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.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Concubinage was practiced throughout the ancient Near East as a legal form of marriage, though with less honor and fewer rights than primary wives. For a Levite to have a concubine, while not explicitly forbidden, suggests accommodation to cultural norms rather than pursuit of holiness. The woman's origin "out of Beth-lehem-judah" (the same town mentioned in chapter 17) connects these narratives thematically—Bethlehem, future birthplace of David and Jesus, produces both a corrupt Levite priest (chapter 17) and this tragic concubine (chapter 19), highlighting the pervasiveness of Israel's moral decay. The subsequent Gibeah atrocity occurred in Benjamite territory, leading to civil war that nearly annihilated Benjamin (chapter 20), demonstrating how individual sin escalates to tribal and national catastrophe.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the Levite's moral compromise warn about the danger when spiritual leaders accommodate cultural norms rather than maintain holiness?
- What does the phrase "no king in Israel" teach about the relationship between rejecting God's authority and societal moral collapse?
- How does this narrative prepare us for the horrific events that follow, and what does it teach about human depravity?
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Analysis & Commentary
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. The repeated phrase "no king in Israel" introduces one of Scripture's most horrific narratives, demonstrating the depths of moral collapse during this period. A "Levite" (ish Levi)—one called to teach God's law and maintain holiness—takes a "concubine" (pilegesh, פִּילֶגֶשׁ), a legal but secondary wife with less status than a full wife. That a Levite, who should exemplify covenant faithfulness, enters such a relationship reveals spiritual compromise. His residence in Ephraim while taking a woman from Bethlehem will lead to a tragic journey that exposes Israel's Sodom-like depravity.
From a Reformed perspective, this verse introduces a narrative demonstrating total depravity and the consequences of rejecting God's kingship. What follows—the concubine's unfaithfulness, the Levite's journey, the Gibeah atrocity paralleling Sodom, and the resulting civil war—shows how far Israel had fallen. The Levite's own moral failures (his harsh treatment of the concubine in verse 25-29) demonstrate that even covenant mediators had become corrupt, necessitating not just better leadership but heart transformation through the new covenant.