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.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
This atrocity directly parallels Sodom (Genesis 19:4-8), where Lot offered his daughters to protect his male guests—an offer the Sodomites rejected. In Gibeah, the old man similarly offered his daughter and the Levite's concubine (verse 24), but when refused, the Levite forced his concubine out. Ancient Near Eastern hospitality codes placed enormous obligation on hosts to protect guests, sometimes leading to morally problematic choices. However, Scripture doesn't present these actions as righteous—they reveal the moral confusion of all involved.
The woman's death after this night of gang rape led to civil war. When the Levite cut her body into twelve pieces and sent them throughout Israel, it sparked outrage (verses 29-30; 20:6-7). The ensuing war killed 25,000 Benjamite warriors plus civilians, leaving only 600 Benjamite men alive (20:46-47). The entire tribe nearly perished, requiring extraordinary measures to find wives for survivors (chapter 21). This massive consequence from one night's wickedness demonstrates how individual and local sin, unchecked, escalates to tribal and national catastrophe.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the Levite's self-preservation at his concubine's expense challenge us to examine whether we sacrifice others for our comfort or safety?
- What does this passage teach about the corporate nature of sin and the danger of judging others' obvious evil while ignoring our own complicity?
- How should churches respond to domestic and sexual violence, especially when perpetrators are covenant members?
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Analysis & Commentary
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. This verse describes one of Scripture's most horrific crimes. The phrase "would not hearken to him" shows the Gibeah men rejected the old host's plea to spare his male guest, demanding homosexual gang rape. In response, "the man" (the Levite) took his concubine and "brought her forth unto them"—a cowardly, cruel act sacrificing her to save himself. The euphemism "knew her" (yeda'uha, יְדָעוּהָ) indicates sexual violence, while "abused her" (vayitallelu bah, וַיִּתְעַלְּלוּ־בָהּ, from alal, meaning to treat wantonly, abuse, mock) intensifies the horror.
From a Reformed perspective, this verse demonstrates total depravity at multiple levels: the Gibeah men's Sodom-like wickedness, the Levite's selfish cruelty, and the failure of covenant structures to restrain evil. The Levite, who should have protected his concubine even at cost to himself, instead used her as a human shield. His subsequent actions—cutting her body into pieces and sending them throughout Israel (verse 29)—show his brutality. While Israel rightly judged Benjamin for the rape and murder, they failed to see the Levite's complicity. This teaches that sin is often corporate and complex, requiring not just external judgment of obvious evil but examination of our own hearts and actions.