Introduction

‘In those days Israel had no king. Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months, her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her parents’ home, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. His father-in-law, the woman’s father, prevailed on him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there. On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go.” So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the woman’s father said, “Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself.” And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the woman’s father said, “Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!” So the two of them ate together. Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the woman’s father, said, “Now look, it’s almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home.” Judges 19:1-9

A LEVITE AND HIS CONCUBINE

The Pulpit Commentary, says the following.

‘The events recorded here occurred during the lifetime of Phinehas and while the Ark of the Covenant was at Shiloh. Phinehas evidently outlived Joshua and the events narrated here occurred during the interval between the deaths of Joshua and of Phinehas.’

As in the previous chapter, the author of Judges begins with the words, ‘in those day Israel had no king’, Judges 19:1 / Judges 18:1 / Judges 17:6 / Judges 18:1 / Judges 19:1 / Judges 21:25, which implies there’s no leadership and what we’re about to read isn’t going to be God led. This chapter is believed by some to be the most disgusting chapter in the whole Bible.

A Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah, however, she was unfaithful to him and she left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah, Judges 19:1-2.

Many people in the Old Testament had concubines, Abraham, Genesis 25:6, Jacob, Genesis 35:22, Caleb, 1 Chronicles 2:46, Saul, 2 Samuel 3:7, David, 2 Samuel 5:13, Solomon, 1 Kings 11:3, and Rehoboam, 2 Chronicles 11:21. As we know, none of these relationships ended well.

A concubine was one who was legally bound to a man, but not as his wife, Exodus 21:7-11 / Deuteronomy 21:10-14. Some scholars think that she had committed adultery against him, Leviticus 20:10, and others think she left him because he was a bad husband. It really makes no difference either way, but she goes to her father’s house, Judges 19:2, and her husband follows her to try and win her back after she had been there four months, Judges 19:2.

Her husband had with him his servant and two donkeys and so, she takes him into her parents’ home, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him, Judges 19:3. Perhaps the father was glad to see the Levite and his daughter back together or perhaps the father was simply glad to have his daughter out of his house again.

The father of the concubine extends the visit with a traditionally generous show of hospitality, and so her husband remained with his father-in-law for three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there, Judges 19:4. On day four they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the woman’s father asks his son-in-law to refresh himself with something to eat and then he can go, Judges 19:5.

The two of them sat down to eat and drink together and later the woman’s father asks him to stay another night in order to enjoy himself, and he was persuaded to do so, Judges 19:6-7. On day five, the woman’s father invites him to refresh himself again, this time asking him to wait until the afternoon before he goes, Judges 19:8. Just when the man, with his concubine and his servant were about to leave, his father-in-law, once again invites them to spend another night because it is late and suggests they leave first thing the next morning, Judges 19:9.

Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.

‘The pleading of the concubine’s father is understandable, because her parents probably thought that it might be a long while before they saw her again. The Levite should have stayed another night, as it was very bad judgment on his part to leave in the middle of the afternoon.’

‘But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine. When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Come, let’s stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night.” His master replied, “No. We won’t go into any city whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.” He added, “Come, let’s try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places.” So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin. There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them in for the night. That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the inhabitants of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields. When he looked and saw the traveller in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?” He answered, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me in for the night. We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves your servants—me, the woman, and the young man with us. We don’t need anything.” “You are welcome at my house,” the old man said. “Let me supply whatever you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.” So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.’ Judges 19:10-21

The husband was unwilling to stay another night, and so he leaves with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Judges 19:10. Jebus, or Jerusalem, was occupied by the Jebusites until the reign of David, 2 Samuel 5:6.

It was evening when they were near Jebus and so, the servant suggest that they stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night, Judges 19:11. His master tells his servant that this isn’t a good idea because the people living there aren’t Israelites, Judges 19:12. He suggest they go on to Gibeah or they can try to get to Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places, Judges 19:13.

They arrive at a Benjamite city called Gibeah, Judges 19:14, and instead of staying in this foreign city, the Levite went on to Gibeah where he and his concubine had to sleep in the street, Judges 19:15. The Levite and his concubine found no hospitality in Gibeah, Judges 19:15. Remember God commanded hospitality among His people, Leviticus 19:33-34 / Leviticus 25:35 / Matthew 25:35 / Hebrews 13:2.

