What does Judges 19:14 mean?

Through a series of decisions, a Levite man and his traveling group find themselves arriving in the town of Gibeah after sundown. The man decided to set out from his father-in-law's house, only a few hours behind them, late in the day (Judges 19:9–10). He decided not to stay for the night in Jebus, because at that time (Judges 1:21) it was occupied by non-Israelites (Judges 19:11–13). He decided to keep moving until after the sun set, forcing them to choose the town nearest them at the time.

Gibeah was occupied by Israelites of the tribe of Benjamin. It should have been a safe place for fellow Israelites to spend nighttime hours. Yet this was an especially lawless, depraved time in Israel's history (Judges 17:6; 19:1; 21:25). Stories such as this are recorded to point out that problem. Rather than finding safety, the Levite and his companions will experience violence so appalling (Judges 19:22) that it leads to a minor civil war (Judges 20:8–10).