Jg. 19: Note to Self: Don't Leave a Levite

Judges 19:31 "When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel."

A man can do a lot of thinking in the four months after his unfaithful concubine goes back home to daddy. Well, this unnamed Levite hangs out with his father-in-law for a few days, and they bond, apparently, because father-in-law won't let him go back home. Every night, he tells the Levite to stay another night. Not sure how this is playing out with the concubine. I can't imagine she is too thrilled with the situation.

Anyway, Levite was able to persuade the concubine to go home with him, so they get to heading back home when the sun is sinking low and everybody's with the one they love. They were about to stay the night in the city square near Gibeah. And I know what you are thinking. Why didn't they stay in Jerusalem? Because it was the home of the Jebusites. Not the Israelites. That's why.

Anyway, an old man from Ephraim welcomes them to stay at his home. And this guy, unnamed, like everyone in this vignette, washes their feet and feeds them.

Well, strikingly similar to that seedy story of Lot, the "wicked" men of the town come by and bang on the door, because they want to bang the Levite. The old man would not let them have their way with his guest, so he offers his virgin daughter (can you imagine!) and dude's concubine. So they have their way all night with her, and the next morning, the Levite finds her on the old man's doorstep, exhausted from the gangbang and says, "Get up, let's go." Nice guy. She wouldn't respond...probably because of getting raped all night. (Should get some interesting visitors via google search on this study). Anyway, he tosses her on the donkey and they head for home. When he gets home, he slices up his concubine into 12 pieces, sending them out the far corners of Israel. Which is just awful. What are the logistics of such an undertaking?

So, Levite...in the line of the priesthood...cuts up his wife (well, concubine). What's the statement he's sending? Who messed with him? What was he showing Israel? He's not getting back at the rapists, for sure...and was probably unconcerned with that anyway. He was replaced in the rape line by his concubine. What would you say if you received a 1/12th of some Levite's wife? Not sure exactly what that's all about, I guess I'll have to read some more...