“And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.”
Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and to bring her back (וַיָּקׁם אִישׁוֹ וַיֵּלֶךְ אַחֲרֶיהָ לְדַבֵּר עַל־לִבָּהּ לַהֲשִׁיבָהּ) — the Levite pursues his concubine to Bethlehem to win her back. His language (to ``speak kindly to her,'' literally ``speak to her heart'') suggests an attempt at persuasion through intimacy. He brings with him a servant and a pair of donkeys, suggesting he intends a proper journey and perhaps to acquire goodwill through gift-giving. Yet the narrative's description of his motivation—to return her—rather than to reconcile suggests that his concern is possession and control rather than genuine relational restoration.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
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