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19:1 A concubine was a second-class wife. In a society where polygamy was common, a concubine could be purchased, acquired as repayment of debt, or taken in war. A concubine was sometimes added to make up for a deficiency in a legitimate wife (e.g., Gen 16:1-4; 30:3-13; 35:22), but in the case of the Levite there appears to have been no other wife.
19:10 Jebus: See study note on 1:21. The city’s old name and its foreign status in Israel persisted until its capture by David (2 Sam 5:6-10).
19:1–21:25 This second epilogue (see study note on 17:1–21:25) shifts the focus from individuals to whole tribes. Beginning with the outrage in the Benjamite town of Gibeah (ch 19), which led to civil war (ch 20) and the decimation of Benjamin, and moving on to the attempt to rescue the tribe from oblivion (ch 21), the book concludes with the now-familiar re...
19:1–21:25 This second epilogue (see study note on 17:1–21:25) shifts the focus from individuals to whole tribes. Beginning with the outrage in the Benjamite town of Gibeah (ch 19), which led to civil war (ch 20) and the decimation of Benjamin, and moving on to the attempt to rescue the tribe from oblivion (ch 21), the book concludes with the now-familiar refrain, in those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. This was perhaps the low point in Israel’s own remembered history; this is “what they did in Gibeah” that Hosea, 400 years later, would liken to the depths to which Ephraim had sunk (Hos 9:9; 10:9). • The way had been cleared for a transition from charismatic leadership to what might be called “covenant-charismatic kingship,” i.e., kingship that combined living under the Lord’s covenant (Deut 17:14-20) with the anointing of the Spirit for the task of ruling, as with Saul and David.
19:13 The two Benjamite towns of Gibeah and Ramah have a prominent place in Israelite history, connected as they are with judges (Deborah, 4:5), priests (Eleazar, Josh 24:33), prophets (Samuel, 1 Sam 8:4), and kings (Saul, 1 Sam 10:26). The account of Gibeah’s noble history compounds the tragedy of the events that followed.
genesis 16:1-4
genesis 19:2-3
genesis 19:4-5
genesis 30:3-13
genesis 35:22
deuteronomy 17:14-20
joshua 24:33
judges 4:5
Social Chaos in Judges
Social Chaos in Judges While the book of Judges celebrates divine rescue through heroes, it also chronicles the inadequacy of the status quo. A decline in individual piety throughout the period was accompanied by a rise in social dysfunction, powerfully expressed in chapter 5 (e.g., 5:6-8). Three features of the times stand out: First, the tribes had little ability to function in unison, even when faced by a common enemy (see, e.g., the Gideon and Jephthah stories; chs 8, 12). The civil strife within and between tribes reflects covenant disobedience. Second, the breakdown of civil society is also evidenced throughout the book. Abimelech’s murder of Gideon’s sons, Jephthah’s apparent sacrifice of his daughter, and Samson’s acts of revenge toward the Philistines highlight the depravity and lack of civility that characterized this period. Third, religious apostasy was widespread in those days. The “evil in the Lord’s sight” committed by the Israelites was repeatedly connected to idolatry (Judg 2:11-13; 3:7; 10:6). The altar to Baal and the Asherah pole in Gideon’s town of Ophrah (6:25-30) indicate flagrant abandonment of the Lord, as do the worship of the golden ephod made by...