JUDGES LESSON 21

     We will begin this lesson in Judges 19:1 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 Beth-lehem-judah.

     This time seems to have been set by many between the death of
Joshua and the death of Phinehas. The arc was at Shiloh during this
time. There was no king, and everyone was doing what was right in his
own sight. The Levite was supposed to be very careful who he married.
They were a tribe set aside to minister. Their character must be above
their fellows around them. A concubine performs all the duties of a
wife, but is just one step from having the full privileges of a wife.
Sometimes, she is a servant girl as well as a concubine.

     Judges 19:2 "And his concubine played the whore against him, and
went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem-judah, and
was there four whole months."

     "Playing the whore", here, does not necessarily mean that she
committed adultery. It does mean that she revolted against her husband
and went home. She would not have been committing adultery at her
father's house. Her father lived in the city of Bethlehem in the land
of Judah. She stayed in her father's house 4 months.

     Judges 19:3 "And her husband arose, and went 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."

     We see that the Levite has made a special effort to come and get
his concubine {called wife here}. There, possibly, had been some
trouble before, because he seems to be speaking friendly words to her
here. The father of the damsel seems to be pleased, that the Levite
has made this effort to come and make peace with his wife.

     Judges 19:4 "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."

     This was a time of fellowship with the girl's father. It was
almost like a celebration, now that they have gone back together. The
father loves his daughter, and seems to be fond of the son-in-law, as
well.  This 3 days was like an extended vacation.

     Judges 19:5  "And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they
arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the
damsel's father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a
morsel of bread, and afterward go your way."

     The father-in-law wants to be with them the last minute he can.
He insists on them having breakfast, before they go.

     Judges 19:6 "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."

     They enjoyed their conversation together over breakfast and the
father-in-law convinces them to stay another day.

     Judges 19:7 "And when the man rose up to depart, his father in
law urged him: therefore he lodged there again."

     It seems, the father-in-law is having trouble letting them leave.

     Judges 19:8 "And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day
to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray
thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of
them."

     They visited all day, again, even until late in the afternoon,
before they began their journey. They have been here 5 days, and the
father still wants them to stay, but they feel they must go home. The
son-in-law is enjoying this nearly as much as the girl's father.

     Judges 19:9 "And when the man rose up to depart, 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."

     Again, the father of the damsel tries to get them to stay over
night. They are all packed and ready to go, but it is late in the
evening.

     Judges 19:10 "But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose
up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which [is] Jerusalem;
and [there were] with him two asses saddled, his concubine also [was]
with him."

     He felt that he must get started home, even if it is late in the
afternoon. Jerusalem is about two hours away from Bethlehem. It seems,
during this time that the city is controlled, not by Hebrews, but by
the Jebusites. The concubine had decided to go home with her husband.
They are riding on two asses.

     Judges 19:11 "[And] when they [were] by Jebus, the day was far
spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and
let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it."

     It seems, they really had gotten a late start. When they had
traveled about two hours, it was getting late, and time to stop for
the night. The servant talks to the Levite, and tries to get him to
stop here for the night.

     Judges 19:12 "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."

     The Levite is a little reluctant to go into a strange city, where
there are no Israelites. He knows that many of these people are evil.
He wants to go on to Gibeah.  Gibeah was of the tribe of Benjamin, and
is about two and a half more hours down the road.

     Judges 19:13 "And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw
near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in
Ramah."

     Ramah was in a little different direction, but about the same
mileage away as Gibeah.

     Judges 19:14 "And they passed on and went their way; and the sun
went down upon them [when they were] by Gibeah, which [belongeth] to
Benjamin."

     By the time they got to Gibeah, the sun had gone down.  They felt
they would be safe here, since this belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.

     Judges 19:15 "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."

     There was no one who offered them the hospitality of taking them
in for the night. This was not at all what God had taught his people.
This shows their society had dropped to a new low. They were going to
spend the night in the street by the gate, so he sat down on the
street to rest.

     Judges 19:16  "And, behold, there came an old man from his work
out of the field at even, which [was] also of mount Ephraim; and he
sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place [were] Benjamites."

     This old man seems to be living in this city, but he has come
from Mount Ephraim. It appears, he has just stopped work for the
night, and headed to his house to rest.

     Judges 19:17 "And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a
wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither
goest thou? and whence comest thou?"

     The old man stops to ask of the welfare of the Levite and his
concubine. He has more compassion than the others who live in this
city?

