1
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a Levite living as a sojourner in the hill country of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
2
But his concubine was unfaithful to him and went away from him to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah, and stayed there four months.
3
Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back; with him were his servant and a pair of donkeys. When the young woman brought him into her father’s house, and when the father saw him, he was glad to meet him.
4
His father-in-law, the young woman’s father, would not let him go, so he stayed with him three days; they ate and drank and spent the night there.
5
On the fourth day, when they rose early in the morning and the Levite prepared to go, the young woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself first with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go.”
6
So they sat down, and both of them ate and drank together. The young woman’s father said to the man, “Please decide to stay the night, and let your heart be glad.”
7
But when the man rose to go, his father-in-law urged him, so he stayed there again that night.
8
On the fifth day, when he rose early to go, the young woman’s father said, “Come, refresh yourself first, and stay a little longer, until the day declines.” So the two of them ate.
9
When the man rose to go, with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the young woman’s father, said to him, “Look, the sun is beginning to go down toward evening; please stay the night. See, the sun is nearly set; stay here overnight and let your heart be glad. Then tomorrow you may rise early for your journey and go home.”
10
But the man was not willing to stay the night; he got ready and went on. So he came to the area opposite Jebus—that is, Jerusalem—with him were a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine also.
11
When they were near Jebus and the sun had gone down very low, the servant said to his master, “Come, let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and stay the night in it.”
12
But his master answered him, “We will not turn aside into a foreign city, one that does not belong to the Israelites; but we will go on to Gibeah.”
13
And he said further to his servant, “Come, let us draw near to one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.”
14
So they went on and continued their journey, and the sun set when they were near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.
15
Therefore they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. And when he came in, he sat down in the open square of the city; but no one took them into his house to spend the night.
16
Then there came an old man from his work in the field that evening. The man was from the hill country of Ephraim and was living in Gibeah as a sojourner, while the men of the place were Benjaminites.
17
When he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man said, “Where are you going, and where have you come from?”
18
He answered him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there; I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am on my way home. But no one has taken me into his house,
19
though there is straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me, for your maidservant, and for the servant with your servant; we lack nothing.”
20
And the old man said, “Peace be to you! Let all your needs be my responsibility; only do not spend the night in the city square.”
21
So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
22
As they were making their hearts cheerful, the men of the city, worthless men, surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man, the master of the house, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.”
23
Then the master of the house went out to them and said, “No, my brothers, do not do this evil thing, I beg you; since this man has come into my house, do not commit this disgrace.
24
Look, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine; let me bring them out now. Ravish them and do to them what seems good in your eyes, but against this man do not commit this disgrace.”
25
But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite seized his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning. Then at the break of dawn they let her go.
26
Toward morning the woman came back, but she fell down at the door of the house where her master had lodged, and she lay there until daylight.
27
When her master rose early in the morning and opened the door of the house and went out to continue his journey, behold, the woman, his concubine, was lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
28
He said to her, “Get up, let us go.” But there was no answer. Then he took her body and put it on the donkey; he set out and went to his home.
29
When he came home, he took a knife, took hold of the body of his concubine, cut it into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent them throughout all the land of Israel.
30
And everyone who saw it said, “Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day the Israelites came up out of the land of Egypt until now. Consider it, take counsel, and speak!”
🩸🏠⚖️ Summary of Judges 19 – The Rape and Murder of the Levite’s Concubine
Judges 19 is one of the darkest sections in all the Bible. This is not only a story of violence, but also a portrait of a society that has lost its conscience, when everyone lives according to his own will. This chapter indirectly opens the way for the civil war in the next chapter.
📌 1. The Levite and His Concubine Who Ran Away (verses 1–3)
- A Levite from Ephraim had a concubine from Bethlehem (Judah).
- The concubine was unfaithful or had been unfaithful and returned to her father’s house.
- The Levite went to persuade her to return, and was warmly received by the woman’s father.
🎯 The spiritual and moral relationship was already broken from the beginning — even the priest showed no holiness.
📌 2. The Return Journey and the Stay in Gibeah (verses 4–21)
- After staying several days, they returned home. They passed through Jerusalem, but chose to spend the night in Gibeah, a city belonging to the tribe of Benjamin.
- They sat in the town square, but no one was willing to give them lodging — a serious breach of the hospitality custom of the Middle East at that time.
- Finally, an old man from Ephraim offered them a place in his house.
🎯 Moral chaos begins with the loss of basic values such as hospitality.
📌 3. Rape and the Death of the Concubine (verses 22–28)
- That night, the wicked men of Gibeah surrounded the house and demanded that the Levite be handed over for them to abuse.
- The host refused, and instead offered his daughter and the Levite’s concubine.
- At last, the concubine was given over, and was abused through the night until she died.
- In the morning, the concubine was found lying at the door, and the Levite said:
“Get up, let us be going!”
But the woman did not answer.
🎯 This is a human and spiritual tragedy — the woman was not protected, and the men lost compassion.
📌 4. Dismemberment and the Call to War (verses 29–30)
- The Levite cut the concubine’s body into 12 pieces, then sent the pieces to all the tribes of Israel.
- This act caused the whole nation to be shocked and stirred:
“Nothing like this has ever happened since Israel came out of Egypt.”
🎯 Cruelty is used as a call for justice — yet in an equally brutal way.
📖 Main Lessons
- Without God, society falls into total moral chaos.
- Even spiritual leaders can lose compassion and conscience.
- A culture that ignores women and truth will collapse.
- A nation’s decline begins in the home, then the city, then the tribe.
- A call for justice must not be carried out by the same violence.
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“Because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God… they were filled with every kind of evil…”
“In the last days difficult times will come… people will not know how to love, nor how to live in peace…”
“You are the salt and the light of the world…”
🎯 If God’s people fail to be light and salt, the world will be flooded with darkness and moral decay.
“Take her and bring her out to them, so that they may abuse her.” – Judges 19:24
“Get up, let us go.” – verse 28
“Such a thing has never happened…” – verse 30
