The account of the Levite’s concubine is found in Judges 19 and is one of the most tragic and disturbing narratives in the Bible. It illustrates the moral decay and lawlessness of Israel during the time when “there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
A Levite from the mountains of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. She was unfaithful to him and returned to her father’s house. After four months, the Levite went to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He stayed with her father for several days before setting out to return home.
While traveling back, they stopped in Gibeah, a city of the tribe of Benjamin, where an old man offered them hospitality. That night, certain perverse men of the city surrounded the house and demanded the Levite be brought out so they could abuse him. In an effort to protect himself, the Levite sent out his concubine instead. The men abused her all night, and she died at the door of the house (Judges 19:25–27).
The Levite found her lifeless in the morning and, after placing her body on his donkey, returned home. There he cut her body into twelve pieces and sent them throughout the territory of Israel as a call to judgment. This horrific act stirred the tribes of Israel, who gathered at Mizpah to address the crime.
This event led to civil war against the tribe of Benjamin, who initially refused to surrender the perpetrators. The war resulted in the near destruction of the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20–21).
The account exposes the deep spiritual and moral failure in Israel during the time of the Judges. It shows the consequences of abandoning God’s law, the devaluation of life, and the societal chaos that ensues when truth is forsaken.
It serves as a solemn warning of what happens when a people turn away from God and His righteousness, highlighting the desperate need for godly leadership and the rule of divine law.
