Judges19

During a time when there was no king in Israel, a Levite from Mount Ephraim went to Bethlehemjudah to retrieve his concubine who had left him. After an extended stay with her father, they departed late, seeking lodging in Gibeah of Benjamin. There, wicked men of the city assaulted his concubine, leading to her death. In response, the Levite dismembered her body into twelve pieces and sent them throughout Israel, calling for action against this great wickedness.
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A Levite and His Concubine

1
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah. ​
2
And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months. ​
3
And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly unto her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. ​
4
And his father-in-law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
5
And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart: and the damsel’s father said unto his son-in-law, Strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward ye shall go your way.
6
So they sat down, and did eat and drink, both of them together: and the damsel’s father said unto the man, Be pleased, I pray thee, to tarry all night, and let thy heart be merry.
7
And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again.
8
And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the damsel’s father said, Strengthen thy heart, I pray thee, and tarry ye until the day declineth; and they did eat, both of them. ​
9
And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thy heart may be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.

Journey to Gibeah

10
But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus (the same is Jerusalem): and there were with him a couple of asses saddled; his concubine also was with him. ​
11
When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
12
And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside into the city of a foreigner, that is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah. ​
13
And he said unto his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
14
So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

Lodging Refused, Then Accepted

15
And they turned aside thither, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat him down in the street of the city; for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge. ​
16
And, 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. ​
17
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
18
And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah unto the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim; from thence am I, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah: and I am now going to the house of Jehovah; and there is no man that taketh me into his house. ​
19
Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants: there is no want of anything.
20
And the old man said, Peace be unto thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21
So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses fodder; and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.

The Atrocity in Gibeah

22
As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, beset the house round about, beating at the door; and they spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him. ​
23
And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this folly. ​
24
Behold, here is my daughter a virgin, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not any such folly. ​
25
But the men would not hearken to him: so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. ​
26
Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light.
27
And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands upon the threshold.
28
And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going; but none answered: then he took her up upon the ass; and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. ​

The Levite’s Call to Action

29
And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel. ​
30
And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider it, take counsel, and speak. ​

Study Notes for Judges 19

Verse 1

The phrase “when there was no king in Israel” provides the theological framework for the final section of Judges (17–21), explaining the moral anarchy and lawlessness that characterizes the period.

Verse 2

The Hebrew term for 'played the whore' (zāna) often implies general infidelity or disobedience, resulting in her flight back to her family home for safety and reconciliation.

Verse 3

The Levite seeks to 'speak friendly unto her' (literally, 'speak to her heart'), indicating an attempt at reconciliation and restoration of the relationship after the separation.

Verse 8

The excessive hospitality of the father-in-law, though culturally valued, causes a dangerous delay, forcing the Levite to travel late and choose unsafe lodging.

Verse 10

Jebus was the Canaanite (Jebusite) name for Jerusalem. It was not fully conquered by Israel until the time of David (2 Samuel 5), making it a foreign city.

Verse 12

The Levite refuses lodging among non-Israelites ('a stranger') but chooses Gibeah, a city of Benjamin. This choice is tragically ironic, as the Israelites of Gibeah prove far more wicked than any foreigner.

Verse 15

The failure of the Benjamites to offer hospitality—a sacred duty in ancient Near Eastern culture—immediately signals the moral corruption of Gibeah.

Verse 16

The host is also an Ephraimite sojourner, emphasizing that the only person upholding the laws of hospitality in Gibeah is not a native resident but a fellow traveler.

Verse 18

The Levite mentions he is going toward the 'house of the LORD,' likely referring to the tabernacle at Shiloh, underscoring his identity as a religious figure traveling on sacred business.

Verse 22

“Sons of Belial” (worthless ones) describes the moral character of the attackers. Their demand to 'know him' is a clear euphemism for gang-rape, paralleling the crime of Sodom in Genesis 19:5.

Verse 23

The host appeals to the sanctity of hospitality and identifies the intended action as 'folly' (nebalah), a term used for gross moral outrage against both God and society.

Verse 24

The host’s offer of his virgin daughter and the concubine tragically illustrates the low status of women, who were treated as disposable commodities to protect the male guest and the honor of the host.

Verse 25

The Levite’s action of pushing his concubine out shows his profound lack of courage and his complicity in her sexual violence and subsequent death, prioritizing his own safety.

Verse 28

The Levite’s cold command ('Up, and let us be going') after finding her reveals his continued callousness. He shows no grief, only concern for continuing his journey.

Verse 29

Dismemberment was an extreme action designed to serve as an undeniable, shocking summons for war. Dividing the body into twelve pieces symbolically addresses all twelve tribes of Israel, demanding a unified response to the outrage.

Verse 30

This verse establishes the horrific nature of the crime, confirming that the moral decline in Israel had reached a historic low point since the Exodus. It serves as the immediate catalyst for the civil war described in the next chapter.

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