1 AND 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 Beth-lehem-judah.
2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there four whole months.
3 And 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.
4 And 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.
5 And 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.
6 And 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.
7 And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
8 And 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.
9 And 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 But 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 And 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 And 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.
13 And 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.
14 And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
15 And 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.
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.
17 And 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 And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house of the Lord; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.
19 Yet 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 And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
21 So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
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 And 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 Behold, 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 But 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.
26 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.
27 And 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 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.
29 And 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 And 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.

1And it came to passe in those dayes, when there was no King in Israel, that there was a certaine Leuite soiourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who tooke to him a concubine out of Bethlehem Iudah.

2And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him vnto her fathers house to Bethlehem Iudah, and was there foure whole moneths.

3And her husband arose, and went after her to speake friendly vnto her, and to bring her againe, hauing his seruant with him, and a couple of asses: and shee brought him into her fathers house, and when the father of the damsell saw him, he reioyced to meet him.

4And his father in law, the damosels father, reteined him, and hee abode with him three dayes: so they did eate and drinke, and lodged there.

5 And it came to passe on the fourth day, when they arose earely in the morning, that he rose vp to depart: and the damosels father saide vnto his sonne in lawe, Comfort thine heart with a morsell of bread, and afterward goe your way.

6And they sate downe, and did eat and drinke both of them together: for the damosels father had saide vnto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tary all night, and let thine heart be merrie.

7And when the man rose vp to depart, his father in law vrged him: therfore he lodged there againe.

8And hee arose early in the morning on the fift day to depart, and the damosels father sayd, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they taried vntill after noone, and they did eate both of them.

9And when the man rose vp to depart, hee and his concubine, and his seruant; his father in law, the damsels father, said vnto him, Behold, now the day draweth towardes euening, I pray you tarie all night: behold, the day groweth to an ende, lodge heere, that thine heart may be merrie; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest goe home.

10But the man would not tary that night, but he rose vp and departed, and came ouer against Iebus (which is Ierusalem:) and there were with him two asses sadled, his concubine also was with him.

11And when they were by Iebus, the day was farre spent, and the seruant said vnto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let vs turne in into this citie of the Iebusites, and lodge in it.

12And his master said vnto him, We will not turne aside hither into the citie of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel, we will passe ouer to Gibeah.

13And hee sayde vnto his seruant, Come, and let vs draw neere to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14And they passed on and went their way, and the sunne went downe vpon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Beniamin.

15And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sate him downe in a street of the citie: for there was no man that tooke them into his house to lodging.

16 And behold, there came an olde man from his worke out of the field at euen, which was also of mount Ephraim; and hee soiourned in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Beniamites.

17And when he had lift vp his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the streete of the citie: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence commest thou?

18And he said vnto him, We are passing from Bethlehem Iudah, toward the side of mount Ephraim, from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehem Iudah, but I am now going to the house of the Lord, and there is no man that receiueth me to house.

19Yet there is both straw and prouender 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 seruants: there is no want of any thing.

20And the olde man said, Peace be with thee; howsoeuer, let all thy wants lie vpon me; only lodge not in the street.

21So he brought him into his house, and gaue prouender vnto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eate and drinke.

22 Now as they were making their hearts merrie, behold, the men of the citie, certaine sonnes of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the doore, and spake to the master of the house, the olde man, saying; Bring foorth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

23And the man, the master of the house, went out vnto them, and said vnto them, Nay my brethren, nay, I pray you doe not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, doe not this folly.

24Behold, here is my daughter, a maiden, and his concubine, them I wil bring out now, and humble yee them, and doe with them what seemeth good vnto you: but vnto this man doe not so vile a thing.

25But the men would not hearken to him: so the man tooke his concubine, and brought her foorth vnto them, and they knew her, and abused her all the night vntil the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her goe.

26Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell downe at the doore of the mans house, where her lord was, till it was light.

27And her lord rose vp in the morning, & opened the doores of the house, and went out to goe his way: and behold, the woman his concubine was fallen downe at the doore of the house, and her hands were vpon the threshold.

28And he said vnto her, Up, and let vs be going. But none answered: then the man tooke her vp vpon an asse, and the man rose vp, and gate him vnto his place.

29 And when he was come into his house, hee tooke a knife, and layd hold on his concubine, and diuided her, together with her bones, into twelue pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

30And it was so that all that saw it, said, There was no such deed done nor seene, from the day that the children of Israel came vp out of the land of Egypt, vnto this day: consider of it, take aduise, and speake your mindes.

I == Judg 17:6-7 ; 18:1 ; 21:25

 

 

 

 

 

 

III == Gen 34:3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V == Gen 18:5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X == Josh 18:28

 

 

 

 

XI == Josh 15:8 , 63 ; Judg 1:21 ; 2nd Sam 5:6

 

 

XII == Josh 18:28

 

XIII == Josh 18:25

 

 

 

 

XV == Matt 25:43 ; Heb 13:2

 

 

 

XVI == Ps 104:23

 

 

 

 

 

XVIII == Josh 18:1 , 31 ; Judg 20:18 ; 1st Sam 1:3 , 7

 

 

 

 

 

 

XX == Gen 19:2 ; 43:23 ; Judg 6:23

 

XXI == Gen 18:4 ; 24:32 ; 43:24 ; John 13:5

 

XXII == Gen 19:4-5 ; Deut 13:13 ; Judg 20:5 ; Hos 9:9 ; 10:9 ; Rom 1:26-27

 

XXIII == Gen 19:6-7 ; 2nd Sam 13:12

 

 

 

XXIV == Gen 19:8 ; 34:2 ; Deut 21:14

 

 

XXV == Gen 4:1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXVIII == Judg 20:5

 

 

XXIX == Judg 20:6 ; 1st Sam 11:7

 

 

XXX == Judg 20:7 ; Prov 13:10

1 At that time, when there was no king in Israel, there was a Levite residing in remote parts of the mountain region of Ephraim who had taken for himself a concubine from Bethlehem of Judah.

