Judges 20:6 (KJV)

What does Judges 20:6 mean?

Judges 20:6 describes a man recounting how he cut his concubine into pieces and sent those pieces throughout Israel to show the people the terrible crime that had been committed. He explains that this act was a response to the "lewdness and folly" that had taken place in Israel.

The speaker is the Levite, telling the gathered tribes of Israel about the brutal events in Gibeah, where his concubine was abused and died. By sending her dismembered body to all the tribes, he wanted to shock the nation and demand a response to the outrage. This verse sets the stage for the tribes' decision to unite against the perpetrators in Gibeah.

The Hebrew behind Judges 20:6

• "Lewdness" is from the Hebrew זִמָּה (zimmah), which often means a shocking act of sexual immorality or wickedness. The word emphasizes the seriousness of the crime, not just as a personal offense but as a grave moral violation.
• "Folly" is from the Hebrew נְבָלָה (nevalah), which refers to disgraceful or senseless behavior, often with a strong sense of shame attached. Here, it underlines how the act was not only evil but also a shameful outrage in the eyes of the community.
• "Inheritance" comes from נַחֲלָה (nachalah), meaning the land allotted to the tribes of Israel. Mentioning it highlights that the crime affected the whole nation, not just one town or tribe.

Why Judges 20:6 matters

• This verse clarifies why the Levite took such a shocking action: it was not random violence, but a deliberate call to the whole nation to recognize and respond to a terrible crime.
• The language used emphasizes that the crime was not just against one person but was seen as a threat to the moral fabric of all Israel, demanding a united response.
• Understanding the words for "lewdness" and "folly" helps show how the event was viewed as both a moral and communal crisis, setting the stage for the civil conflict that follows in the story.