Jabesh and Gibeah in Judges and 1 Samuel

1. Introduction

From time to time, we encounter stories in the Bible—especially in the Old Testament—that remind us of another story. And this is no coincidence. It is a way for the author to make clear the meaning of a particular story.
In this article, I would like to draw attention to two very remarkable stories in the Old Testament. The first story is found in Judges, and the second in 1 Samuel.

2. The atrocity in Gibeah (Judg. 19-21)

At the end of Judges, there are two stories that show how far the people had strayed from God’s guidelines. They form a transition to the period of the kings. The second and final story begins with the remark (Judges 19:1):
"In those days, when there was no king in Israel, …"
It then tells of a Levite man living in Ephraim who sends away his concubine because of her unfaithfulness. The woman returns to her father’s house in Bethlehem. After several months, the Levite man regrets his decision and sets out for Bethlehem—with his servant and a pair of donkeys—to persuade his concubine to come back and live with him. He stays for several days at his father-in-law’s house and then returns with his concubine. When the sun sets, they reach Gibeah in Benjamin and decide to stay there for the night. An old man, who is a stranger living in Gibeah, takes them into his home.
Subsequently, the townsmen surround the house and demand to have sexual relations with the Levite man. The old man intervenes, but they seize the Levite’s concubine, abuse her throughout the night, and she dies as a result. The Levite then cuts the woman into twelve pieces and sends them to each of the tribes of Israel. All the tribes gather at Mizpah. They decide to form an army and demand that the Benjaminites hand over the men of Gibeah who had abused the woman. The Benjaminites refuse, and war breaks out between Benjamin and the rest of Israel. Israel defeats the entire army of Benjamin, except for a small group that escapes to the rock of Rimmon.
Now a new problem arises. The tribe of Benjamin is at risk of extinction because there are no women left. At Mizpah, the people had apparently sworn not to give their daughters as wives to the Benjaminites. Then it was discovered that no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to Mizpah to join in the fight. The Israelites decide to destroy all the inhabitants of Jabesh, except for the virgins, who are given as wives to the surviving men of Benjamin in Gibeah. Yet, there were still not enough women. The men of Gibeah are then encouraged to lie in ambush during a festival in Shiloh and seize young women there. This ensures that the tribe of Benjamin is not wiped out.
The story ends with the remark:
"In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

3. The deliverance of Jabez (1 Sam. 11)

The cities of Gilead and Jabesh also play a role in a story we read in the book of 1 Samuel. It is an account from the early period of Saul’s reign.
The Ammonite king Nahash besieges Jabesh. When the inhabitants see no way out, they ask for a treaty. Nahash agrees, but only on the condition that the right eye of every man be gouged out. The people of Jabesh then ask for seven days to consider the terms.
Messengers go to Saul, who was living in Gibeah, to report the situation to him. And we read:
“Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger burned greatly.”
Saul then cuts a pair of oxen into pieces and sends them throughout all the territories of Israel in order to summon the people to battle. A great army gathers at Bezek. This army defeats the Ammonites. And then we read:
“And Samuel said to the people, ‘Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.’ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in Gilgal they made Saul king before the LORD.”

4. The similarities between the two histories

There are a large number of similarities between these two stories:
- The Levite cuts his concubine into pieces and sends them to every region of Israel. Saul cuts a pair of oxen into pieces and sends them throughout all the territories of Israel.
- In both stories, the cities of Gibeah and Jabesh play a role.
- Both accounts speak of shame: the Levite refers to “a disgraceful act and a folly in Israel,” and Nahash says, “Thus I will bring disgrace upon all Israel.”
- In both stories, we read of the people weeping.
- In both accounts, the people act “as one man.”
- There is also a similarity in the following wording: “Look, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine; I will bring them out to you. Abuse them and do to them what is good in your eyes,” and, “The men of Jabesh said to Nahash, ‘Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good in your eyes.’”
- The inhabitants of Benjamin refuse to hand over the men of Gibeah to be put to death, and Saul likewise refuses to execute those who had refused to acknowledge him as king.

5. The meaning

The book of Judges ends with a description of the dreadful condition of Israel: the worship of idols (the idol of Micah), sexual transgressions (the concubine in Gibeah), and bloodshed (the war against Benjamin). Four times we read: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).
Then comes a threat from a king outside of Israel. And now the hope is placed in the monarchy. King Saul unites the people, and no longer does everyone do what is right in his own eyes, and no foreign king can threaten to gouge out the eyes of the people of Israel.
But there are also reservations to be made. The inhabitants of Jabesh seek help from all the regions of Israel and do not go directly to Saul. In fact, even the messengers who travel to Gibeah do not go straight to Saul. At that moment Saul is simply working in the field—not quite what one would expect from a king. And cutting a pair of oxen into pieces is an extremely drastic method of summoning the people. It hardly reflects true authority.
When we view these stories within a broader framework, it becomes clear that the Bible speaks of kingship both positively and negatively. When the people request a king, God indicates that they are, in fact, rejecting Him. On the other hand, we read that the Spirit of God comes upon Saul, and under Saul the enemies are defeated several times. Yet Saul himself eventually proves disobedient and is rejected by God. His successor David, however, is a king after God’s own heart. David’s son Solomon begins his reign well by asking God for wisdom, but in the end he fails to keep God’s commandments in several ways. And after him, things generally do not improve. When God first sends the northern kingdom and later the southern kingdom into exile, it becomes clear that kingship, too, has failed to bring the people to willingly and wholeheartedly serve God.
The first story about Gilead and Jabesh shows how serious the situation is without a king. The second story about Jabesh and Gilead speaks of hope—and of doubt. And later in Israel’s history, that doubt proves to be entirely justified.

Bas Krins

Main source: Amnon Bazak: 1 Samuel – A king in Israel