2 His concubine was unfaithful to him and left him for her father's house in Bethlehem of Judah, where she stayed for some four months.

3 Her husband then set out with his servant and a pair of asses, and went after her to forgive her and take her back. She brought him into her father's house, and on seeing him, the girl's father joyfully made him welcome.

4 He was detained by the girl's father, and so he spent three days with this father-in-law of his, eating and drinking and passing the night there.

5 On the fourth day they rose early in the morning and he prepared to go. But the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Fortify yourself with a little food; you can go later on."

6 So they stayed and the two men ate and drank together. Then the girl's father said to the husband, "Why not decide to spend the night here and enjoy yourself?"

7 The man still made a move to go, but when his father-in-law pressed him he went back and spent the night there.

8 On the fifth morning he rose early to depart, but the girl's father said, "Fortify yourself and tarry until the afternoon." When he and his father-in-law had eaten,

9 and the husband was ready to go with his concubine and servant, the girl's father said to him, "It is already growing dusk. Stay for the night. See, the day is coming to an end. Spend the night here and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow you can start your journey home."

10 The man, however, refused to stay another night; he and his concubine set out with a pair of saddled asses, and traveled till they came opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem.

11 Since they were near Jebus with the day far gone, the servant said to his master, "Come, let us turn off to this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it."

12 But his master said to him, "We will not turn off to a city of foreigners, who are not Israelites, but will go on to Gibeah.

13 Come," he said to his servant, "let us make for some other place, either Gibeah or Ramah, to spend the night."

14 So they continued on their way till the sun set on them when they were abreast of Gibeah of Benjamin.

15 There they turned off to enter Gibeah for the night. The man waited in the public square of the city he had entered, but no one offered them the shelter of his home for the night.

16 In the evening, however, an old man came from his work in the field; he was from the mountain region of Ephraim, though he lived among the Benjaminite townspeople of Gibeah.

17 When he noticed the traveler in the public square of the city, the old man asked where he was going, and whence he had come.

18 He said to him, "We are traveling from Bethlehem of Judah far up into the mountain region of Ephraim, where I belong. I have been to Bethlehem of Judah and am now going back home; but no one has offered us the shelter of his house.

19 We have straw and fodder for our asses, and bread and wine for the woman and myself and for our servant; there is nothing else we need."

20 "You are welcome," the old man said to him, "but let me provide for all your needs, and do not spend the night in the public square."

21 So he led them to his house and provided fodder for the asses. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

22 While they were enjoying themselves, the men of the city, who were corrupt, surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man whose house it was, "Bring out your guest, that we may abuse him."

23 The owner of the house went out to them and said, "No, my brothers; do not be so wicked. Since this man is my guest, do not commit this crime.

24 Rather let me bring out my maiden daughter or his concubine. Ravish them, or do whatever you want with them; but against the man you must not commit this wanton crime."

25 When the men would not listen to his host, the husband seized his concubine and thrust her outside to them. They had relations with her and abused her all night until the following dawn, when they let her go.

26 Then at daybreak the woman came and collapsed at the entrance of the house in which her husband was a guest, where she lay until the morning.

27 When her husband rose that day and opened the door of the house to start out again on his journey, there lay the woman, his concubine, at the entrance of the house with her hands on the threshold.

28 He said to her, "Come, let us go"; but there was no answer. So the man placed her on an ass and started out again for home.

29 On reaching home, he took a knife to the body of his concubine, cut her into twelve pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel.

30 Everyone who saw this said, "Nothing like this has been done or seen from the day the Israelites came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Take note of it, and state what you propose to do."

v 1. The people were supposed to have God as their leader, but when they turned from Him, they had no leader and the result was anarchy with it’s characteristic, every one doing according to their own mind, 21:25.

v 2-4. This Levite’s concubine was unfaithful to him and returned to her family. His home was in the hill country of Ephraim, and he went to Bethlehem in Judah to get her. He was wise in speaking gently to her to persuade her to return. It was customary to have your business stated and not presume on hospitality more than three days.

 

 

v 5-15. The father-in-law was so pleased, he prevailed on him to stay another day. He caused him to linger till late in the sixgh day and urged him to stay overnight again, but he refused. He had a servant along, v 3, 9,11,19, but he spent his time with other servants and does not figure in the action except for his suggestion that they spend the night at Jerusalem. It was still inhabited by Canaanites so the Levite went on to Gibeah, but the Benjamites there proved to be inhospitable. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 16-21. An old man who was not a Benjamite but also from Mount Ephraim, took them in and insisted on providing everything they needed. Apparently the Levite had intended to go to Shiloh before returning home, possibly to make a cleansing sacrifice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 22-28. Some of the resident Benjamites were wicked homosexuals, and wanted to take advantage of the Levite. As part of his protective hospitality, the old man offered his own daughter as well as the Levite’s concubine to appease them. The daughter was not sent out, but to save his own life, the Levite sent out his concubine. She was physically abused all night and after being released, she managed to make it as far as the doorstep, where she died.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 28-30. The Levite took up her body and apparently returned home instead of to Shiloh. Then in a gross manner he divided her bones and sent part of her body to each of the twelve tribes. This would have been an attempt to get national judicial action about the problem. He may have sent a brief message, because everyone was appalled and took it into consideration.