good for nothing to himself or others, and capable of nothing but mischief. Some feel that the word Belial can be traced to the false god Baal, and is also a term for yoke (they cast off the yoke of decency), and a term for entangling or injuring.The LXX renders it according to the context by the terms paranomos, anomia, and aphrōn, i.e. "lawless, lawlessness, witless." In intertestamental literature, the term was used of Satan. Paul used Belial as a synonym of Satan (cf. 2Co 6:15+). Elsewhere the expression is associated with idolatry (Dt 13:13), drunkenness (1Sa 1:16) and rebellion (1Sa 2:12). Beliyyaal usually occurs in such expressions as "sons) of Belial" (Dt. 13:14; Jdg 19:22; 1 Samuel 2:12; 2 Chr 13:7), a "daughter of Belial" (1 Samuel 1:16), "man or men of" (1 Samuel 25:25; 2 Samuel 16:7; 1 Kings 21:13; Proverbs 16:27), or a "worthless witness" (Proverbs 19:28). It appears alone in 2 Samuel 23:6 and Job 34:18. In Proverbs 6:12, the "worthless man" is equated with the "wicked man," ’îsh ʾāwen. He is a plotter of evil (Proverbs 16:27) as well as a counsellor of villainy" (Nahum 1:11) and a mocker of justice (Proverbs 19:28). There is one use we would all do well to ponder and in the power of the Spirit affirm as true in our life from time to time... I will set no worthless (beliyyaal) thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten (dabaq) its grip on me. (Psalm 101:3+) Beliyyaal - 27x in 26v - base(1), destruction(1), rascally(1), scoundrels*(1), ungodliness(1), wicked(3), worthless(18), worthless one(1). Dt. 13:13; Dt. 15:9; Jdg. 19:22; Jdg. 20:13; 1 Sam. 1:16; 1 Sam. 2:12; 1 Sam. 10:27; 1 Sam. 25:17; 1 Sam. 25:25; 1 Sam. 30:22; 2 Sam. 16:7; 2 Sam. 20:1; 2 Sam. 22:5; 2 Sam. 23:6; 1 Ki. 21:10; 1 Ki. 21:13; 2 Chr. 13:7; Job 34:18; Ps. 18:4; Ps. 41:8; Ps. 101:3; Prov. 6:12; Prov. 16:27; Prov. 19:28; Nah. 1:11; Nah. 1:15 BELIAL [ISBE] BELIAL - be'-li-al, bel'-yal (beliya`al; Beliar): This name, occurring very frequently in the Old Testament, has the sense of "worthlessness" (compare 2 Sam 23:6 margin); accordingly in such phrases as "sons of Belial" (Jdg 20:13; 1 Sam 10:27, etc.), "men of Belial" (1 Sam 30:22; 1 Ki 21:13, etc.), which the English Revised Version usually retains, the American Standard Revised Version more correctly renders, "base fellows" (so "daughter of Belial" 1 Sam 1:16, "wicked woman"). There is here no suggestion a proper name. Afterward, however, "Belial" became a proper name for Satan, or for Antichrist (thus frequently in the Jewish Apocalyptic writings, e.g. in XII the Priestly Code (P), Book Jubilees, Asc Isa, Sib Or). In this sense Paul used the word in 2 Cor 6:15, "What concord hath Christ with Belial?" (Beliar). Bousset thinks that Paul's "man of sin" in 2 Thess 2:3, where some authorities read "man of lawlessness," is a translation of this term. The sense at least is similar. James Orr See also Wikipedia Article on Belial Have relations (know) (03045) yada to know, to learn, to perceive, to discern, to experience, to confess, to consider, to know people relationally, to know how, to be skillful, to be made known, to make oneself known, to make to known. Yada is the usual Hebrew euphemism for sexual relations (cf. Ge 4:1) and the same expression is found in Ge 19:5, where the men of Sodom wanted to have homosexual relations with (to know) Lot’s guests. As noted below in several examples, the Septuagint translates yada often with the Greek verb ginosko, which conveys the sense of to know by experience and/or to know intimately (as used in Mt 1:25KJV+ and ESV which says Joseph "knew her not" which the NAS paraphrases "kept her a virgin"). And many of the uses of yada also have this experiential emphasis as with the Greek ginosko. Judges 19:23 Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my fellows, please do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not commit this act of folly. the man - Ge 19:6,7 folly - Jdg 20:6 Ge 34:7 Jos 7:15 2Sa 13:12 Judges 19 Resources - multiple sermons and commentaries THE OLD MAN'S OUTRAGE Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my fellows, please do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not commit this act of folly (nebalah; Lxx = aphrosune = foolishness, lack of prudence) - An expression of outrage at the willful perversion of what is right and natural. The host courageously and correctly described their desires as wickedness and folly and a vile thing, and he tried to prevent them from raping his guest. Folly (disgraceful)(05039) nebalah from nabal - to be senseless or foolish) means senselessness, disgrace, folly, foolish. It describes a general disregard for moral and spiritual claims. One who is nebalah is senseless, impious and a disgrace, and his actions are sinful folly. Sins of immorality such as request for homosexual relations are an act of folly (Jdg 19:23,24). Premeditated rape was a deed of folly, "a disgraceful thing." (2Sa 13:12) Taken something that was under the ban, as Achan did, was a crime worthy of death (Josh 7:15). Lying with Jacob's daughter was a disgraceful thing (Ge 34:7). Vine writes "Its use in 1 Sam. 25:25 signifies "disregarding God's will." Nebālâ is most often used as a word for a serious sin (Ge. 34:7)." Judges 19:24 "Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please let me bring them out that you may ravish them and do to them whatever you wish. But do not commit such an act of folly against this man." them - Ge 19:8 Ro 3:8 humble ye - Ge 34:2 Dt 21:14 Judges 19 Resources - multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passage: Genesis 19:8 (LOT'S SIMILAR ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THE TWO ANGELIC VISITORS) “Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.” ATTEMPTS TO APPEASE THE HOMOSEXUAL LUSTS This verse could be subtitled "When Hospitality is Taken to the Extreme (or Too Far)"! The man should have protected all in the house not provided for those outside the house! Here (KJV = "behold" - hinneh) is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please let me bring them out that you may ravish them - NET = "Here are my virgin daughter and my guest's concubine. I will send them out and you can abuse them and do to them whatever you like. But don't do such a disgraceful thing to this man!" Lot had been willing to commit his daughters to a similar fate (See Ge 19:8 above), but the angels rescued them. In those days the place of a woman was often very lowly, and sadly the act of folly (or disgraceful thing) was to molest a man! However clearly the Israelites normally considered the rape of a woman disgraceful (Ge 34:7 = "a [nebalah] disgraceful thing"), and women who were promiscuous were also condemned to death for their behavior (Dt 22:21+ = "an act of folly [nebalah]"). In each of these passages the same Hebrew word is used - nebalah signifying a vile deed emanating from moral perversity.