A review of the
Book of Judges in the Bible

A review of the Book of Judges in the Bible

Title

Several regional leaders were called upon by God to bring deliverance to the Israelites at given times during a period after Joshua died. They were not national leaders like Moses or Joshua and they were not kings. They were called Judges and thus the title "Judges".

Authorship

The authorship of Judges is uncertain. Samuel may have had something to do with its writing.

Date

The events of Judges take place during a period of time after Joshua but before the reign of King Saul (1380-1045 B.C.).

Outline

1. Background: The failure to completely drive out the Canaanites (1:1-2:5)

2. Cycles and Judges (2:6-16:31)

Theme: The Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord

A. Othniel

B. Ehud

C. Deborah / Barak

D. Gideon

E. Jephthah

F. Samson

3. Total Depravity and Civil War (17:1-21:25)

Theme: Everyone did as he saw fit

A. The tribe of Dan

B. The Tribe of Benjamin

Plot

Joshua's death leaves a task half finished. While the backbone of Canaanite opposition has been broken in the land there still remains much "mopping up" to do before the land is purged of all pagan influence.

The people, however, are tired of war and fail to fully obey the covenant declared earlier with Moses. Pagan neighbors with pagan gods lead the people into spiritual adultery and small nations still around oppress the Jewish people.

What follows are cycles or downward spirals of oppression and sin. God calls a series of local leaders called Judges to rescue the people from time to time but they repeatedly fall back into their sinful habits.

Major Characters

The six major judges

Major Events

1. The seven downward cycles of sin

2. The Triumphs of the Judges

- Gideon's defeat of the Nidianites

- Samson's battle with the Philistines

3. The decimation of the Tribe of Benjamin

Return to Old Testament from Judges in the Bible