The Amplified Bible - Judges

THE BOOK OF

JUDGES

Introduction: Shopetim, meaning "judges" or "ruling leaders," is the Hebrew title for this book. It accounts for the period of Israel's history between the death of Joshua and the ministry of Samuel.

After the death of Joshua the Israelites repeatedly fell into apostasy, which was followed by oppressions as invading nations exploited them economically. Turning to God in repentance, the Israelites experienced deliverance through leaders divinely called to repulse the enemies.

A total of fifteen individuals are noted in this book for their leadership. Some heroically delivered the Israelites from oppressing nations. Others are listed only briefly as judges in Israel for a given period of time. Oppressing nations during the era of the judges were the Mesopotamians, Moabites, Philistines, Canaanites, Midianites, and Ammonites.

The total number of years allotted to these leaders is 410. Chronologically, even the earliest date for the exodus hardly allows for four centuries between Joshua and Samuel. Consequently it is reasonable to assume that many of these periods assigned to individual judges overlapped with the periods assigned to others. This could easily be possible, since the jurisdiction of many judges was limited to a local area where the oppression was concentrated.

Although Shiloh was the religious center where the tabernacle was located (Josh 18.1; 1Sam 1.1), there seems to be no indication of any national political capital. With no central government "every man did was was right in his own eyes" (21.25). Outline:

  1. Conditions during the era of the judges - 1.1-3.6

  2. Oppressing nations and ruling judges - 3.7-16.31

  3. Idolatry and civil war - 17.1-21.35
  • Judges 16
  • Judges 17
  • Judges 18
  • Judges 19
  • Judges 20
  • Judges 21
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