Abstract
Phyllis Trible, in her book, Texts of Terror, applies a feminist hermeneutic to the story found in Judges 19-21.1 Her emphasis is on the power dynamics which men have over women. She portrays the women as powerless victims, and the men as powerful, uncaring victimizers. While such a dynamic may be found in the story, it does not reflect the only power dynamic. Such a one dimensional perspective of this story—which does not account for the various types of victimization—can only have a limited use for women of color, who experience multivariate victimization. This work will examine the social dynamics of the relationships in the rhetorical segments found in Judges 19-21. After a critique of Phyllis Trible’s interpretation, I shall offer a womanist interpretation of the segments of the story. A brief review of the societal setting in which the story takes place is in order.