Judges 19:8

And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) And they tarried until afternoon.—The verb is perhaps an imperative: and linger (as in Isa. (19:9) till the day turns. So the LXX., Chaldee, and Vulg. take it.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

17:7-13 Micah thought it was a sign of God's favour to him and his images, that a Levite should come to his door. Thus those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that further them in their evil way, are apt from thence to think that God is pleased with them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Played the whore against him - Perhaps only meaning that she ran away from him, and left him, for she returned to her father's house.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

8. tarried—with reluctance.

until afternoon—literally, "the decline of the day." People in the East, who take little or nothing to eat in the morning, do not breakfast till from ten to twelve A.M., and this meal the hospitable relative had purposely protracted to so late a period as to afford an argument for urging a further stay.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he rose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart,.... With a full intention to take his leave of his father, and be gone:

and the damsel's father said, comfort thine heart, I pray thee; with a meal's meat, with a breakfast, before he set out on his journey, that he might be heartier and stronger for it:

and they tarried until afternoon; or "until the decline of the day" (m), when the sun had passed the meridian, and was declining, as it immediately does when noon is past:

and they did eat both of them; the man stayed and took a dinner with his father-in-law; and though no mention is made of the concubine, neither in this, nor in the other instances, no doubt she ate with them.

(m) "usque ad declinare diem", Montanus; to the same purpose Pagninus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Geneva Study Bible

And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, {b} Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

(b) Meaning, that he should refresh himself with food, as in Jud 19:5.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. on the fifth day] See note on Jdg 19:5.

and tarry ye] or wait, to avoid confusion with the different word rendered tarry all night in Jdg 19:6; Jdg 19:9. Some mss. of the LXX read and he enticed him; hence Moore suggests that the text originally ran and he enticed him and he (or they) waited. By the time that the Levite managed to escape it was late in the afternoon.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - And they tarried. It should rather be rendered in the imperative mood: And tarry ye until the afternoon. So they did eat both of them. The imperative comfort thine heart is in the singular because only the man and the father-in-law are represented throughout as eating and drinking both of them together. The imperative tarry ye is in the plural because it applies to the wife as well as the man. Judges 19:8

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And even in the morning of the fifth day he suffered himself to be induced to remain till the afternoon. התמהמהוּ is an imperative, "Tarry till the day turns," i.e., till mid-day is past.