Judges 19:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, until it was light.

NIV: At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

NASB: As the day began to dawn, the woman came and fell down at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was, until full daylight.

CSB: Early that morning, the woman made her way back, and as it was getting light, she collapsed at the doorway of the man's house where her master was.

NLT: At daybreak the woman returned to the house where her husband was staying. She collapsed at the door of the house and lay there until it was light.

KJV: Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.

NKJV: Then the woman came as the day was dawning, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, till it was light.

A woman, the concubine of a Levite (Judges 19:1, 10) has been unspeakably violated by a depraved mob in Gibeah (Judges 19:22–25). She is pictured here stumbling or dragging herself back to the home of her host (Judges 19:16–21), knowing her husband, her master, is inside. She seems to be locked out. Also, she is either unable to cry for help, or her cries are ignored. She lays there as the sun rises. Her abuse was so severe that, when the door finally opens, she will have died from her injuries (Judges 19:28).

In any era of humanity, this should have been considered a crime scene. Such evil would warrant swift justice in most times and places throughout history. The people of Israel, too, will demand justice. It will not be easily won. The concubine's husband is not literally guilty of the rape, itself. Yet he is depicted as uncaring and cold towards her (Judges 19:25). Yet his response to her death shocks Israel into demanding justice against the men of Gibeah (Judges 19:29–30). That will lead to terrible consequences (Judges 20:8–10).

Judges 19:22–30 finds a Levite traveler and his concubine spending the night in the home of an old man in the Israelite town of Gibeah. Suddenly, the house is surrounded by a mob of men demanding the Levite be handed over so they can rape him. In desperation, the Levite sends out his concubine to save himself. The mob violates and beats her until morning, after which she is found dead. The Levite carries her body home and sends a graphic message to all of Israel: cutting her into twelve pieces and sending them throughout the tribes. This sparks outrage against Gibeah leading to a civil war (Judges 20:8–10), and infamy (Hosea 9:9)

A Levite man travels to reconcile with his runaway concubine. On their way back home, they spend the night in the city of Gibeah, in the home of an old man. The wicked men of the town form a mob, demanding the Levite be handed over to be raped. Instead, the Levite forces his concubine outside; the mob rapes and beats her until sunrise. The Levite finds her body, carries it home, and cuts it into twelve pieces. He sends these pieces throughout Israel. This shocks the entire nation into demanding some action be taken against Gibeah.

This chapter's stomach-turning depravity provides another example of the great wickedness in Israel, in an era when everyone did whatever they wanted to without regard for law or God (Judges 21:25). A mob of rapists murders a Levite man's concubine. He sends pieces of her body throughout the nation. This shocks the people into demanding justice. In the following chapters, the tribe of Benjamin refuses to hand over their guilty members. Israel is plunged into civil war.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).

Accessed 5/5/2024 1:03:50 AM