     Judges 19:18 "And he said unto him, We [are] passing from Beth-
lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence [am] I: and
I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I [am now] going to the house of the
LORD; and there [is] no man that receiveth me to house."

     He is going to the tabernacle, which is located at Shiloh at this
time. He explains that he is from mount Ephraim, and has been to
Bethlehem in Judah. He, also, explains that no one offered to take
them in.

     Judges 19:19 "Yet there is both straw and provender for our
asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid,
and for the young man [which is] with thy servants: [there is] no want
of any thing."

     He, now, explains to the man that they are not beggars. They have
their own straw and provender for their animals. They even have their
own food and drink. They have need of nothing, but a place to lay
their heads for a while.

     Judges 19:20 "And the old man said, Peace [be] with thee;
howsoever [let] all thy wants [lie] upon me; only lodge not in the
street."

     The old man takes them in off the street. They have found one
person who had compassion on them.

     Judges 19:21 "So he brought him into his house, and gave
provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and
drink."

     They wore sandals, and their feet were hot and dirty after a long
day's walk. The first thing they did, was wash their feet. They ate
and drank, refreshing themselves from their journey.

     Judges 19:22   "[Now] as they were making their hearts merry,
behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house
round about, [and] beat at the door, and spake to the master of the
house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine
house, that we may know him."

     There was no law and order in this town. They not only did not
help the people themselves, but now, want to disgrace the man. They
are homosexuals, and they want the man for that abominable purpose.
"Belial" means worthlessness. These were very evil men, trying to take
the Levite out of the old man's house. They were beating at the door,
trying to take the Levite, but the old man did not let them have him.

     Judges 19:23 "And the man, the master of the house, went out unto
them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, [nay], I pray you, do not
[so] wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not
this folly."

     The old man pleads for the Levite's safety.

     Judges 19:24 "Behold, [here is] my daughter a maiden, and his
concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with
them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a
thing."

     Even this, is a terrible wickedness. It is hard to understand,
how a man can offer his own daughter to so wicked a group of men. This
is too sinful to even try to explain. It reminds me greatly of the sin
of Sodom and Gomorrah.

     Judges 19:25 "But the men would not hearken to him: so the man
took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew
her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day
began to spring, they let her go."

     Whether the man here is the Levite or the old man, this is a
cowardly thing to do. This is, possibly, one of the most revolting
things I have ever heard of. It seems as if this twisted thing is
alright with these people. Why the Levite or someone did not help her,
I do not know. This had to be gang rape of an innocent victim.

     Judges 19:26 "Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and
fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord [was], till it
was light."

     This type of horrible sin nearly always occurs under the cover of
darkness. They brought her back at daylight, and left her at the door.

     Judges 19:27 "And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the
doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman
his concubine was fallen down [at] the door of the house, and her
hands [were] upon the threshold."  Judges 19:28 "And he said unto her,
Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her [up]
upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place."

     When he finally checked on her the next morning, she was dead.
She had come back for help to the house where her husband was, but he
was too cowardly to help her. It seemed as if he had very little
feelings for her. He had slept through her ordeal.

     Judges 19:29  "And when he was come into his house, he took a
knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, [together]
with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts
of Israel."

     This is one piece for each of the tribes of Israel, to let them
see the terrible degraded society they lived in.

     Judges 19:30 "And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was
no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel
came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take
advice, and speak [your minds]."

     It seems, this did get their attention. Perhaps, all of these
tribes will get together, and decide what to do with such evil people
that called themselves Hebrews. They are worse than heathen.
                         Judges 21 Questions


1.  Where was the Levite sojourning in verse 1?
2.  Where was his concubine from?
3.  About when did all of this take place?
4.  Where was the arc at this time?
5.  What was different between a concubine and a wife?
6.  What does "playing the whore", in verse 2, refer to?
7.  How long did she stay in her father's house?
8.  His concubine is called his ________ in verse 3.
9.  What was intended by "speak friendly"?
10. How did the girl's father feel, when the Levite came to get her?
11. How long did they stay with her father at first?
12. Every time they tried to leave to go home, what happened?
13. What time of day was it, when they did leave for home?
14. They did not stop at ________, because it was controlled by the
    __________, not the Hebrews.
15. Where did they finally stop for the night?
16. What tribe did this city belong to?
17. Who took them in for the night?
18. Who came and tried to beat down the door?
19. Who did they want?
20. Who finally went out to them?
21. How long did they abuse her?
22. When they released her, where did she come?
23. When did the Levite realize she was dead?
24. What did he do with her body?
25. Who did he send the parts to?