Finally, an old man from Ephraim, a temporary resident in Gibeah and not a Benjamite, comes by and questions the party. In his response, the Levite presents himself as a weary traveler returning home (the NIV reads: “the house of the LORD”29 in verse 18, but see text note a) after a visit to Bethlehem. He does not mention the reason for the visit, since this might raise questions about the good character of himself and/or his concubine. Rather, he emphasizes that they do not need anything except a place to sleep. The deferential “me, the woman (lit. “your maidservant” [’amah]) and the young
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