WHY Is Judges 19 So MESSED UP?! [A Levite and His Concubine]

Let's recap this Bible story: Judges 19 is the story of a Levite and his concubine. Biblical critics often highlight the mistreatment of women in this story. It's even been called one of the "texts of terror". In this video we take a look at what's really going on and explain this crazy and messed up tale from the book of Judges.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It should be noted that the Levite takes his concubine home before cutting her up (this is not stated directly in the video). It's not clear in the Hebrew if she was alive when he did so.

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Further Reading:
Graetz, N. (2013) The Concubine of Gibeah.
Schneider, T. J. (2016). Berit Olam: Judges
M. Anstey (2019) Scripture and moral reasoning
Webb, B. G. (2012). The Book of Judges
Butler, T. C. (2009). Judges
C. Mafana (2013) Judges 19

#biblevideo #theology #genesis19

Contributions go towards paying for editors and visual assets which speed up the production of these episodes.

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[TabletsAndTemples]

One important note, the Levite took her home before cutting her up (this wasn't directly stated in the video). It's not clear in Hebrew if she was alive when he did so.
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[Lovejesus]

Sounds to me the husband, A Levite, did not get his concubine back cause he loved her, but was a controlling man who then threw her away like trash to save himself and punish her.

[Erik-vpbm]

I love reading the Old Testament. Game of Thrones has nothing on this savagery.

[servantofyhwh]

I literally just read this and as soon as I was done I looked up an explanation on youtube to see if I wasn't reading this properly. So sad how humans act when they don't have guidance from God.

[bootsofescaping]

I think the father tried to keep him there as a way to protect his daughter because if she traveled that far alone to get away from him he was probably already doing some messed up stuff. And he knew he would not get away with it in front of her father. The father probably hoped something would happen to him at a party, getting drunk and loose lipped.

[ravenaangel]

I once tried to read through the whole Bible, beginning to end. After making it through Leviticus, I was stopped by all the injustices of Judges. This video has helped me understand more why these stories may have been written. See something, say something. These stories are still difficult to read, but now there may come a time when I can continue and move on.

[gerinja]

That man was a cruel man. Why did he bother going after her??? Poor concubine.

[TheMicahMindset]

This story always really bothered me when reading through the Old Testament...so much so that it made continuing to read it really challenging because it’s incredibly depressing and seems to offer no resolution/prescription to life...appreciate you breaking down the topic down.

[tracyensleyharp]

There is definitely no hero in this story! For sure...
I appreciate what you brought out of this!! Consider and speak up...

[isaacmarshmallow]

1) A Concubine is a wife married without the husband paying the Bride-Price. Remember the Israelites lived in an arranged marriage system. Concubine wives were viewed as lesser second class wives due to this distinction. It's of note that the MS text shows the concubine as an adulterer, but this detail is absent from the LXX and from Josephus, so it's likely an addition to the text used by some commentators to try and say that "this woman deserved what happened to her anyway because she was a sinner". Indeed there are rabbinical and commentator explanations that go down this road. But it's unfounded.

2) In times of crisis, the family member who held the inheritance was viewed as the most important to protect. If this was Jacobs family, then Judah and Joseph would be the most valuable. In Lots family, he had no Male sons, so it was Lot who was viewed as the most valuable, and this is seen in the next account where his two daughters (seemingly unphased by Lot offering them to the mob, which the Angels prevented) try to raise up a Male offspring for their father, since their mother had died. And in the Levites small family, it was the Levite. If the one holding the inheritance died, then the inheritance was lost. This is why in Ruth we have the brother in law marriage system for Elimelechs inheritance. This is why Abraham presumed his inheritance would go to one of his servants Eliezer (Gen 15:2). In a society where inheritance is valued so highly, you are going to get fear-based responses where people value their inheritance over human life. This is a bi-product of the time they lived in. It doesn't make it right, but that's how it was.

3) Judges 20:5 & 6 indicates she was already dead when he cut her up.

4) Contextually, this story takes place before the first oppression. This was one of the dominos that lead to God abandoning them to Cushan Rishathain. On order you have:
• The Second Conquest of the land. Some tribes make covenants with the Canaanites, which involves intermarriage.
• The weeping at Bochim due to this.
• The Danites conquer their portion but then engage in Idolatry
• The Sex Crime at Gibeah
• The Benjaminite Civil War
• The Kidnapping Crime at Shiloh
• Israel serves the Baals and the Sacred Poles.
• God gives them Into Cushans hand.

So this account really is the latest in a gradual increase of badness that would lead to God abandoning them. All the leadership decisions during this period get gradually worse as the ones that knew God died and the ones that didn't took their place among the twelve elders.

The point of this passage, is that Israel gets into a Civil War due to violence against a woman, but then ends up hypocritically doing the very thing that got them into the mess in the first place at Shiloh: More violence against women.

[hilzpirationwithcoachhilet]

When my mom told me to read this a few years ago I was distraught by it. Thanks for the insight and explanation.

[itiswritten]

This helps. I have listened to the word of God for many years and every time I come up to this chapter it leaves me speechless and somewhat confused thank you for sharing and making it a little more clearer.

[ETBrothers]

A lot of the accounts in book of Judges are horrible :( But these accounts are written for us as warnings and reproof, to not make the same mistakes that they made. But throughout history incidents like this has happened again... May we all become more like Jesus, to discern, and not to be overcome by all the evil, but overcoming it with good 🙏

[AdoradoraAngelaLopez]

I think you did well on explaining this to the younger crowd. Great job God bless
New sub

[Lordpraisethe]

Thank you Jesus. Thanks for helping me make sense of such a depraved and horrific story

[found-it]

Delage Studio - WOW, that was very helpful. God previously gave me a Word how men treat their wife like a concubine. Abba commands the opposite. In Ephesians, 5X He says, love your wife yet, most preach on the 1 mention of, wives submit. Also, men are told their prayers will NOT be heard if they are harsh to their wife who is the weaker vessel. This evil husband is an example of how a man THINKS, no one sees his evil ways. God Almighty does and those who hide their sins aught to be very afraid. God is NOT MOCKED without consequences. Also, the Lord tells men when getting married: to leave their family & cleave to their wife. Abba does not tell the wife to leave & cleave. The reason? In case her husband begins to treat her cruelly she can & should run to her parents home for safety. Oh, but never will you hear a preacher tell men this. They wrongly instruct both to leave & cleave - to the woman's detriment!

[deborah.inkwi.]

Just finished reading the chapter and was need of an explanation and you explained it really well. Thank you!

[Dexion]

Moral of the story? *_Stay in the Fathers house_* !!! And life you’ll be blessed and protected from the devices of this wicked world…
But he decided to leave. 😓

[tobiewolfen]

This story is one of the disturbing ones that linger in my mind, and I don't feel closure nor justice from it.

[sammievillagomez]

This reminds me of Proverbs 3:7,
"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil."

This just means we do what seems right to us. We are all sinners and we need God in our lives. Jesus is the only truth, the way and the life.