The Old Testament does not flinch from portraying human depravity in its most base forms and this account from Judges 19 of extreme violence against a woman has been described as a 'text of terror' and rightly so. Gibeah hatched Israel's first king, Saul, whose first act of kingship was to carve up his ploughing oxen and summon all Israel to war by sending the dismembered carcass around the tribes. It was to relieve the siege of Jabesh Gilead, the city from which the Benjamite remnant stole their wives. The men of Jabesh Gilead would later retrieve Saul's own dismembered carcass and David grieved over the death of Saul, just as the Lord had grieved over Saul.
A Levite came to Bethlehem
His mistress had abandoned him
And so he stayed for several days
Then started home as evening rays
Of sunlight heralded the night
They did not know the dreadful plight
The Benjamites had laid in store
For witless guests they would abhor
By dusk the Levite made the square
A kindly invite to repair
Came from an aged Ephraimite
They settled down to pass the night
Then at the door with urgent force
The dogs demanded intercourse
Bring out your guests to gratify
Our cravings you must satisfy
The Ephraimite went out to plead
The rabid crowd not to proceed
His virgin daughter they could take
Their bestial craving thirst to slake
The clamour mounted till they gave
The Levite’s concubine to save
So the girl they desecrated
Vilest crimes they perpetrated
The concubine stretched out her hands
To threshold’s help, but none was found
Then rose the sun and cast its beams
Upon this square of wicked dreams
Her twisted corpse lay breathless, dead
Her silent scream for vengeance pled
The Levite felt no pulse, no life
Then to his bride he took a knife
Twelve hunks of flesh, one for each tribe
Summoned Israel to his side
But Benjamin refused to yield
And slaughtered Israel in the field
Then once again they met for war
And Israel fell at Gibeah’s door
But on day three the Lord revealed
The fate of Benjamin was sealed
Six hundred Benjamites remained
And Israel’s face with grief was stained
Where shall we find these men new brides?
For we have put to death their wives
From Jabesh we can go and pillage
And bring their girls back to this village
In Shiloh’s vineyards they will find
More virgins for their peace of mind
On Israel’s throne there sat no king
And every man did his own thing
No justice and no rule of law
No respite for the hungry poor
And those who dared to take the road
Faced trials at every yard they strode
But who is this that shimmers bright?
From Moab comes a shaft of light
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