Judges 19:1-15

Judges 19:1-15

[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 side  of mount  Ephraim,  who took  to him a concubine  out of Bethlehemjudah.  [2] And his concubine  played the whore  from him unto her father's  house  to Bethlehemjudah,  and was there four  whole months.  [3] And her husband  arose,  after  her, to speak  friendly  unto her, and 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,  when they arose early  in the morning,  that he rose up  and the damsel's  father  said  unto his son in law,  Comfort  thine heart  with a morsel  of bread,  and afterward  [6] And they sat down,  and did eat  and drink  both  of them together:  for the damsel's  father  had said  unto the man,  Be content,  I pray thee, and tarry all night,  and let thine heart  be merry.  [7] And when the man  rose up  his father in law  urged  him: therefore he lodged  there again.  [8] And he arose early  in the morning  on the fifth  day  and the damsel's  father  said,  Comfort  thine heart,  I pray thee. And they tarried  until afternoon,  and they did eat  both  [9] And when the man  rose up  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 thine heart  may be merry;  and to morrow  get you early  on your way,  that thou mayest go  home.  [10] But the man  would  not tarry that night,  but he rose up  and came  over against  Jebus,  which is Jerusalem;  and there were with him two  asses  saddled,  his concubine  [11] And when they were by Jebus,  the day  was far  spent;  and the servant  said  unto his master,  I pray thee, and let us turn in  into this city  of the Jebusites,  and lodge  in it. [12] And his master  said  unto him, We will not turn aside  hither into the city  of a stranger,  that is not of the children  of Israel;  we will pass over  to Gibeah.  [13] And he said  unto his servant,  and let us draw near  to one  of these places  to lodge all night,  in Gibeah,  or in Ramah.  [14] And they passed on  and the sun  went down  upon them when they were by  Gibeah,  which belongeth to Benjamin.  [15] And they turned aside  thither, to go in  and to lodge  in Gibeah:  and when he went in,  he sat him down  in a street  of the city:  for there was no man  that took  them into his house  to lodging. 

What does Judges 19:1-15 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

We meet another Levite in Judges 19:1 who was paying no attention to God"s directions concerning where the Levites should live (cf. 2 Samuel 5:6-9). Since monogamy was God"s standard for marriage the Levite should not have married a concubine ( Judges 17:75). This was doubly wrong in the case of a Levite because the Levites were to remain as holy as possible in view of their special ministry in Israel. It appears that the Levite and his concubine had a disagreement that resulted in the woman leaving him and returning to her father"s home ( Judges 19:2).
"The reason for her return given in many ancient versions, "because she was angry with him" (followed by RSV), is more plausible than that supplied in the AV and RV that she played the whore against him. The penalty against the adulteress was death ( Leviticus 20:10), but a heated argument would allow the Levite to seek a reconciliation when the passions of temper had subsided." [1]
Arthur Cundall"s preference, expressed in the quotation above, rested on the Septuagint translators" rendering of Judges 19:2 that is the equivalent of "his concubine was angry with him." However the Hebrew text has "his concubine was unfaithful to him," and this is the preferable reading. As we have noted, the Israelites paid less attention to the Law in the period of the judges than they did while Joshua was alive. It is probable that the concubine had been unfaithful and the Israelites simply did not execute the penalty for that offense that the Law prescribed. The fact that the Levite waited four months to get his wife back suggests that he was not eager to do so.
The writer referred to the Levite as the concubine"s husband because that is what she was in God"s sight ( Judges 19:3). The Levite"s tender words were insincere, as his later dealings with her prove. Apparently he wanted her back for selfish reasons. The two donkeys the Levite brought with him to Bethlehem were for his wife and him to ride back home. The concubine"s father was probably glad to see the Levite because it was disgraceful for a woman to leave her husband in that culture. The Levite wanted to patch up the relationship, and that would have pleased his father-in-law.
The writer"s mention of the hospitality of the Levite"s father-in-law ( Judges 19:4-9) points out the contrast with the Gibeahites" lack of hospitality later in the story ( Judges 19:15; Judges 19:22-26). Hospitality was a sacred duty in the ancient Near East when there were few public facilities for travelers (cf. Judges 4:17-23; Genesis 18:5; Genesis 24:55). Perhaps it is significant that this man who practiced hospitality (lit. love of strangers) lived in Bethlehem, David"s hometown. Saul came from Gibeah where the residents hated strangers, as the story will show. The fact that Israel"s first king came from this city has led some scholars to conclude that by including this incident the writer may have intended to discredit Saul. [2]
Jebus (Jerusalem) was and is about six miles north of Bethlehem ( Judges 19:10). The Levite and his concubine would have reached it in about two hours. Gibeah ( Judges 19:12) was three miles farther north and Ramah ( Judges 19:13) two miles beyond Gibeah. Jebus was then, and until David finally captured it ( 1714204909_70), a stronghold of the Jebusites who were one of the native Canaanite tribes. The Levite expected to find hate in Jebus and love in Gibeah. He would have been wiser to stop for the night in Jebus since he found no hospitality in Gibeah but hatred. All the "motels" there were full, or at least not open to the Levite and his party. Of all people, the Israelites were to give special consideration to their Levites ( Deuteronomy 16:14; Deuteronomy 26:12).
"The last clause in Judges 19:15 would have been shocking anywhere in the ancient Near East. But it is especially shocking in Israel. The social disintegration has infected the very heart of the community. People refuse to open their doors to strangers passing through. It makes no difference that these travelers are their own countrymen." [3]