Judges 19

30 verses

TL;DR

Judges 19 recounts a tragic episode in which a Levite’s concubine is brutally abused by men of Gibeah after the Levite fails to find hospitality elsewhere.

Summary

The chapter begins with a Levite traveling from Mount Ephraim to Bethlehem, where his concubine stays with her family. When he leaves, he is welcomed repeatedly by her father and his household, but fails to find a hospitable host in the cities he passes, including Jebus and Gibeah. In Gibeah, an old man gives them shelter, but men of the city, identified as 'sons of Belial,' assault the concubine. The Levite then violently dismembers her and scatters her body parts across Israel, provoking outrage and a call for societal accountability.

Outline

Levite’s failed search for hospitality and eventual arrival in Gibeah
Assault on the concubine by the sons of Belial
Levite’s brutal retaliation and its consequences

Themes

Hospitality and its breakdown in IsraelLawlessness and moral corruptionConsequences of violence and vengeance

Keywords

hospitalityviolenceconcubineLeviteGibeahsons of BelialIsraeljusticebetrayal

People

Leviteconcubinefather of the concubinefather‑in‑lawold man of Gibeahsons of Belialservant

Places

Mount EphraimBethlehemJebus (Jerusalem)GibeahRamahBenjamin

Things

assesbreadwinestrawknifebody partsconcubineservants

Key Verses

Judges 19:1: Sets the context of a wandering Levite and his concubine’s situation.
Judges 19:29: Depicts the extreme violence committed by the Levite.
Judges 19:30: Shows the national reaction and moral crisis triggered by the act.

Questions

What does this narrative reveal about the role of hospitality in Israelite society?
How does the lack of a central authority (king) contribute to moral decline?
In what ways does the Levite’s response reflect broader themes of vengeance and justice?
What can contemporary readers learn from the community’s reaction in verse 30?

Sentiment

negative
The chapter is dominated by violence, betrayal, and societal breakdown.