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Judges Chapter 19

A Levite's Concubine Degraded A Levite goes to Bethlehem to fetch home his concubine

19 1 Jdg 17:6; Jdg 17:7 A1And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.

2And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.

3And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

4And his father in law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.

5And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel’s father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.

6And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel’s father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.

7And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.

8And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel’s father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

9And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.

10 Jos 18:28; 2 Sam 5:6 10But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.

11 1 Chr 1:13-14; 2 Sam 24:16; 2 Sam 5:6; Jdg 1:21; Jos 15:63 11And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.

12 Hos 5:8; Isa 10:29; 1 Sam 10:26; Jos 18:28 12And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.

13And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

15And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging. An old man entertains him at Gibeah

16 Psa 104:23 16¶And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.

17And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

18 Jos 18:1; Jdg 18:31; 1 Sam 1:3; 1 Sam 1:7 18And he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the Lord; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.

19Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.

20 Gen 19:2; Jdg 6:23; Gen 43:23 20And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.

21 1 Tim 5:10; Joh 13:5; Luk 7:44; Luk 7:38 21So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink. The Gibeonites abuse his concubine to death

22 Rom 1:26-27; Gen 19:5; 2 Cor 6:15; 2 Chr 13:7; 1 Kin 21:10; 1 Sam 2:12; Deu 13:13 22¶Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

23 Gen 19:6; 2 Sam 13:12 23And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.

24 Deu 21:14; Gen 34:2; Gen 19:8 24Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

25 Gen 4:1 25But 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.

26Then 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.

27And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

28 Jdg 20:5 28And 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. He divides her into twelve pieces, and sends them to the twelve tribes

29 Jdg 20:6; 1 Sam 11:7 29And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

30 Pro 15:22; Pro 13:10; Pro 11:14; Jdg 20:7; Jdg 20:7 30And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

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Introductions and Outlines courtesy Grace to You. Used by permission)

Introduction to Judges
by John MacArthur

Title

The book bears the fitting name “Judges,” which refers to unique leaders God gave to His people for preservation against their enemies (Jdg 2:16-19). The Hebrew title means “deliverers” or “saviors,” as well as judges (cf. Deut 16:18; 17:9; 19:17). Twelve such judges arose before Samuel; then Eli and Samuel raised the count to 14. God Himself is the higher Judge (Jdg 11:27). Judges spans about 350 years from Joshua’s conquest (ca. 1398 B.C.) until Eli and Samuel judged prior to the establishment of the monarchy (ca. 1043B.C.).

Author and Date

No author is named in the book, but the Jewish Talmud identifies Samuel, a key prophet who lived at the time these events took place and could have personally summed up the era (cf. 1 Sam 10:25). The time was earlier than David’s capture of Jerusalem ca. 1004 B.C. (2 Sam 5:6, 7) since Jebusites still controlled the site (Judg 1:21). Also, the writer deals with a time before a king ruled (Jdg 17:6; 18:1; 21:25). Since Saul began his reign ca. 1043 B.C., a time shortly after his rule began is probably when Judges was written.

Background and Setting

Judges is a tragic sequel to Joshua. In Joshua, the people were obedient to God in conquering the Land. In Judges, they were disobedient, idolatrous, and often defeated. Judges 1:1-3:6 focuses on the closing days of the book of Joshua. Judges 2:6-9 gives a review of Joshua’s death (cf. Josh 24:28-31). The account describes 7 distinct cycles of Israel’s drifting away from the Lord starting even before Joshua’s death, with a full departure into apostasy afterward. Five basic reasons are evident for these cycles of Israel’s moral and spiritual decline: 1) disobedience in failing to drive the Canaanites out of the Land (Judg 1:19, 21, 35); 2) idolatry (Jdg 2:12); 3) intermarriage with wicked Canaanites (Jdg 3:5, 6); 4) not heeding judges (Jdg 2:17); and 5) turning away from God after the death of the judges (Jdg 2:19).

A four-part sequence repeatedly occurred in this phase of Israel’s history: 1) Israel’s departure from God; 2) God’s chastisement in permitting military defeat and subjugation; 3) Israel’s prayer pleading for deliverance; and 4) God raising up “judges,” either civil or sometimes local military champions who led in shaking off the oppressors. Fourteen judges arose, six of them military judges (Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson). Two men were of special significance for contrast in spiritual leadership: 1) Eli, judge and High-Priest (not a good example); and 2) Samuel, judge, priest, and prophet (a good example).

