►Judges / chapters 1-21

“In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”
Judges 21:25

 
OT/NT (a): Old Testament (1)
 
SECTION (a): Historical Books (2)
 
PLACEMENT (a):  Judges is the seventh book of the Holy Bible (3), the seventh book of the Old Testament, and the second of the twelve Historical Books.
 
TRADITIONAL AUTHOR (b): The Book of Judges does not specifically name its author. The tradition is that the Prophet (4) Samuel (5) was the author of Judges. Internal evidence indicates that the author of Judges lived shortly after the period of the Judges. Samuel fits this qualification.
 
TIMELINE: The book of Judges covers a period of about 350 years, ranging from just after the death of Joshua (6) in 1356 BC (7) to after the formation of the United Monarchy of Israel (8) in 1052 BC (9). See our Bible Timeline (10) for more info. Note: Some identify Samson as the last Judge of Israel; we also include Eli (11) and Samuel. For more info, explore our Judges of Israel (12) webpage.
 
KEY FIGURES: Abdon (13), Abimelek (14), Deborah (15), Delilah (16), Ehud (17), Elon (18), Gideon (19), Ibzan (20), Jair (21), Jephthah (22), Othniel (23), Samson (24), Shamgar (25), Tola (26).
 
SUMMARY (b): The Book of Judges can be divided into two sections:
 
1) Chapters 1-16, which gives an account of the wars of deliverance beginning with the Israelites' (27) defeat of the Canaanites (28) and ending with the defeat of the Philistines (29) and the death of Samson;
 
2) Chapters 17-21, which is referred to as an appendix and does not relate to the previous chapters. These chapters are noted as a time “when there was no king in Israel (Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25).”
 
The Book of Ruth (30) was originally a part of the Book of Judges but, in 450 AD, it was removed to become a book of its own.
 
The Israelite Judges were not the robe wearing kind who preside over present day courtrooms. Rather, they were tribal chieftains who led their people. Of the fifteen Judges who led Israel, the book of Judges lists thirteen of them - Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelek, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and some long haired guy named Samson. The remaining two Judges, Eli and Samuel, are listed in the book of 1 Samuel (31).
 
With twenty-one chapters, the Book of Judges begins with the Israelites smashing through Canaanite defenses in many regions. However, as the latter part of chapter one indicates, there were many areas where the Canaanites were not driven out - a complete disregard of what God (32) commanded be done (Exodus 23:20-32, 34:11-12; Deuteronomy 7:1-6, 9:3-5,12:2-4, 20:16-18). The purpose of driving out the Canaanites in their entirety was to ensure the Israelites did not partake in the Canaanites' corruption and horrific worship of other gods through child sacrifice.
 
Tragically, chapter two tells us that the Israelites, for all intents and purposes, move in alongside the Canaanites, adopting their cultural and religious practices. Hence, the Israelites did not become the holy people God had intended them to be. Rather, they became just like the Canaanites they were supposed to drive from the land. Forsaking God, they worshipped various gods of the peoples around them, serving Baal (33) and the Ashtoreths (34) (Judges 2:12-13; see also 1 Samuel 7:3-4, 12:10).
 
Judges 2:18-19 encapsulates the cyclical Israelite life during this period as they initially worship and serve the Lord and He shows them His favor. This period of peace is followed by them sinning against God, who then removes His Hand from them as they are enslaved by various forces that included the Edomites (35), Moabites (36), Canaanites, Philistines, and Ammonites (37). The repentant Israelites then cry out to the Lord, who hears their pleas and raises up a righteous Judge to guide them into deliverance. This cycle is repeated many times: Worship, Sin, Enslavement, Repentance, and Deliverance. Through it all, God remains faithful to the Israelites. He never abandons them but, instead, awaits for them to (re)turn to Him. When they do, He restores His favor upon them. Personal Reflection: how does this paragraph compare to today's world and/or your own personal relationship with God?
 
The ensuing chapters cover the rise and fall (and rise and fall again) of the Israelites during the reign of each Judge, concluding with the tragic narrative of Samson and Delilah. Judges closes with the Israelite nation in much worse shape than when the book started, as God's treasures were used to make idolatrous images, the Levites (38) (priests) became corrupted, the Tribe of Dan (39) conquers territory in the north (instead of the Canaanites), and an internal Israelite conflict takes place between the Tribe of Benjamin (40) and the other Tribes. The subsequent Battle of Gibeah (41) resulted in the near extermination of the Benjamites.
 
