Judges 19:29 meaning
In this poignant account, a Levite's broken heart serves as a catalyst for a national crisis in Israel. After a horrific crime committed against his concubine, he returns home in despair, only to take a drastic and shocking step. He dismembers her body, sending a piece to each of the twelve tribes as a visceral appeal for justice. This chilling act symbolizes not only the grievous nature of the injustice suffered but also critiques the moral decay that plagued Israel during this dark period. The Levite's choice to divide his wife’s remains highlights the depth of his grief and a desperate call to the community to confront such grotesque wickedness.
The context of “there was no king in Israel” underscores a society drifting further from divine law and moral accountability. Each tribe is prompted to reflect on their duty to uphold justice, as the Levite's actions ignite collective outrage against the perpetrators from Gibeah. As they convene to discuss the grim situation, the severity of sin is starkly revealed, forcing Israel to consider communal responsibility in the face of overwhelming evil, indicating a crucial moment for potential divine retribution. Judges 19:29 encapsulates both the personal tragedy and the collective moral failing, offering a somber reflection on the consequences of a nation without ethical leadership.
This quick synopsis was AI autogenerated utilizing existing TheBibleSays commentaries as the primary source material. To read a related commentary that has been fully developed, see the list below. If there is an issue with this summary please let us know by emailing:[email protected]
Other Relevant Commentaries:
- Hosea 10:9-15 meaning. The LORD announces judgment on Israel because she has been guilty of rebellion and gross immorality since the days of the gruesome episode of wickedness in Gibeah. God exhorts Israel to cease its exploitative and violent wickedness, and start loving one another, as they had promised to do in their covenant with God. Israel has trusted in her military/political establishment rather than trusting in the LORD, and will now be destroyed by a superior force.
- Hosea 9:7-9 meaning. Hosea tells Israel that the time of judgment has arrived. It has come upon her because she has been hostile toward God’s prophets and has sunk very low in morals, even to the level of gross exploitation and murder, as evidenced by reference to a story from Judges.
- Luke 16:19-31 meaning. Jesus tells the Pharisees "The Parable of the Rich Man and Poor Lazarus." It is a story about a rich and a poor man who die. Both go to Hades—the place of the dead. The poor man is brought to paradise/Abraham's bosom and lives on in a state of comfort. The rich man whose master was money (rather than God) is in a place of agony where his riches offer no aid. The formerly rich man calls across a gulf to Abraham with two requests—both of which Abraham denies. The first request is to send Lazarus to him with a drop of water to cool his tongue from the flames. The second request is for Abraham to send Lazarus to his five godless brothers to warn them to repent and avoid the suffering. Abraham tells him it would do no good, because if they do not listen to what God has already spoken through the scriptures, they will not listen to what someone says who has returned from the dead
Set to dark modeSet to dark mode