Historical and Theological Themes

Judges is thematic rather than chronological; foremost among its themes is God’s power and covenant mercy in graciously delivering the Israelites from the consequences of their failures, which were suffered for sinful compromise (cf. 2:18, 19; 21:25). In 7 periods of sin to salvation (cf. Introduction: Outline), God compassionately delivered His people throughout the different geographical areas of tribal inheritances which He had earlier given through Joshua (Josh 13-22). The apostasy covered the whole land, as indicated by the fact that each area is specifically identified: southern (Jdg 3:7-31); northern (Jdg 4:1-5:31); central (Jdg 6:1-10:5); eastern (Jdg 10:6-12:15); and western (Jdg 13:1-16:31). His power to faithfully rescue shines against the dark backdrop of pitiful human compromise and sometimes bizarre twists of sin, as in the final summary (Judg 17-21). The last verse (Jdg 21:25) sums up the account: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Interpretive Challenges

The most stimulating challenges are: 1) how to view men’s violent acts against enemies or fellow countrymen, whether with God’s approval or without it; 2) God’s use of leaders who at times do His will and at times follow their own sinful impulse (Gideon, Eli, Jephthah, Samson); 3) how to view Jephthah’s vow and offering of his daughter (Jdg 11:30-40); and 4) how to resolve God’s sovereign will with His providential working in spite of human sin (cf. 14:4).

The chronology of the various judges in different sectors of the Land raises questions about how much time passed and how the time totals can fit into the entire time span from the Exodus (ca. 1445B.C.) to Solomon’s fourth year, ca 967/966 B.C., which is said to be 480 years (1 Kin 6:1; see Judg 11:26 and note). A reasonable explanation is that the deliverances and years of rest under the judges in distinct parts of the Land included overlaps, so that some of them did not run consecutively but rather concurrently during the 480 years. Paul’s estimate of “about 450” years in Acts 13:20 is an approximation.

Outline of Judges
by John MacArthur

I. Introduction and Summary—The Disobedience of Israel (Jdg 1:1-3:6)

A. Incomplete Conquest over the Canaanites (Jdg 1:1-36)
B. The Decline and Judgment of Israel (Jdg 2:1-3:6)

II. A Selected History of the Judges—The Deliverance of Israel (Jdg 3:7-16:31)

A. First Period: Othniel vs. Mesopotamians (Jdg 3:7-11)
B. Second Period: Ehud and Shamgar vs. Moabites (Jdg 3:12-31)
C. Third Period: Deborah vs. Canaanites (Jdg 4:1-5:31)
D. Fourth Period: Gideon vs. Midianites (Jdg 6:1-8:32)
E. Fifth Period : Tola and Jair vs. Abimelech’s Effects (Jdg 8:33-10:5)
F. Sixth Period: Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon vs. Philistines and Ammonites (Jdg 10:6-
12:15)
G. Seventh Period: Samson vs. Philistines (Jdg 13:1-16:31)

III. Epilogue—The Dereliction of Israel (Jdg 17:1-21:25)

A. The Idolatry of Micah and the Danites (Jdg 17:1-18:31)
B. The Crime at Gibeah and War Against Benjamin (Jdg 19:1-21:25)

Introduction to Judges
by John MacArthur

Title

Author and Date

Background and Setting

Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges

Outline of Judges
by John MacArthur

I. Introduction and Summary—The Disobedience of Israel (Jdg 1:1-3:6)

II. A Selected History of the Judges—The Deliverance of Israel (Jdg 3:7-16:31)

III. Epilogue—The Dereliction of Israel (Jdg 17:1-21:25)

The 1440 Agenda

Remembering Marcy

Study Bible

Introduction to Judgesby John MacArthur

Title

Author and Date

Background and Setting

Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges

Outline of Judgesby John MacArthur

I. Introduction and Summary—The Disobedience of Israel (Jdg 1:1-3:6)

II. A Selected History of the Judges—The Deliverance of Israel (Jdg 3:7-16:31)

III. Epilogue—The Dereliction of Israel (Jdg 17:1-21:25)

Books of the Bible

Chapters in Judges

The 1440 Agenda

Introduction to Judges
by John MacArthur

Outline of Judges
by John MacArthur