Judges

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Matthew 4:19

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In its central section (chapters 3-16) the book describes twelve judges (and one self-made king, Abimelech) - probably corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. These 'judges' were more 'deliverers' than officials carrying a judicial function. A cyclical pattern can often be observed in these accounts. Israel sins - God sends an invader to punish her - Israel cries to God for help - God riaises up a judge to save them - the land has peace for a period - Israel falls into sin once more, and the whole cycle begins again.

Judges provides important information about a long era of Jewish history. As the only historical text that describes the events in a land isolated from the great seats of power in Egypt and Mesopotamia, Judges preserves cherished stories of men and women of faith. These accounts would otherwise have been lost in the sands of time. The exploits of the twelve Judges described in the book are also inspirational to many, for they are lessons of how great things can be achieved against long odds through courage and faith.

The details provided in Judges give us insight into a time more than three millennia ago. The book therefore serves as a valuable historical text describing a people who lived an agrarian way of life in a land devoid of great walled cities or other trappings of the kingdoms in the Ancient Near East. The book describes a time when raiding parties could sweep through the land unchecked. It describes a time when the connection between day to day life and a reliance on God could be much more evident than it is in modern society.

Judges picks up from the book of Joshua. Judges is followed by 1 Samuel chronologically and the history of the Jews flows seamlessly through these texts. Another book to be placed in this period is the book of Ruth. Ruth is a love story about how two faithful people are brought together through a remarkable chain of events. It also adds color to the way ordinary people lived during the time of the Judges.

More light is shone on some of the characters who figure in Judges from the New Testament book of Hebrews (specifically chapter 11). Though some of the judges' actions seem ambiguous, Hebrews asserts that when considered in sum, they were leaders of exceptional faith.

• 1:1 – 3:6 Summary and introduction: Israel’s disobedience and resulting suffering
• 3:7 – 16:31 Selected history of the Judges: Israel’s deliverance
• 17:1 – 21:25 Epilogue: Israel’s decay

Most of the judges have some peculiarity or 'weakness' (as scoiety of the time would have considered it), in spite of which they triumph. Ehud is left-handed, Deborah is a woman, Jephthah is illegitimate, Gideon tests God and is afraid. The two exceptions are the first and last. Othniel appears to be a model judge who doesn't put a foot wrong (though he is probably a Gentile - so maybe he does fit the pattern). Samson is the promised one - his birth announced before his conception, and one endued with superhuman strength. Yet despite this, he is the most obvious 'failure' - a womaniser who seems to care little for his people, and one who kills more enemies by dying than he did while he was alive.

The key to understanding the message in Judges is found in a phrase that is repeated multiple times in the book: “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes”. The book is a condemnation of this idea of self-rule, an idea which, amazingly, is still the driver of humanistic thought to this very day. The spiral of chaos that ensued from this philosophy plagued the Israelites for centuries. On a brighter note, the courageous actions of men and women of faith in the face of difficult circumstances is an encouragement to those of faith.