Judges 19

The old man took his responsibility as host very seriously. He called the demands of the men vile and disgraceful (verse 23), as all such perversions of what is right and natural must be called (Romans 1:26–27). The old man was determined to protect his guest, as the ancient laws of hospitality demanded. But he resorted to the same terrible stratagem that Lot had resorted to in Sodom (Genesis 19:8): he offered his virgin daughter and the Levite’s concubine to the townspeople instead.

The laws of the Old Testament gave ample protection to women; ancient society, however, did not. As Israelite society departed further and further from God’s standards, the treatment of women became worse and worse. Thus, even the old man’s sense of hospitality had become corrupted: to save his male guest, he was willing to throw two women to the wolves! He fulfilled the description given earlier by the writer of Judges: In those days . . . everyone did as he saw fit (Judges 17:6). When God’s people begin to do “whatever they see fit,” they become no better than Canaanites.

25–28 Meanwhile, the men outside expressed no interest in the women; they wanted the Levite. So the Levite, to save his skin, took his concubine and sent her outside to them. Now we can see why she wanted to leave him in the first place! (verse 2). The Levite’s cruel and craven selfishness put him on the same moral level with the men outside.

Perhaps the Levite hadn’t anticipated what the men would do to his concubine. But he certainly didn’t seem to care. When he discovered her lying in the doorway next morning, his first words to her were, “Get up” (verse 28). But she was dead. And that infamous night in Gibeah was never to be forgotten (Hosea 9:9; 10:9).

29–30 The Levite carried his dead concubine home, cut her body into twelve pieces and sent one piece each to the twelve tribes of Israel. His purpose was to shock Israel into taking action against the ungodly men of Gibeah. This Levite, himself an accomplice in the death of his concubine, was now self-righteous ly see king to get revenge on her killers. And as we shall see in the next chapter, the Levite’s shocking tactics worked.

There is a further sad irony in this story. The Levites were supposed to be teachers of the law, guardians of moral standards, examples for the people to follow. But when leaders themselves become callous and corrupt, as was this Levite, the rest of society will surely follow in their path.