What Would Jesus Do about Domestic Violence ... - The Book Locker

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Chloe Cummings D.B.S.
death. The word for abuse as used in verse 25 of Judges 19 is
`alal (Hb) and it is defined as abuse by dealing wantonly,
severely and ruthlessly, to abuse by thrusting through. 37 This
was the extreme of sadism and brutality. Though they used her
violently throughout the entire night, no one in the tribe or
community intervened to save her.
By the end of this drama, civil war had broken out among
the 12 tribes of Israel, as 11 united to punish the one offending
tribe, the tribe of Benjamin. As a result, the tribe of Benjamin
almost became extinct. The other tribes vowed not to have the
tribe of Benjamin engage in relations with any of their women, 38
12,000 warriors destroyed the population of the entire city of
Jabesh-Gilead (save 400 virgins), 39 and many more virgins were
kidnapped to save the Tribe of Benjamin from going extinct. 40
Scriptural documentations such as these clearly show that
violence and abuse against women have been a part of the
culture of God’s people. This bias against the weaker sex is
reflected not only in scriptural accounts, but in Christian
commentaries on Scripture. Such passages as Judges 19 where
the Levi’s concubine/wife was savagely raped to death was
commented on by Matthew Henry, a 17 th century and early 18 th
century minister. Matthew Henry’s comment seemed to imply
that the rape was her fault, because she “asked for it”. He quotes
the historian Josephus, “Josephus, in his narrative of this story,
makes her to be the person they had a design upon when they
beset the house, and says nothing of their villainous design upon
the Levite himself. They saw her (he says) in the street, when
they came into the town, and were smitten with her beauty; and
perhaps, though she was reconciled to her husband, her looks
did not bespeak her to be one of the most modest. Many bring
mischief of this kind upon themselves by their loose carriage and
behavior; a little spark may kindle a great fire.” 41 This
commentary did not weightily consider the fact that her
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