Judges 19 Summaries

*“Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Be...

The verse tells us, *“But his concubine played the harlot against him, and she went away from him to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah, and was there for a period of four months” (v.2)*. In anc...

In Judges 19:3, Scripture tells us that “Then her husband arose and went after her to speak tenderly to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. So she brough...

Then her father-in-law, the girl’s father, detained him, and he remained with him three days; so they ate and drank and lodged there (v.4). The verse takes place during the period of the Judges—an era...

*“Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and he prepared to go; and the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, ‘Sustain yourself with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go.’”* (v....

In the midst of a longer narrative describing a Levite’s visit to his father-in-law’s house in Bethlehem, the book of Judges recounts, “So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the gir...

In the time of the Judges (approximately 1380–1050 BC), hospitality and kinship alliances played a crucial role in daily life throughout Israel. In Judges 19:7, we see that the Levite prepared to leav...

*On the fifth day he arose to go early in the morning, and the girl’s father said, “Please sustain yourself, and wait until afternoon”; so both of them ate.* (v.8) Set during the era of the judges, ro...

*“When the man arose to go along with his concubine and a servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, ‘Behold now, the day has drawn to a close; please spend the night. Lo, the day is ...

*“But the man was not willing to spend the night, so he arose and departed and came to a place opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). And there were with him a pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine als...

The account unfolds with the statement, *“When they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone; and the servant said to his master, ‘Please come, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites an...

When the traveling Levite reached the vicinity of Jebus (later known as Jerusalem), he chose not to stay there, for the Scripture describes, *“However, his master said to him, ‘We will not turn aside ...

In this verse, a traveling Levite chooses not to stay in an unfamiliar Jebusite city, so he addresses his servant with the words, *“He said to his servant, ‘Come and let us approach one of these place...

The verse tells us, *“So they passed along and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin.”* (v.14) This situation describes travelers continuing onward until dusk, ...

The verse describes the travelers’ arrival and reception in Gibeah, saying: *“So they turned aside there in order to enter and lodge in Gibeah. When they entered, they sat down in the open square of t...

In this passage, we encounter an unexpected figure stepping into the events of Judges 19. The verse says, *“Then behold, an old man was coming out of the field from his work at evening; now the man wa...

When we read, *“And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city; and the old man said, ‘Where are you going, and where do you come from?’”* (v.17), we are observing an ac...

In Judges 19:18 (NASB-95), the traveler explains his circumstances: *He said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, for I am from there, and...

As the passage explains, *“Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, your maidservant, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anythi...

In this narrative found in the time before Israel had kings (around 1375–1050 BC), we read how *“The old man said, ‘Peace be to you. Only let me take care of all your needs; however, do not spend the ...

When the traveling Levite and his concubine arrived in Gibeah, an elderly gentleman from the region of Ephraim extended a gracious welcome. Reflecting on that generous gesture, the scripture says, *“S...

*“While they were celebrating, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, ‘Bring ou...

*Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my fellows, please do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not commit this act of folly.”* (v.2...

In this passage, we find a disturbing circumstance unfolding in the town of Gibeah (a Benjaminite city located north of Jerusalem around the 14th–11th century BC). An old man is entreating the wicked ...

In this passage, we read that *“But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them; and they raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let he...

In the midst of the dark and disturbing events of Judges 19, we find a heartbreaking snapshot in verse 26. The text declares, *“As the day began to dawn, the woman came and fell down at the doorway of...

*“When her master arose in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, then behold, his concubine was lying at the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold...

In this verse, the Levite finds his concubine lying at the doorway of the house after she was brutally abused by the wicked men of Gibeah (Judges 19:25) during the period of the Judges (approximately ...

*When he entered his house, he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and cut her in twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel* (v.29). In the days of the Judge...

*“And all who saw it said, ‘Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel and speak up!’” ...