Judges 19:25But the men wouldn't listen to him: so the man laid hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they had sex with her, and abused her all night until the morning: and when the day began to dawn, they let her go.
The setting
Dawn breaking over Gibeah, ~1100 BC. A woman lies dying on the doorstep after a night of gang rape, abandoned by the man who should have protected her...
The emotion here: horror at recording unspeakable evil
The original word
yitamru (יתעמרו) — to treat violently, to stack abuse upon abuse without mercy
Why it matters
This unnamed woman's death triggered Israel's first civil war — 40,000 men died avenging her
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 19:25
The Levite — a religious leader — pushed her out himself to save his own skin
Common misconceptionSome think this story endorses violence against women, but it's actually the narrator's scathing indictment — showing what happens when 'everyone did what was right in their own eyes.'
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 19:25
Bible Genome reading
Judges 19:25 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 19:25 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 0% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include violence, betrayal, moral darkness. Notable phrases: wouldn't listen; laid hold of his concubine.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Judges 19:25 mean to you, today?
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