Judges 19:29 Meaning and Explanation
“And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Reaching home, the Levite divides the woman's body into twelve pieces and sends them throughout Israel.
What Does Judges 19:29 Mean?
Arriving home, the Levite takes a knife and divides the woman's body into twelve pieces, sending them to all the territories of Israel. It is a shocking, grim act, meant to confront every tribe with the horror that has occurred and to summon the whole nation to reckon with it. The twelve pieces correspond to the twelve tribes, a deliberate and dreadful call to assembly.
The narrative records this without endorsing it, letting the sheer awfulness of the deed mirror the awfulness of the crime that provoked it. This is a society in such moral collapse that even the cry for justice takes a monstrous form. Scripture sets it before us as a measure of how far Israel had fallen during the days when there was no king. The whole episode is a thunderous argument for the need of righteous rule and for the King who would one day come to bring true justice, healing the brokenness that lawless hearts had wrought.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 19:29
What does Judges 19:29 mean?
Reaching home, the Levite divides the woman's body into twelve pieces and sends them throughout Israel.