Chapter Summary

The Levite and his concubine. Wickedness of Gibeonites.

Discussion Questions for Judges, Chapter 19

1. What is your initial reaction on reading this passage? Explain why. What do you think was the reaction the author wanted readers to have and why?
2. Read 1 Corinthians 10:11. How would you use this passage to understand why Judges 19 is in the Bible and how it relates to us?
3. Would this passage be appropriate for a sermon or Sunday school lesson? Why or why not? What are some other contexts where this passage may or may not be appropriate?
4. How does there being no king in verse 1 relate to what happens in the chapter? How might things have been different if there was a king? How does this relate to our king Christ?
5. Does verse 12 strike you as xenophobic? Why or why not? How does Judges 1:12 explain the background to why Israel and the Jebusites have the relationship they do?
6. In the end, do those in Gibeah treat the Levite any better than the foreign enemies the Jebusites? Why would the author portray Gibeah in this way and what does it teach us about Israel's state at this point?
7. Why do we need shocking passages like this to understand sin? How would you describe the downward spiral of sin from the beginning of the book of Judges to this chapter?
8. How might this passage help us rightly see our own sin as a shocking and serious thing? What are some ways we ignore our own sin and how can we change this?
9. Read Genesis 19. What are the similarities and differences between the passages? Why do you think the author of Judges 19 patterned the story after Genesis 19? What do we learn about Israel's state in this chapter given that they are acting like Sodom and Gomorrah?
10. How does verse 30 show us the right reaction to this chapter? How are we to consider, counsel, and speak of sin today?

Key Words/Phrase

Abused, 25.

Characters

Levite, concubine, her father.

Strong Verse(s)

30