Judges 19 29

Judges 19:29 kjv

And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

Judges 19:29 nkjv

When he entered his house he took a knife, laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.

Judges 19:29 niv

When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.

Judges 19:29 esv

And when he entered his house, he took a knife, and taking hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.

Judges 19:29 nlt

When he got home, he took a knife and cut his concubine's body into twelve pieces. Then he sent one piece to each tribe throughout all the territory of Israel.

Judges 19 verses

Judges 19 29 Meaning

Judges 19:29 recounts a shocking act by the Levite after his concubine was brutally assaulted and killed. Upon returning to his home, he took a knife and, in a horrifying display, dismembered her dead body into twelve pieces. He then sent each piece throughout the territories of the twelve tribes of Israel. This gruesome act served as an immediate, visceral protest and a desperate call for justice and intervention from the nation, exposing the extreme moral degradation within Israel.

Judges 19 29 Context

Judges chapter 19 describes a Levite, his concubine, and his servant journeying through the territory of Benjamin. They are forced to lodge in Gibeah, a Benjamite city, where wicked men surround their host's house, demanding to rape the Levite. In an attempt to protect himself, the Levite shockingly surrenders his concubine to the mob. She is subjected to gang rape throughout the night and found dead on the doorstep the next morning. Verse 29 marks the Levite's horrifying reaction to this atrocity, turning the personal tragedy into a national outcry. It is an act intended to provoke a decisive response from the tribes of Israel against the depravity witnessed and perpetrated within Gibeah, setting the stage for the civil war described in Judges 20 and 21. This narrative profoundly illustrates the dark spiritual and moral state of Israel during the period when "there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

Judges 19 29 Word analysis

• And when he came home: This phrase signifies the end of his journey, a return to his personal space, suggesting a place of processing and planning for his horrific response.
• he took a knife, (Hebrew: ma'akēlet - מַאֲכֶלֶת): This term can denote a slaughtering knife, the type used for ritualistic sacrifice or preparation of meat (cf. Gen 22:6, 10 for Isaac). Its use here highlights a chilling precision and deliberate intent rather than a frenzied act. The implied formality adds to the horror.
• and laid hold on his concubine, (Hebrew: pîlegeš - פִּילֶגֶשׁ): The "concubine" refers to her lifeless body. She is now an object of the Levite's desperate, vengeful plan, still subject to his manipulation even in death. This further emphasizes her tragic vulnerability and the deep objectification of women prevalent in this narrative.
• and divided her: (Hebrew: nātach - נָתַח): To cut up, to cleave, to piece. This word suggests a systematic and intentional butchery, implying skill and purpose in the act.
• into twelve pieces, (Hebrew: šenēym ‘āśār nātāḥ - שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר נָתַח): This specific number is highly symbolic. There were twelve tribes of Israel, indicating that the Levite's message was directed to all of them. It signifies a national indictment and a call for unified action.
• limb by limb, (Hebrew: la'aṣāmayhā - לַעֲצָמֶיהָ): Literally, "to her bones" or "into her joints." This detail emphasizes the gruesome thoroughness and anatomical precision of the dismemberment. It conveys the sheer brutality and the profound violation of the body even after death.
• and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. The distribution of the body parts acts as an extreme form of communication, a shock tactic unparalleled in its horror. It functioned as a non-verbal summons and an urgent demand for justice, akin to a call to arms for the entire nation. It represents the depth of the outrage and the breakdown of normal judicial processes.

Judges 19 29 Bonus section

This act of dismemberment and distribution, though shocking and unique in its human context here, echoes ancient practices used to summon armies or declare a curse upon a land, like Saul's cutting of the oxen in 1 Sam 11:7. However, using a human body elevates its horror and despair significantly. The Levite, a figure expected to uphold God's law and sanctuary, is instead reduced to an instigator of war through this deeply disturbing means, showcasing how far Israel had fallen from its divine covenant. The passage avoids any explicit condemnation or endorsement of the Levite's method, instead presenting it as a catalyst for a national response. The subsequent events (Judges 20-21) demonstrate the tragic escalation of this breakdown, culminating in civil war that decimated a tribe, all stemming from this visceral display of outrage.

Judges 19 29 Commentary

Judges 19:29 graphically portrays the profound depravity that consumed Israel during a period without centralized, righteous leadership. The Levite's horrifying act, while gruesome, was a desperate measure intended to shock the dormant conscience of the nation into confronting the barbaric evil that had occurred in Gibeah. The dismemberment into twelve pieces was a powerful, unforgettable, and symbolic message delivered to each tribe, compelling them to acknowledge the spiritual and moral sickness pervading their land. This single verse captures the horrific climax of a story steeped in violence, sexual perversion, and utter disregard for human life and justice, underscoring the severe consequences of a society where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" instead of obeying God's Law. It directly prompts the ensuing tribal war, highlighting the tragic need for a righteous king to bring order and justice.