Yates, in his commentary, says the following.

‘The man, along with his servant and his concubine, went to the open area at the city gate, the same being something like a public market, where the magistrates of the city sat, and where a stranger would have waited to receive hospitality.’

Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.

‘It is clear from this that a number of the men of Gibeah had actually talked with the Levite and had refused to offer him hospitality because of his faith in God and his connection with the house of Jehovah at Shiloh. This affords additional information on the depravity of the Benjamites of Gibeah.’

An old man who was an Ephraimite coming in from the fields sees them and asks where they are going and where have they come from, Judges 19:16-17. He is told that they are on their way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where he lives, Judges 19:18. He is also told by the Levite that he has been to Bethlehem in Judah and now he is going to the house of the LORD, which was in Shiloh, Judges 18:31, and no has taken him in for the night, Judges 19:18.

He continues to explain to the old man that they have everything they need, they have straw and fodder for their donkeys and bread and wine for themselves, their servants, the woman and the young man with us, Judges 19:19. The old man graciously invites them to stay the night in his house and so, he takes him into his house and fed his donkeys, washed their feet, fed them and gave them someone to drink, Judges 19:20-21. The only person to extend hospitality to the Levite and his concubine was a man from their own region.

‘While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.” The owner of the house went outside and said to them, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this outrageous thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t do such an outrageous thing.” But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. At daybreak, the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight. When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home. When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!” Judges 19:22-30

After he fed them and their donkeys, they’re having a great time together until some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house and then they hear a pounding at the door and it’s a group of Benjamite locals, Judges 19:22. What do they want?

They want to have sex with the man who was the Ephraimite’s guest, Judges 19:22 / Hosea 9:9 / Hosea 10:9 / 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. This isn’t the first time this kind of behaviour is found in the Bible. The events which happened at Sodom in Genesis 19 with Lot, are very similar.

The old man basically says, ‘no way! What’s the matter with you guys? This guy’s my guest, for crying out loud’. Judges 19:23. He goes on to say ‘tell you what, here’s my concubine. Do whatever you want to her. Here, I’ll even throw in my virgin daughter,’ Judges 19:24. I don’t know about you but I don’t think this guy will be getting any ‘father of year’ awards any time soon. The men want this man but the Levite brings out his concubine and the men of the city take her away and rape her all night, Judges 19:25.

Josephus, in his writings, says the following.

‘The homosexuals carried the woman to their home, where they satisfied their lust upon her the whole night.’

They finally let her go in the morning and when she makes it back to the old man’s house where her husband spent the night, she collapses at front of the door, Judges 19:26. Her husband finds her, Judges 19:27, and when he opens the door, what does he say to her? What’s the first thing that comes out of his mouth? ‘Get up, let’s go’, Judges 19:28.

There are no words of comfort, no words of love or compassion. He more or less says to her, ‘good morning, sunshine! Ready to go home?’ I mean what planet was this guy living on? No wonder she doesn’t answer him, Judges 19:28.

And so he loads her onto his donkey, returns home and when he arrives, what does he do? Does he tuck her up in bed and make her a nice cup of coffee? No. He takes a knife and cuts up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel, Judges 19:29.

As we can imagine, word of this barbarism spreads across Israel, and the people are outraged, Judges 19:30. The horror of the dismemberment shocked all of Israel. It shocked the Israelites into realizing that at least portions of Israel, specifically the Benjamites, had digressed into total moral degradation.

If what was reported was true, then the Benjamites must be punished severely for the crime, which we read about in the next chapter. The Levite acted as a self-appointed, self-righteous judge but notice what he failed to mention. He conveniently fails to mention that he was the one who set this poor woman up for rape and murder in order to save himself.

No wonder this chapter is described as the most disgusting chapter in the whole Bible. But why? Why did the Benjamites want to have sex with that man? Why did they rape the man’s wife? Why did he take her home and cut her into pieces? In those days Israel had no king, Judges 19:1 / Judges 18:1 / Judges 17:6 / Judges 18:1 / Judges 19:1 / Judges 21:25. In other words, when there are no absolute laws, then anything goes.

Go To Judges 20