Table of Contents
Why did the Levite have a concubine?
Source: Wikimedia Commons. The concubine of a Levite is likely a lesser wife, who perhaps was unfaithful and left her husband. After her husband finds her, the house in which they are staying is threatened by a group of Benjaminite men who wish to have sex with the Levite.
What is the purpose of a concubine?
The origins for a male to hold a concubine were for sexual pleasure and to ensure numerous children. Mostly concubines served to satisfy sexual pleasure since any children that resulted from a mistress was considered illegitimate, and unless allowed by their father, had no rights of inheritance.
Why was the tribe of Benjamin punished?
The Book of Judges recounts that the rape of the concubine of a member of the tribe of Levi, by a gang from the tribe of Benjamin resulted in a battle at Gibeah, in which the other tribes of Israel sought vengeance, and after which members of Benjamin were killed, including women and children.
What is the main message of the book of Judges?
One of the major themes of the book is Yahweh’s sovereignty and the importance of being loyal to Him and His laws above all other gods and sovereigns. Indeed, the authority of the judges comes not through prominent dynasties nor through elections or appointments, but rather through the Spirit of God.
What was the purpose of a concubine?
The origins for a male to hold a concubine were for sexual pleasure and to ensure numerous children. Mostly concubines served to satisfy sexual pleasure since any children that resulted from a mistress was considered illegitimate, and unless allowed by their father, had no rights of inheritance.
What did the men of Gibeah do with the Levites concubine?
It concerns a Levite from Ephraim and his concubine, who travel through the Benjamite city of Gibeah and are assailed by a mob, who wish to gang-rape the Levite. He turns his concubine over to the crowd, and they rape her until she collapses
What is the difference between a wife and a concubine?
According to the Babylonian Talmud, the difference between a concubine and a legitimate wife was that the latter received a ketubah and her marriage (nissu’in) was preceded by an erusin (formal betrothal), which was not the case for a concubine.
Who is the first concubine in the Bible?
Hagar, also spelled Agar, in the Old Testament (Gen. 16:116; 21:821), Abraham’s concubine and the mother of his son Ishmael. Purchased in Egypt, she served as a maid to Abraham’s childless wife, Sarah, who gave her to Abraham to conceive an heir.
What was the role of concubines in the Bible?
Background of the Concubine It is usually translated into English as concubine and understood to refer to a wife or sexual partner of secondary status. Although certain men in the Hebrew Bible have both wives and concubines, no wives or additional concubines are referred to in Judges 19.
Do concubines still exist?
According to estimates, there are approximately 100 000 kept women in Guangdong province alone. The tradition of the concubine may be the subject of many a male fantasy, but for the young girls, it means living in seclusion, waiting on and for the man, in a state of total dependence.
What are the rights of a concubine?
When a man and a woman live permanently as husband and wife without the benefit of marriage, the woman gets the status of a concubine. Although a concubine serves the functions of a legal wife, she does not enjoy any rights in a family or any spiritual comforts. A concubine is denied certain legal protections.
What is the concubine position?
Involuntary, or servile, concubine involves sexual slavery of one member of the relationship, typically the woman. In modern usage, the term concubine often denotes the status of a quasi-wife who is not legally married to a man with whom she lives.
What happened to the tribe of Benjamin?
After the state was split into two parts (10th century B.C.), the Tribe of Benjamin remained part of the Kingdom of Judah. They were exiled from Palestine and have returned following the period of Babylonian Captivity. Judge Ehud, the prophet Jeremiah and Paul the Apostle all descended from the Tribe of Benjamin.
What happened to the Benjamites in judges?
The LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel, and on that day the Israelites struck down 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten. Now the men of Israel had given way before Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush they had set near Gibeah.
What race is the tribe of Benjamin?
Source: Wikimedia Commons. The concubine of a Levite is likely a lesser wife, who perhaps was unfaithful and left her husband. After her husband finds her, the house in which they are staying is threatened by a group of Benjaminite men who wish to have sex with the Levite.
What is the lesson in the book of Judges?
The book also teaches us about sin. The whole reason the judges were needed was because the people of God kept rebelling. They would rebel, be handed over to their enemies for punishment, call out for help, be delivered, and then have a time of peace. This cycle repeats itself through the book.
What is the main purpose of the book of Judges?
The main purpose of the Book of Judges was to demonstrate that the Israelites were punished when they strayed from God and rewarded when they had faith.
What is the theological message of the book of Judges?
The book of Judges shows that God will keep His word and will not overlook disobedience, but also that He is always willing to forgive his people and rectify their transgressions. God will stay faithful to his promise but Israel must live in obedience to inherit the benefits of the promise.
What does Judges teach us about God?
Yet, no matter how long or how far we stray from God, the stories found in the book of Judges teach us that God is faithful and rescues us when we cry out to him. The stories found in Judges reveal God’s character and demonstrate how God works through his chosen leaders to rescue and deliver his people.
What is the biblical meaning of concubine?
According to estimates, there are approximately 100 000 kept women in Guangdong province alone. The tradition of the concubine may be the subject of many a male fantasy, but for the young girls, it means living in seclusion, waiting on and for the man, in a state of total dependence.
What made a woman a concubine?
Background of the Concubine It is usually translated into English as concubine and understood to refer to a wife or sexual partner of secondary status. Although certain men in the Hebrew Bible have both wives and concubines, no wives or additional concubines are referred to in Judges 19.
What did the men of Gibeah do to the concubine?
The woman is then raped by the men of Gibeah throughout the night. They do not kill her, however, for in the morning she returns to the house from which she was thrown and collapses at the door. The Levite finds her there when he rises to leave and orders her to get up.
What happened at Gibeah in the Bible?
Gibeah in the tribe of Benjamin was the location of the infamous rape and murder of the Levite’s concubine, and the resulting Battle of Gibeah (Judges 1921). Israel’s first king, King Saul, reigned here for 22 years (1 Samuel 831).
What was the role of a concubine?
The origins for a male to hold a concubine were for sexual pleasure and to ensure numerous children. Mostly concubines served to satisfy sexual pleasure since any children that resulted from a mistress was considered illegitimate, and unless allowed by their father, had no rights of inheritance.
What is the biblical definition of concubine?
Background of the Concubine It is usually translated into English as concubine and understood to refer to a wife or sexual partner of secondary status. Although certain men in the Hebrew Bible have both wives and concubines, no wives or additional concubines are referred to in Judges 19.