And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said: 'No, my brethren, do not act so wickedly; seeing that this man is my guest, do not do this vile thing (וַיֵּצֵא אֲלֵיהֶם הָאִישׁ בַּעַל־הַבַּיִת וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם אַל־אַחַי אַל־נָא תָרְעוּ קִחוּ־נָא אֶת־הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה בְּתוּלַת־בִּתִּי וְאֶת־פִּילַגְשׁוֹ אֽוֹלִי אַעֲשֶׂה־לָכֶם אוֹתָם) — the old man confronts the mob, appealing to their sense of brotherhood (``my brethren'') and urging them not to commit such ``vile thing'' (וַל־נָא תָרְעוּ, ``do not act so wickedly''). His appeal to kinship and shared covenant identity is an attempt to invoke moral restraint. Yet his next words reveal a horrifying alternative: he offers his own virgin daughter and the guest's concubine instead.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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