Behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even: now the man was of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites.
"Only lodge not in the street"  (Judges 19:20).  Like our own streets in the city of Houston, Texas, the ancient streets of Gibeah were not safe. Leaving the Levite and his little company in the street would have sentenced all three of them to death.  "The ominous words of the host, `Only do not spend the night in the square,' indicate the inherent danger of the situation."[13]