The penalty for adultery was death, and although she had escaped punishment at the time, now she was paying the price. 2Įarlier commentators like Matthew Henry and Thomas Morgan argued, based on a mistranslation of a word in Judges 19, that the concubine’s “adulterous behavior” justified the gang rape. Why did the men offer up women to be raped? Why was it more important to protect the men than the women? Why was the Levite so callous? Some commentators’ attempts to answer these questions and justify the men’s behavior can be almost as horrifying as the actions themselves.Ĭommentators have concluded that when the men offered women to the rapists, it was not mere self-protection, but an attempt to avoid the sin of “unnatural sex.” It was worse for men to be raped, partly because women had less value, but also because when women were raped, the sex was at least “natural.” This perspective made their actions understandable, though not excusable. The story raises many difficult questions. Even then, they told the Levite’s story, not hers. She had no voice, until finally her body parts were allowed to “speak” about her death. She was “given” and “taken,” regardless of her wishes. His callous words-“Get up, let’s go”-are some of the most unfeeling, insensitive words in Scripture. The host was justifiably frightened, but how could he blithely offer his daughter to a gang of rapists? The Levite’s actions were even more disturbing. This story is horrifying and offensive in so many ways. Digging Deeper: The Difficult Questions Judges 19 Raises He took her home and then cut her into twelve pieces and sent one body part to each of the tribes of Israel, as a call to military action against the tribe of Benjamin. He said, “Get up! We are going” (Judges 19:28). In the morning, when the Levite stepped outside to leave, his concubine was lying at the door. She crawled her way back to the door of the house and collapsed. They raped and abused her all night, and in the morning they let her go. The men continued to demand the Levite, who finally “seized” his concubine and shoved her out the door to the mob. The host tried to divert the men by offering his virgin daughter and the Levite’s concubine instead (Judges 19:24). A group of townsmen asked the owner of the house to send the Levite out so they could rape him. Their evening was interrupted by pounding on the door. An old man-a resident alien there-took pity on them and invited them to his home. They waited in the town square for someone to offer hospitality. 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.” – Judges 19:22-26 Introduction to the Levite and his ConcubineĪ Levite and his concubine are traveling from Bethlehem and arrive at nightfall in Gibeah. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. They wantonly raped her, and abused her all through the night until the morning. So the man seized his concubine, and put her out to them. Ravish them and do whatever you want to them but against this man do not do such a vile thing.’ But the men would not listen to him. Here are my virgin daughter and his concubine let me bring them out now. Since this man is my guest, do not do this vile thing. They said to the old man, the master of the house, ‘Bring out the man who came into your house, so that we may have intercourse with him.’ And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, ‘No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. “While they were enjoying themselves, the men of the city, a perverse lot, surrounded the house, and started pounding on the door. Offer us the healing we need for our wounded spirits. Give us the courage to confront what we see. Surround us with your grace and compassion as we look at things we’d rather turn our eyes away from. Mysterious God, in this story from Judges, we encounter the starkest evil of human behavior.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |