Judges

The History of Israel during the Times of the Judges

 

General outline of some of the key parts of the Book of Judges

 

1.                    Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites, 1:1-36

2.                    The Angel of the Lord at Bokim, 2:1-5

3.                    Disobedience and Defeat, 2:6-3:6

4.                    Othniel, 3:7-11

5.                    Ehud, 3:12-30

6.                    Shamgar, 3:31

7.                    Deborah, 4:1-24

8.                    The Song of Deborah, 5:1-31

9.                    Gideon, 6:1-40

10.                 Gideon Defeats the Midianites, 7:1-25

11.                 Zebah and Zalmunna, 8:1-21

12.                 Gideon’s Ephod, 8:22-27

13.                 Gideon’s Death, 8:28-35

14.                 Abimelech, 9:1-57

15.                 Tola, 10:1-2

16.                 Jair, 10:3-5

17.                 Jephthah, 10:6-18

18.                 Jephthah the Warrior, 11:1-40

19.                 Jephthah and Ephraim, 12:1-7

20.                 Ibzan, Elon and Abdon, 12:8-15

21.                 The Birth of Samson, 13:25

22.                 Samson’s Marriage, 14:1-20

23.                 Samson’s Vengeance on the Philistines, 15:1-20

24.                 Samson and Delilah, 16:1-22

25.                 The Death of Samson, 16:23-31

26.                 Micah’s Idols, 17:1-13

27.                 Danites Settle in Laish, 18:1-31

28.                 A Levite and His Concubine, 19:1-30

29.                 The Israelites Fight the Benjamites, 20:1-48

30.                 Wives for the Benjamites, 21:1-25

 

Synopsis of the Book of Judges

 

There are three periods into which the book may be divided.

 

I.                     The Period Immediately after the Death of Joshua, 1:1 – 2:10.

II.                   The Period of the Seven Apostasies, Six Servitudes and Civil War, Chs. 3-16.

 

The first servitude, to Mesopotamia – Othniel, 3:5-9

The second servitude, to Moab – Ehud and Shamgar, 3:12-31

The third servitude, to Jabin and Sisera – Deborah and Barak, 4:1-23

The fourth servitude, to Midian – Gideon, Chs. 6-7

The civil war – Abimelech, Tola and Jair, 8:33-10:5

The fifth servitude, to the Philistines and Ammon – Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon, Chs. 10-12

The sixth servitude, to the Philistines – Samson, Chs. 13-16

 

III.           The Period of Confusion and Anarchy, Chs. 17-21.