Judges: An Overview
Examining the book of Judges, its authorship, historical setting, and message of Israel's cyclical rebellion and need for righteous leadership.
Setting, Occasion, Author, and Dating
The book of Judges is the second of the “historical books” of the Old Testament, also known as “The Latter Prophets.” [1] It documents the history of Israel between the death of Joshua and the beginning of the Israelite monarchy that started with 1 Samuel, Samuel being the last of Israel’s judges (1 Sam 7:15). The events described in Judges happen in the promised land, as Israel attempts (and fails) to finish the conquest of the Canaanites.
The precise authorship and date of writing of the book are difficult to determine, as the author is not named. Jewish tradition holds that Samuel wrote Judges, and evangelical scholarship suggests that this is possible, or that Samuel (or one of his disciples) compiled the Judges accounts from previously written material about each judge, which was written after their time.[2] The period of the judges spans roughly 1326 to 1092 B.C., based on the early dating of the Exodus and the internal information in Judges itself.[3] The book of Judges was therefore compiled shortly after this in Samuel’s lifetime.
The occasion of the writing of the book is found in the repeated statements discussed below about the need for a king.[4] The prophet Samuel is tasked by God and by the Israelites with giving them a king. Samuel shows them their need for one and in the process teaches them about their depravity, inexorable tendency toward forgetfulness of and rebellion against God’s commands. Israel, and their children after them, need to be warned of their sinfulness.
Message and Structure
The book of Judges is the account of the generations following Joshua, who “did not know the Lord or the works He had done” (Judg 2:10) and, without a righteous king to guide them, continually experiencing a cycle of doing evil in the sight of the Lord, the Lord sending their enemies against them to oppress them as punishment, the people crying out for deliverance, and the Lord sending a Judge to deliver them.
Judges is structured as a two-part introduction (Judg 1:1-3:6), two-part conclusion (Judg 17-21), with narratives of eleven judges in between.[5] Each successive narrative shows a downward spiral in Israel’s faithfulness to Yahweh.[6] Each time sinking to new depths of betrayal and depravity.
Almost every tribe supplies one judge; no tribe supplies more than one. The evens of the book do not appear to be arranged chronologically.[7] Judges 1:1-3:6 and 17-21 seem to be arranged as an introduction and conclusion, out of chronological order, to help reinforce the message of the book. The accounts of the Judges themselves seem to be arranged to show the downward spiral, rather than provide a timeline.[8] Interestingly, the judges appear in order geographically from South to North.[9] Each Judge is a little less righteous than the last, and each cycle, Israel seems a little more like their Canaanite neighbors. One summary of the message of Judges is that the book shows “the Canaanization of Israel.”[10] Rather than conquering the Canaanites, the Canaanite culture and idolatry—for which they were being judged by God, the very reason for the conquest of the land in the first place[11]—conquers Israel.
Two phrases echo through the pages of the book: “The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (Judg 2:11, 3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 6:1, 10:6, 13:1), and “In those days there was no king, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (Judg 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25). Israel rejects God’s kingship, manifested through their lack of faithfulness of the covenant law of the Pentateuch. Without a king, they continually fall to the surrounding nations.
Relevance and Applicability to Christians Today
Judges show us clearly how God’s people need a king. But the rest of the OT history shows us that even with earthly kings, they lose their way. Sin still crouches at the door and kills. Clearly another kind of king is needed. That king is King Jesus. Only when King Jesus, the promised son of David, finally reigns over the new heaven and new earth forever will his people be released from their captivity to sin!
Until then, we recognize in ourselves and in our leaders the frailties described in Judges. There may be a few, who, like the first few judges are remembered only in a positive light, “The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later” (1 Tim 5:24). We should beware that even when we start out well like Gideon, we are still prey to the allure of wealth. “…let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall…” (1 Cor 10:12). And what are we to make of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah making it into the Hebrews Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:32)? We are to remember that their eternal commendation was their faith, not merely their deeds. The deeds are commended as outworkings of faith. Their entire lives and actions are not endorsed, but rather, they are commended for looking to the covenant-keeping Yahweh and His promises and acting accordingly.
In the same way, we Christians can take courage from their example (Rom 15:4). We need not stand in fear of unworthiness. We turn to King Jesus’s promise of grace and mercy, and follow His commands. We need not shrink from the mission because we are too sinful. In repentance and faith, we are made new and can be used by Him. The book of Judges reminds us that the only heroes King Jesus has with which to work in the mission are “…jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Cor 4:7).
At the same time, Judges warns us of the consequences of our rebellion. Sin enslaves, destroys, and kills. It is not to be taken lightly. Grace is costly. The book of Judges reveals to us both the Law and the Gospel, bringing us conviction and realization of our need for repentance, as well as comfort and assurance. King Jesus brings us both grace and truth. Life under His Lordship, with the promise of a peaceful life of rest in the promised land of the new earth, is the sweet existence the Israelites in their faithlessness failed to obtain.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Block, Daniel I. Judges, Ruth. Vol. 6 of The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.
DeRouchie, Jason. “Lecture on Leviticus.” Video lecture, M-BS2110 Old Testament Survey 1. Midwestern Seminary, July 25, 2023.
Merrill, Eugene H., Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti. The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2011.
Webb, Barry G. The Book of Judges. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012.
Notes
1. 1. Eugene H. Merrill, Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti, *The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament* (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2011), 271.
3. 3. Barry G. Webb, *The Book of Judges*, New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012), 12.
6. 6. Jason DeRouchie, *“Lecture on Joshua and Judges” *video lecture, M-BS2110 Old Testament Survey 1, Midwestern Seminary, July 25, 2023, 00:14:30.
10. 10. Daniel I. Block, *Judges, Ruth*, vol. 6 of *The New American Commentary* (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 58., (Also cited in DeRouchie’s video lecture at 00:13:30.)
13. 13. Unless otherwise specified, all Bible references in this paper are to The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (ESV) (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).