Judges 19:4

Then her father-in-law, the girl’s father, detained him, and he remained with him three days; so they ate and drank and lodged there (v.4). The verse takes place during the period of the Judges—an era in Israel’s history approximately spanning the years 1375 BC to 1050 BC, when there was no central monarchy and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25 NASB-95). Here, the Levite goes to retrieve his concubine, who had left him and returned to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. When the Levite arrives, the father-in-law extends an invitation to stay, showing warm hospitality that involves sharing food, drink, and lodging over a period of three days.

The phrase “detained him” suggests the father-in-law’s insistence on offering the Levite continued welcome. It was culturally significant in ancient Israel to show hospitality to traveling guests, providing plentiful food and rest, especially when one’s own family was involved. The father-in-law’s eagerness may also indicate his relief that the Levite came for his daughter, or he may simply have desired the fellowship and protection that could come from having a Levite—a member of Israel’s priestly tribe—remain under his roof. Regardless of motive, the stress on “ate and drank” highlights the abundant provision offered to the guest.

Spiritually, this passage reminds us of how relationships and covenants were sometimes complicated in the time of the Judges, when moral and social structures were often in flux. Yet in these verses, the father’s compassion and sense of duty toward his daughter—and to her husband—shine briefly against a backdrop of a period known for turmoil and frequent disobedience to God. Hospitality becomes a small window of blessing before the story takes a tragic turn later in the chapter.

The father detained the Levite for three days to honor him, displaying generosity that stands in contrast to the violence and injustice that will soon follow in subsequent verses.