שופטים, פרק י״ט, פסוק י״א

As evening approaches, travelers on a journey must often make quick decisions about where to find safety and rest. The travelers in this account found themselves right next to the city of Jebus. As [רד״ק] notes, they were situated just outside its borders. The day was rapidly slipping away, with the sun dipping low in the western sky, hovering just above the horizon and on the verge of setting completely.

Recognizing the late hour, the servant urges his master to act quickly [מצודת ציון]. He suggests that they step off the main road and take a detour into the nearby Jebusite city [מצודת דוד]. Their intention is simply to secure a place to sleep for the night, planning to head back out on the road the following morning [ביאור שטיינזלץ].