What does Judges 19:21 mean?

For now, an elderly traveling worker has saved the reputation of the town of Gibeah. In that culture, it would reflect poorly on the town that not a single person offered overnight shelter to the Levite and his two traveling companions (Judges 19:14–17). What the small group (Judges 19:10) likely doesn't realize is that the old man is not from Gibeah, nor is he of the tribe of Benjamin like the others in town. He is an outsider, and he seems to know how dangerous a night in the open will be for the Levite.

To avoid that, the old man has offered to allow the Levite and his companions to stay in his home. In fact, he seems to have insisted on it. Though they have plenty of supplies, the man offers to meet all their needs, if they don't stay out in the open. His pleas echo those of Lot, who also begged travelers not to stay in the open in Sodom (Genesis 19:2–7). Tragically, the same danger exists in Gibeah (Judges 19:22).

The old man takes the travelers to his home and gives food to the donkeys. They wash the dust and grime of the road from their feet, and they sit with the old man and eat and drink together. Unfortunately, this is not the end of their story. What happens next is so gruesome it sparks a minor civil war (Judges 20:8–10).