Judges 19:28
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 1375–1050 BC). When morning arrives, he speaks to her, *“Get up and let us go,” but there was no answer. Then he placed her on the donkey; and the man arose and went to his house”* (v.28). This blunt command demonstrates his callousness toward her well-being and reveals the deep moral depravity that had taken hold in Israel during this era. Gibeah itself was a Benjamite city located near what is now Jerusalem, highlighting that even among the covenant people, evil had grown rampant.citeturn0file3
The Levite was originally from the hill country of Ephraim and had retrieved his concubine from Bethlehem in Judah, intending to bring her back to his home. Their overnight stay in Gibeah should have been a safe harbor, but the men of the city committed a heinous crime against her, echoing a pattern of sinfulness repeated throughout Judges. The fact that the Levite’s primary response the next morning was to demand she stand and continue the journey underscores the hardened spiritual climate of the day, when *“every man did what was right in his own eyes”* (Judges 21:25). The concubine’s silence, tragically, implies she had died as a result of the brutality she endured.
This verse reveals how human relationships can be marred by cruelty and disregard when a society deserts God’s ways.
This quick synopsis was AI autogenerated utilizing existing TheBibleSays commentaries as the primary source material. To read a related commentary that has been fully developed, see the list below. If there is an issue with this summary please let us know by emailing:[email protected]
Other Relevant Commentaries:
- Judges 5:19-23 meaning. In the final part of the song of Deborah and Barak, they continue to celebrate Israel's victory over the Canaanite oppressors. The narrative shifts to a poetic description of the battle and the divine intervention that led to Israel's triumph.
- Judges 1:22-26 meaning. The tribes Ephraim and Manasseh, with the Lord’s assistance, goes up against Bethel, previously known as Luz. They use a local man to find the city’s entrance, conquer Bethel, and spare the man’s family. The man then relocates to the land of the Hittites, where he builds a new city and names it Luz.
- Judges 2:1-5 meaning. The angel of the Lord delivers a message of rebuke to the Israelites at Bochim, reminding them of God’s faithfulness and their disobedience. The angel warns of the consequences of their actions, leading the people to weep and offer sacrifices to the Lord.