שופטים, פרק י״ט, פסוק כ״ד

Faced with a violent and demanding mob, a desperate host proposes a horrifying compromise to protect the safety of his guest. He offers to surrender two women, his own virgin daughter and the guest's concubine, to the crowd so the men can satisfy their lust [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The host gives the mob permission to force themselves upon the women [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ] and subject them to further acts of abuse [מצודת דוד].

The proposal goes even further in its severity. The host suggests that if the townsmen are unable to control their urge to commit the specific acts they had originally planned for the male guest, they can inflict those exact same unnatural acts upon the women [חומת אנך].

Despite the obvious cruelty of abandoning the women to such a fate, the host specifically begs the crowd not to commit this vile offense against the man. The reasoning behind this distinction is rooted in the perception of honor and shame. While violating the women is acknowledged as a terrible offense, the resulting humiliation and degradation they would experience are viewed as lesser compared to the immense shame that would be inflicted upon the man if he were subjected to the mob's original intentions [מלבי״ם].