JDG

Judges 19 - Summary

Original Summary

Read Judges Chapter 19 Summary

A Levite from Ephraim's hill country takes a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah; when she leaves him, he goes to bring her back. After extended hospitality with her father, they depart late and refuse to stay in Jebusite Jerusalem, pressing on to Gibeah in Benjamin where an old Ephraimite takes them in. Worthless men of Gibeah surround the house demanding the Levite for homosexual rape; the host offers his virgin daughter and the concubine instead, and the Levite pushes his concubine outside where they abuse her all night until she falls dead at the doorstep. The Levite cuts her body into twelve pieces and sends them throughout Israel, provoking unprecedented horror and the assembly's determination to address this outrage.

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Position in Book

Incomplete ConquestChapters 1-2
The JudgesChapters 3-16
Moral and Spiritual DeclineChapters 17-21

Two appendices showing Israel's deep moral corruption: Micah's idolatry and the Levite's concubine incident.

Bible Bites

A left-handed hero the enemy never saw coming

The judge Ehud was left-handed, so he hid his sword on his right thigh, the side guards never checked (Judges 3:15-21). His 'weakness' became the very reason his surprise attack succeeded. The Bible loves an unlikely hero.

Judges 3:15-21