‘ And they turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And he went in and sat himself down in the square of the city, for there was no man who took them into his house to lodge.' '
Instead of going forward, and passing by Gibeah to make for Ramah, they turned off the road, and went into the city to seek a lodging there.
“And he went in and sat himself down in the square of the city, for there was no man who took them into his house to lodge.” Normally someone would welcome strangers at the gate of the city. Inns were mainly on the roads between towns and hospitality in towns was dependent on the inhabitants. But here there was no welcome. In a way this was ominous. Not only did it demonstrate that the people were unusually inhospitable, it raised the question as to why. For hospitality was considered extremely important. But all knew that once hospitality was given there was a sacred responsibility to the person in question. If they wished to do harm to strangers they would not offer hospitality. And others may have been put off being hospitable by what happened to guests in view of the evil propensities of many of the townsfolk.