Chapter 19: (Most items were typed directly from the Tanach — some items have been paraphrased)
There was no king in Israel (“God prevails”). A Levite (” attached”) man (unnamed) who dwelled in the foothill so Mount Ephraim (“double fruitful”) married a concubine wife from Bethlehem (“house of bread”) of Judah (“praise”).
Note: Levites were only to marry within the tribe of Levi. I think the wife is listed as concubine since she’s not of the tribe of Levi, she was from Bethlehem Judah.
The concubine left him and returned to her father’s house. She remained there for 4 months. Her husband rose up and went after her to “cajole her”. (Commentary states, literal Hebrew translation — “he went ‘to speak upon her heart'”). His attendant was with him and a pair of donkeys. She brought him into her father’s house the girls father saw him and greeted him gladly
The Levite man was stayed with his father-in-law for three days. They ate and drank and lodged there. “It happened on the fourth day they arose early in the morning and he rose up to leave but the father of the girls said to his son-in-law, Sustain yourself with some bread and go afterwards.”
The man rose up to leave but his father in law pressed him and he spent the night once again. He arose early on the fifth day but the father of the girl said “Sustain yourself now and wait until afternoon” so the two of them ate. When the man rose up to go — he and his concubine and his attendant — his father-in-law, the father of the girl said, to him ‘See, now the sun is waning and is about to set; please stay overnight. Behold, it is the time of day to set up camp; spend the night here so that your heart will be at ease, and tomorrow you can arise early for your journey and go to your tent'”
But the man would not consent to stay overnight, he rose up and left. He arrived at Jebus “threshing place”) which is in Jerusalem (“teaching of peace”). The sun was very low, the attendant said to his master, “Come, let us turn into this Jebusite city and spend the night in it”.
His master said to him, let us not turn into a city of a foreign [people] who are not of the Children of Israel. Let us pas on to Gibeah (“hill”). Let us approach one of the [Jewish] places and we will spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah (“hill”). They turned there to come and spend the night in Gibeah. He entered and sat in the town square, but no one brought them into a home to spend the night.
An old man came from his work, from the field in the evening. He was from Mount Ephraim, but he was living in Gibeah. the local people were Benjamites (“son of the right hand”). the old man asked the Levite man, where he was headed and from where have you come?
The Levite man explained they were coming from Bethlehem of Judah to foothill of Mount Ephraim. He went o Bethlehem of Judah and he was headed for the House of YHVH. No man brought him into his home. He explains they have straw and fodder for the donkeys (“burden bearers”) and bread and wine for himself, the concubine and the boy (attendant) with him.
The old man brought them into his house, and asked him not to spend the night in the town square. They washed their feet, ate and drank and were feeling merry.
BEHOLD (“a mystery revealed”) — people of the city, lawless people, surrounded the house, banging on the door and saying to the old man, the owner of the house, Send out the man w ho came to your house, so that we may know him (see Genesis 19:5).
The man of the house went out to them, “No my brothers! Please do not be wicked! Since this man has come to my house, do not do this disgusting thing! Here are my virgin daughter and his concubine! I will bring them out and you may molest them and do to them whatever you please. But do not do this disgusting thing to this man!”
The men were unwilling to listen. The man grabbed his concubine and thrust her outside to them. They knew her and they molested her all night long until the morning. They sent he away as the dawn began to break. The woman arrived towards morning and collapsed at the door of the man’s house, where her master was staying until it was light
Her master got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and left to go on his way and behold (2nd mystery revealed) his concubine wife was fallen at the entrance of the house, with her hands on the threshold!
He said to her, “Get up, let us go!” but there was no answer. He took her upon the donkey and then the man got up and went to his place.
When he arrived in his house, he took a knife and took hold of his concubine. He sliced her body limb by limb into twelve pieces and sent her [parts] throughout all the border of Israel. It happened that whoever saw it said, “Such a thing has never happened nor been seen since the day the children of Israel went up from the Land of Egypt to this day! You must contemplate this, take counsel and speak up!
Chapter 20
The Children of Israel went out and assembled together as a single man. From Dan (“judge”) to Beersheba (“well of the seven-fold oath”) and the land of Gilead (“rocky region”) to YHVH at Mizpah (“watchtower”). All the people, all the tribes of Israel, stood int he congregation of the people of God, 400,000 sword-wielding foot soliders.
The Children of Israel asked the Levite man how this happened. He recounted what happened when he arrived at Gibeah. He asks for an immediate decision and counsel.
All the people arose as one man saying, “No man will go to his tent and no man will turn away to his house!” They decided to advance by lot against Gibeah. They choose 10 men out of 100 from all the tribes, 100 out of every 1000, and 1000 out of every 10,000 to obtain provisions for the people when they go to Geba (“hill — KJV says Gibeah”) of Benjamin.
All the peoples of Israel gathered together at the city as one man as comrades. They sent men through all the clans of Benjamin.
Benjamin refused to turn over the men who committed this act. Benjamin gathered together and went out to war with the Children of Israel. 26,000 sword wielding men of Benjamin and 700 inhabitants of Gibeah (left-handed) men.
The Children of Israel went up to Bethel (“House of God”) and inquired of God. They asked God who should advance first to war against the children of Benjamin. “Judah should be first”.
The Children of Israel went up and went out against Benjamin. The children of Benjamin came out and destroyed 22,000 men of Israel.
Children of Israel asked again of YHVH, should I again approach for war against the children of Benjamin. YHVH said “Go up against him”
Benjamin went out the 2nd day and destroyed 18,000 men of the Children of Israel.
The Children of Israel went up to Bethel. They cried and remained there before YHVH, they fasted on that day until evening. They brought up elevations offerings and peace offerings before YHVH. The Children of Israel then inquired of YHVH (the Ark of the Covenant of God was there in those days and Phineas son of Elazar son of Aaron ministered before it in those days), saying “Should I go out again to [make] war against the children of Benjamin my brother or should I withdraw?
YHVH said “Go up for tomorrow I shall deliver them into your hand”.
They went to war on the 3rd day.
Israel setup ambushed all around Gibeah.