Jueces 19:1

EXAMPLE 2

THE NEAR EXTERMINATION OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN (Judges 19-21)

THE ATROCIOUS MURDER OF A LEVITE'S CONCUBINE

In these chapters, the near-total collapse of moral integrity in Israel occurred. Richard Halverson, as quoted by Campbell, stated that:

"Here we have the sewer of Scripture ... the most disgusting story in the Bible, unredeemed by an admirable character or a noble act. To read these chapters is to be repelled by them; and one cannot help feeling rather dirty. It is almost as bad as reading today's newspaper!"[1]

The sordid record begins with the brutal murder of a helpless bride whose husband sacrificed her to cruel Sodomite sons of the Devil without lifting a little finger to protect her.

"The events recorded here occurred during the lifetime of Phinehas and while the Ark of the Covenant was at Shiloh ... Phinehas evidently outlived Joshua; and the events narrated here occurred during the interval between the deaths of Joshua and of Phinehas."[2] This appears to be true, based upon Judges 2:27-28. Josephus' narrative of his version of these events coincides with this conclusion.

A LEVITE'S MARRIAGE IN TROUBLE

"And it came to pass in those days when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem-judah. And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father's house in Bethlehem-judah, and was there the space of four months. And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly 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."

"And his concubine played the harlot against him" (Judges 19:2). This is a disputed passage, several able scholars claiming that it should be rendered, "she became angry with him," as in the RSV. However, Dalglish rejected this change, affirming that, "There is no need to adopt it, and that the concubine played the harlot against her husband."[3]

If the ASV is correct, then this Levite violated the law of God (Leviticus 20:10) in taking back an adulteress as his wife. Although, we cannot dogmatically reject the RSV, the moral climate in which this narrative is set strongly favors retaining the ASV here, as Dalglish suggested.

"He went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again" (Judges 19:3). Whatever the reason for the concubine's leaving, the Levite decided to go to her residence and persuade her to return. This favors the rendition in the RSV, because it seems that the Levite himself was to blame for the break-up, as indicated by these words.

Josephus' account of this episode is evidently untrustworthy in some particulars, but as regards the trouble with this marriage, he might have been correct.

They quarreled with one another perpetually, and at last the woman was so disgusted at these quarrels that she left her husband and went to her parents.[4]

That the Levite, if he was faithful to God's law, attempted to restore the marriage certainly indicates that he must have been the guilty party in the break-up.