What does Judges 19:18 mean?
A Levite man, along with his concubine and servant, are sitting in the city square of the town of Gibeah after dark. They are Israelite travelers and this is an Israelite town of the tribe of Benjamin. They'd expected someone to show them hospitality, but no one has (Judges 19:14–17). An old man who had been working in the fields comes into the city and asks about their journey. The Levite tells him the basics, probably recounting how they came to leave Bethlehem and arrive in Gibeah after dark (Judges 19:1–13).Commentators suggest that "house of the LORD" could be a flowery way of referring to the Levite's own home. Or, that he serves as one of the Levites at the shrine in the town of Shiloh where the ark of the covenant is kept.
The Levite concludes by noting that nobody in town has offered to house them for the night, contrary to the normal custom of the culture. He notes that he's not asking for any handouts—he can feed himself and his group (Judges 19:19)—so all he needs is a safe place to sleep.
