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OLD TESTAMENT

Judges

Web reading editionPDF starts on page 52by Robert D. Price
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Web reading edition: The wording below is drawn from the corrected PDF edition. Formatting has been adapted for easier reading on screens.

Judges – An In-Depth Overview (KJV)

Judges is one of the darkest and most sobering books in the Bible. It shows what happens when God's people abandon His Word and begin living according to their own desires. While Joshua is a book of conquest and victory through faith, Judges is a book of compromise, spiritual decline, and repeated failure. Yet throughout the book, God's mercy shines brightly. Every time Israel sincerely cried out to Him, He raised up a deliverer. Judges reveals both the seriousness of sin and the steadfast compassion of God.

Key Verse (KJV):

"In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25) This statement (also found in Judges 17:6) summarizes the spiritual condition of the nation.

Basic Information

Author:

Traditionally understood to be Samuel.

Time Covered:

Approximately 300–350 years, from the death of Joshua until just before the rise of Samuel.

Purpose

Judges explains:

Main Theme

The Cycle of Sin

The book follows the same pattern again and again:

Each cycle becomes darker than the one before.

Christ in Judges

The judges point forward to Christ, but only imperfectly. Each judge delivers Israel temporarily from earthly enemies. Jesus is the perfect Judge and Deliverer who rescues His people from sin and reigns forever.

Outline

Chapters 1–2 – A Tragic Beginning

Incomplete Obedience

After Joshua's death, Israel continues fighting the Canaanites. However, they fail to completely drive out the inhabitants. Instead, they:

Why was this serious?

Earlier, God had warned Israel that these nations would become "thorns" in their sides if they remained. Exactly that happens. Compromise becomes the doorway to idolatry.

The Angel of the LORD

The Angel of the LORD rebukes Israel: "Ye have not obeyed my voice." Because of their disobedience: The remaining Canaanites become a continual source of temptation and trouble.

Joshua's Generation Dies

A heartbreaking statement appears: "There arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." (Judges 2:10) This does not necessarily mean they had never heard of God. Rather, they did not know Him personally or remain faithful to Him. The previous generation failed to pass on living faith.

Lesson

Every generation must intentionally teach the next generation God's truth.

Chapters 3–16 – The Judges

God raises up twelve judges (or leaders) at different times. Here are the most prominent.

Othniel (Judges 3)

The First Judge

Othniel defeats the king of Mesopotamia. The land enjoys 40 years of peace.

Lesson

God often begins His work through humble, faithful servants.

Ehud (Judges 3)

Ehud is left-handed, something that becomes important in the story. He delivers Israel from Eglon, the oppressive king of Moab, by gaining a private audience and striking him down. Israel is delivered, and the land has peace for 80 years.

Lesson

God can use unexpected people and methods to accomplish His purposes.

Shamgar (Judges 3)

Shamgar kills 600 Philistines with an ox goad, a simple farming tool.

Lesson

God's power is not limited by the tools or resources we have.

Deborah and Barak (Judges 4–5)

Deborah

Deborah serves as both a judge and a prophetess. She calls Barak to lead Israel against Sisera, commander of the Canaanite army. Barak agrees to go only if Deborah accompanies him. Deborah tells him that the honor of the victory will go to a woman. Sisera flees and is ultimately killed by Jael, who drives a tent peg through his head while he sleeps.

The Song of Deborah (Chapter 5)

This victory is celebrated in one of the oldest poetic passages in Scripture.

Lesson

God receives the glory for every victory.

Gideon (Judges 6–8)

One of the best-known judges.

Called by God

The Angel of the LORD appears to Gideon and says: "The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour." At the time, Gideon is hiding from the Midianites.

Lesson

God often sees what His servants will become by His grace, not merely what they are at the moment.

The Fleece

Gideon asks God for confirming signs involving a fleece. While God graciously answers him, the narrative describes what happened rather than prescribing that believers should routinely seek God's will this way.

The Army Reduced

Gideon gathers 32,000 men. God says the army is too large. It is reduced to 300 men. Why? So Israel cannot claim the victory was due to their own strength.

Victory

The 300 men carry:

They surround the Midianite camp. God causes confusion among the enemy, and they turn on one another.

Lesson

God delights in displaying His power through human weakness.

Gideon's Failure

Later, Gideon makes a golden ephod. It becomes an object of false worship. Even faithful leaders can stumble if they lose focus.

Abimelech (Judges 9)

Gideon's son Abimelech murders most of his brothers and declares himself king. His reign ends violently.

Lesson

Ambition without godliness leads to destruction.

Jephthah (Judges 10–12)

Jephthah delivers Israel from the Ammonites. Before the battle, he makes a rash vow to God. His story reminds us that zeal without wisdom can lead to tragic consequences.

Samson (Judges 13–16)

Perhaps the most famous judge.

Birth

His birth is announced by the Angel of the LORD. He is set apart as a Nazirite from birth.

Extraordinary Strength

God gives Samson supernatural strength. He:

His Weakness

Despite his physical strength, Samson repeatedly compromises morally. He ignores God's commands regarding relationships and repeatedly toys with temptation.

Delilah

Delilah persuades Samson to reveal the secret connected with his Nazirite dedication. His hair is cut.

The LORD departs from him because of his persistent unfaithfulness. The Philistines capture him. They blind him. He is forced into slavery.

Samson's Final Prayer

His hair grows again. He prays for strength one last time. God answers. Samson pulls down the pillars of the Philistine temple. He dies while destroying many of Israel's enemies.

Lesson

God can still use a repentant servant, even after serious failure, though the consequences of sin may remain.

Chapters 17–21 – Israel's Moral Collapse

The final chapters contain no judges. Instead, they illustrate how deeply Israel has fallen.

Micah's Idol (Chapters 17–18)

A man named Micah creates his own household religion with carved images and hires a Levite as his personal priest. The tribe of Dan later adopts this idolatry.

Lesson

People often create religion that suits themselves rather than submitting to God's revealed truth.

The Levite and His Concubine (Chapters 19–21)

These chapters describe one of the darkest episodes in the Old Testament. A Levite's concubine is brutally abused and dies. The event leads to civil war against the tribe of Benjamin. Thousands of Israelites die. Benjamin is nearly wiped out. These chapters are not presented as examples to imitate. Rather, they expose the horrific consequences of abandoning God's ways.

Major People

Major Doctrines

Human Sinfulness

Without God's guidance, humanity naturally drifts toward sin.

God's Mercy

Even after repeated rebellion, God responds when His people cry out to Him.

Divine Discipline

God disciplines His people to bring them back to Himself.

Leadership

God raises up leaders according to His purposes, often choosing unlikely individuals.

Lessons for Christians

Judges in the Bible's Story

Judges demonstrates the tragic consequences of Israel's failure to remain faithful after entering the Promised Land. The repeated refrain, "every man did that which was right in his own eyes," highlights the need for righteous leadership. The book creates anticipation for a faithful king who will lead God's people according to His will—a hope that begins to unfold in the books of Samuel and ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the true King of kings.

Looking Ahead to Ruth

The book of Ruth takes place during the time of the Judges, yet it provides a beautiful contrast. While Judges portrays national apostasy and chaos, Ruth tells the quiet story of God's providence, covenant faithfulness, and redemption through the lives of an ordinary family. It introduces Boaz, the kinsman- redeemer, whose role becomes one of the clearest Old Testament pictures of Christ, and traces the family line that leads to King David and, ultimately, to Jesus Christ.

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