The closing verse of the book of Judges (Judges 21:25) sadly sums up the utter chaos, disobedience and absence of holiness exhibited by God's stiff-necked children: "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit."
 
APPLYING JUDGES TO MY LIFE (b): Disobedience (42) always brings judgment. The Israelites present a perfect example of what we are not to do. Instead of learning from experience that God will always punish rebellion against Him, they continued to disobey and suffer God’s displeasure and discipline. If we continue in disobedience, we invite God’s discipline, not because He enjoys our suffering, but “because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone he accepts as a son" (Hebrews 12:6).
 
The Book of Judges is a testament to God’s faithfulness. Even “if we are faithless, He will remain faithful” (2 Timothy 2:13). Though we may be unfaithful to Him, as the Israelites were, still He is faithful to save us and preserve us (1 Thessalonians 5:24) and to forgive us when we seek forgiveness (43) (1 John 1:9). “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (44). God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9).
 
CHAPTER SUMMARIES: Explore (45) chapter by chapter summaries!

COMING UP:  Next up is the Book of Ruth (30)!

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All Bible verse references linked herein are courtesy of Bible Gateway (a). The narrative (b) offered herein has been published with permission (c) and no monetary gain is being sought. Any footnotes within the narrative have been inserted by The Marion County Manna Project and re-direct to our webpages (unless otherwise noted) for additional spiritual insight and discernment.
 

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The Invitation: If you're seeking additional info about Christianity on a more personal level, consider visiting a Christian Church here in Marion County (46). Introduce yourself to members and ask to speak with someone to learn more about Jesus. Surrendering your life to Christ (47) (f) is the most rewarding, everlasting decision you'll ever make, and it's comforting to have someone guide you as you begin your new life as a child of the Most High! May God shower you with great favor in this endeavor!
 

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Footnotes, Page Credits and External Resources appear below. Consider printing and sharing the offered PDF narrative and other listed resources with family, friends and strangers alike for use in Bible Studies (48), Home/Church Faith Sharing Groups (49), Discipleship Encounters (50) and/or Personal Faith Enrichment!
 
Modifications are welcome at [email protected].
 

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FOOTNOTES:
  (1) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/old-testament
  (2) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/historical-books
  (3) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-good-news
  (4) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/prophets-of-the-bible
  (5) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/samuel
  (6) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/joshua-1
  (7) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/1400-bc
  (8) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/united-monarchy-kings
  (9) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/1100-bc
(10) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-timeline
(11) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/eli
(12) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/judges-of-israel
(13) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/abdon
(14) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/abimelek
(15) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/deborah
(16) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/delilah
(17) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/ehud
(18) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/elon
(19) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/gideon
(20) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/ibzan
(21) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/jair
(22) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/jephthah
(23) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/othniel
(24) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/samson
(25) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/shamgar
(26) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/tola
(27) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/Israelites
(28) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/canaanites
(29) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/philistines
(30) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/Ruth
(31) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/1-samuel
(32) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/god-of-the-bible
(33) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/baal
(34) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/ashtoreth
(35) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/Edomites
(36) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/Moabites
(37) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/Ammonites
(38) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/levi-1
(39) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/dan-1
(40) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/benjamin-1
(41) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/Battle-of-Gibeah
(42) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/disobedience
(43) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/forgiveness
(44) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/jesus-christ
(45) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/judges-1-21-chapter-summaries
(46) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/listing-by-city
(47) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-gracious-visitor
(48) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-studies
(49) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/christian-education
(50) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/discipleship

PAGE CREDITS:
(a) Bible Gateway, New International Version (NIV) Bible, accessed September 18, 2020, https://www.biblegateway.com/

(b) Summary of the Book of Judges, Got Questions Ministries, accessed October 9, 2020, https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Judges.html
 
(c) Copyright Policy, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 11, 2020,
https://www.gotquestions.org/about.html
 
(d) Chronology of Judges Timeline, Steve Rudd, accessed February 2, 2021,
https://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-exodus-route-date-chronology-of-judges.htm
 
(e) Videos, Milestones, Blogs & Poster, BibleProject, accessed September 29, 2020,
https://www.bibleproject.com/terms/#use
 
EXTERNAL RESOURCES:
(f)  How Do I Convert to Christianity?, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 12, 2020, https://www.gotquestions.org/convert-to-Christianity.html

Information offered herein has been generated for non-profit use.
 
Feel free to re-produce and distribute without monetary gain.
 
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