This chapter is particularly graphic as it portrays and symbolizes humanity's depravity.
19:1 This is another account that is purposefully out of sequence. It's placement is done with intent, it's meaning is show the reader just how corrupt humanity became at this time.
And so we are transported into the story of a Levite, whose name we are not given. In the mountains of Ephraim, this Levite acquires a concubine. A concubine at the time was a servant woman taken on, often to bear children for the family (For example: Hagar for Abraham, Bilhah and Zilpah for Jacob.
19:2 The concubine is unfaithful to the Levite and leaves his family home.
19:3 The Levite leaves to retrieve his concubine; he brings with him a servant and a couple donkeys. Upon finding his concubine, she invites him to stay in her father's house.
19:4-9 Following custom, the Levite is asked to stay several nights in the home as a guest.
19:10 Finally the man departs from the home and travels to Jerusalem (called at this time Jebus) with his concubine, servant and donkeys.
19:11-14 As it grows dark, the servant suggests to the Levite that the lodge in Jebus. But as Jerusalem is occupied by foreigners at this time, the Levite rejects the suggestion. Instead, he decides that they will lodge in Gibeah. The Levite believes that they will be safer in territory of the children of Israel. Unfortunately - this will not be the case. The children of Israel have completely abandoned God; at this point in time, there is no distinction between them and the rest of the wicked world.
19:15 In the ancient days of frequent and arduous travel, it was common for a group to find lodging in the square of the city. The Levite however, is not offered a place to say.
19:16-17 An old man takes notice of the Levite and asks him where he is from and where he is going.
19:18-19 The Levite answers: they are passing from Bethlehem in Judah and travelling toward Ephraim. He explains to the old man that he has enough provision to take care of himself and his party, extra even, but needs a safe place to stay the night.
Let's dissect the symbolism in this account thus far: We have a man, perhaps representative of a nation, who has lost something due to infidelity. Retrieving what was lost is increasingly becoming a harrowing and isolated journey through enemy land. Even in places he believes will be safe, he finds unfriendly and even malevolent surroundings.
This is a description of the land and humanity at this time. Chaos. Mercilessness. The children of Israel have discarded their faith and have subsequently fostered a dangerous and godless world. Social custom is followed, even though it is absurdly ruinous, but God's law is not.
19:20-21 The old man welcomes the Levite to stay in his home and proves to be kind and hospitable.
19:22 The symbolism here ramps up - when the men of Gibeah find out about the traveler, they angrily seek to take him. Setting the sexual connotations aside, the metaphor is that the corrupt nature of the wicked sought to infiltrate the righteous nature of the good. Vehemently. Forcefully.
19:23-24 The old man refuses to hand his guest over to the demanding men. It is here that we note with great sorrow that even the supposedly kind old man is corrupt. He offers his own daughter and the Levite's concubine to the violent men.
19:25 The concubine is brutally abused the entire night and is released as daylight arose. Suppose that this concubine represents the children of Israel. They have by now been abused by evil for a long, dark period of time. They will only find relief and rescue in the daylight, in the light that is the restoration of their covenant with God.
The concubine ran away from her master in the beginning of this account. Israel ran away from its master - God. Although God pursues the restoration of His children with Him, our own actions reject Him.
19:26 The concubine returns to her master's house and waits for him until morning. Battered and abused, the children of Israel have been arriving at God's doorstep over and over again in this book of Judges.
19:27-28 The concubine is unable to stand - Israel, now a divided house, having chosen a new master though they belonged to God, is unable to stand. The children of Israel are spiritually dead.
19:29-30 The man divides the woman's body into 12 pieces - representative of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is a symbol of how the children of Israel are spiritually dead all throughout the territory.
