1. Judges 19:5 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

To what is the father referring when he says, “Strengthen your heart”?

Judges 19:5 (ESV)

5 And on the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and he prepared to go, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and after that you may go.”

It may well be that the father is simply referring to them refreshing themselves with food and drink. And so there may be nothing odd in his invitation. That said, the Levite’s stated purpose for his visit was to speak to the heart of his concubine (Judges 19:3). The use of the term heart now here again (and in Judges 19:8–9) might be significant. It may point to more than just an offer of further hospitality. The father may be hinting that his son-in-law’s mission is not yet complete, and he needs to fulfill what he intended before leaving. But we cannot be sure. At this point, though, we have adequate reason for being on the lookout for further uses of such heart language.1