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.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
The Levite's treatment of his concubine's body—first as cargo on a donkey, then dismemberment and distribution (v. 29)—violates Torah principles regarding the dead. While the law permitted symbolic actions calling Israel to witness (Deuteronomy 21:1-9), dismembering a human body echoed pagan practices foreign to Israelite religion. His actions served political purposes (rallying Israel against Benjamin) but demonstrated no genuine grief. Ancient Near Eastern mourning customs included loud lamentation, tearing garments, sitting in ashes (2 Samuel 13:19, Job 2:12-13)—none of which the Levite performed. His silence about her death contrasts his volubility when demanding justice (20:4-7). The narrative's designation "the man" rather than "the Levite" or using his name suggests moral distancing—his actions disqualified him from covenant respect.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the Levite's command 'Up, and let us be going' to a dying woman reveal the heart's capacity for self-centered indifference even to extreme suffering?
- What does the Levite's subsequent use of his concubine's death for political purposes (v. 29) teach about the danger of weaponizing others' suffering rather than genuinely mourning it?
- How does Christ's tender care for the suffering and marginalized (healing the bleeding woman, raising Jairus's daughter, weeping at Lazarus's tomb) provide the ultimate contrast to religious leaders who burden rather than care for people?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
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. The Levite's first words to his dying or dead concubine reveal stunning insensitivity: "Up, and let us be going" (qumi venelekah, קוּמִי וְנֵלֵכָה). The imperative "arise" (qumi, קוּמִי) and cohortative "let us go" (venelekah, וְנֵלֵכָה) suggest he expected her to simply get up and continue the journey. No tenderness, no inquiry about her condition, no acknowledgment of what she endured—only concern for his travel schedule.
"But none answered" (ve'ein oneh, וְאֵין עֹנֶה) is devastating in its brevity. The negative particle ein (אֵין, "there is no") with the participle oneh (עֹנֶה, "answering") indicates silence—whether death's silence or trauma's inability to respond remains ambiguous. The ambiguity matters: did the Levite realize she was dead or assume she was merely unresponsive? His subsequent actions suggest he didn't investigate her condition with any care.
"Then the man took her up upon an ass" (vayyiqqachehah al-hachamor, וַיִּקָּחֶהָ עַל־הַחֲמוֹר) uses language typically reserved for loading cargo, not caring for an injured person. "The man rose up, and gat him unto his place" (vayyaqom ha'ish vayyelek limqomo, וַיָּקָם הָאִישׁ וַיֵּלֶךְ לִמְקֹמוֹ) concludes with shocking normalcy—he simply returned home. The threefold repetition of "the man" (ha'ish, הָאִישׁ) in this verse emphasizes his agency and responsibility. From a Reformed perspective, this epitomizes covenant unfaithfulness—using religious status (Levite) while utterly failing to love as God commands (Leviticus 19:18, Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus condemned such hypocrisy: external religion while "omitting the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith" (Matthew 23:23).