Unknown; Jewish tradition attributes it to Samuel. Written: Probably at the beginning of the monarchy, around 1050–1000 BC (before David’s capture of Jerusalem, cf. 1:21)

History · Old Testament · 21 chapters

The book of Judges

The book of cycles of falling and deliverance

Author: Unknown; Jewish tradition attributes it to Samuel
Written: Probably at the beginning of the monarchy, around 1050–1000 BC (before David’s capture of Jerusalem, cf. 1:21)
Time covered: From the death of Joshua to the time of Samuel, about three centuries (around 1380–1050 BC)
Key word: Cycle

Judges recounts about three centuries of up-and-down history. The conquest remains unfinished, and Israel begins to serve the Baals. A cycle repeats: sin, oppression, a cry to God, deliverance by a judge, rest… then relapse. Twelve judges follow one another, including Othniel, Ehud the left-handed, the prophetess Deborah with Barak, Gideon and his three hundred men, Jephthah and his tragic vow, and Samson, the strong man defeated by his passions. But the heroes themselves grow ever more fragile. The last chapters describe the idolatry of Micah and Dan, then the crime of Gibeah and a civil war that nearly wipes out Benjamin.

Main theme

When Israel forgets the LORD, it falls into idolatry and servitude; when it cries out, God raises up judges who deliver it. But each cycle sinks lower, for “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (21:25).

Outline

Judges 1-2 — An unfinished conquest
The tribes do not drive out the Canaanites; a generation forgets the LORD and the cycle of the judges is announced.
Judges 3-8 — From Othniel to Gideon
Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah and Barak, then Gideon deliver Israel from its oppressors.
Judges 9-16 — From Abimelech to Samson
A usurper king, Jephthah and his vow, minor judges and Samson: the deliverers decline.
Judges 17-21 — Every man did that which was right in his own eyes
The idolatry of Micah and Dan, the crime of Gibeah and the war against Benjamin.

Key points

The incomplete obedience of the conquest becomes a trap: the gods of Canaan seduce Israel (1:28; 2:3).
A generation that no longer knows the LORD or his works opens the door to apostasy (2:10).
The cycle of the book: sin, servitude, a cry, deliverance by a judge, rest… then a worse relapse (2:11-19).
God chooses unexpected instruments: a left-hander, a woman prophet, the least in a poor family, the son of a prostitute (3:15; 4:4; 6:15; 11:1).
With Gideon, God reduces the army to three hundred men so that the glory will be his (7:2, 7).
A thoughtless vow can have tragic consequences, like Jephthah’s (11:30-35).
Samson shows that a spiritual gift does not replace holiness: the LORD had departed from him without his knowing it (16:20).
The closing refrain explains the chaos: with no king and no God, every man does what seems right to him (17:6; 21:25).

And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

Judges 2:18 — Grace at the heart of the cycle: God has pity on his people’s groanings and raises up deliverers.

And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

Judges 6:14 — God sends the weak with the strength he has, and himself guarantees the mission.

And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

Judges 7:2 — God acts in such a way that the glory of the victory goes to him, not to men.

Jesus in Judges

Each judge is a savior raised up by God, but imperfect and temporary; the book makes us long for a perfect deliverer and a righteous king, whom God will give in David and then, fully, in Jesus Christ. Samson, who destroys the enemy by his own death (16:30), prefigures, despite his faults, the cross by which Christ destroyed him who had the power of death (Heb 2:14). And the angel of the LORD whose name is “wonderful” (13:18) calls to mind the Messiah whom Isaiah will call “Wonderful” (Isa 9:6).

Did you know?

The word “shibboleth” (12:6) has passed into English to mean a custom or phrase that betrays membership in a group.
Benjamin, “son of the right hand,” had many left-handers: Ehud was a left-handed Benjamite (3:15), and the Benjamite army had seven hundred left-handed slingers who could aim at a hair’s breadth (20:16).
The book of Ruth takes place “in the days when the judges ruled” (Ruth 1:1): a story of faithfulness in the midst of that troubled era.

Quiz on Judges

With how many men did Gideon attack the camp of Midian?

Who got the secret of Samson’s strength out of him and betrayed him to the Philistines?

Which prophetess judged Israel under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel?

There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start your free trial.