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An introduction to the book of Judges.
The book of Judges was written
by the prophet Samuel,
who completed it in about 1100 B.C.E.
Judges covers a period of some 330 years,
from about 1450 to approximately 1120 B.C.E.
The book primarily discusses
the exploits of the judges,
whom Jehovah used
to deliver his people from oppression.
In chapter 1,
we read
that the Israelites do not drive out
all the pagan inhabitants of the land.
Instead,
they subject some of them to forced labor.
In chapter 2,
an angel warns the Israelites
that because they
have not listened to Jehovah,
the remaining people of the land
will ensnare them in false worship.
In chapters 3 to 16,
we see that the angel’s words
begin to be fulfilled
after the death of Joshua and his generation.
In an often repeated cycle,
the Israelites take up false worship;
Jehovah abandons them to their foes;
the people cry out for help;
and Jehovah raises up judges to deliver them.
The 12 judges are
Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Barak,
Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah,
Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson.
Did you know?
The judges described in this book
were men of faith
who led and delivered God’s people,
recognizing Jehovah
as the true Leader and Deliverer.
They were not judges
in the legal sense of the word.
In chapter 3,
Judges Othniel and Ehud
deliver the Israelites
from servitude to the kings
of Mesopotamia and Moab.
In chapter 4,
a prophetess named Deborah
sends for a man of faith named Barak.
She tells him that Jehovah
will grant him victory over Sisera,
the chief of the army
of Canaanite King Jabin,
who is oppressing Israel.
Jehovah gives Sisera’s entire army
into the hands of Barak.
Not so much as one man remains.
Sisera himself is executed
by a woman named Jael.
In chapters 6 to 8,
Jehovah uses Judge Gideon and just 300 men
to take the lead in delivering Israel
from Midianite oppression.
Chapters 11 and 12 discuss the exploits
of Judge Jephthah.
With Jehovah’s help,
he subdues the Ammonites who,
along with the Philistines,
had oppressed Israel for 18 years.
Chapters 13 to 16 describe the exploits
of Judge Samson,
a Nazirite to whom Jehovah gives
extraordinary physical strength.
Samson takes “the lead in saving Israel
out of the hand of the Philistines.”
The events in chapters 17 to 21
fit an earlier period of time.
In chapter 17,
a man in Ephraim named Micah,
who has “a house of gods,”
hires a young Levite named Jonathan
to serve as his priest.
Jonathan, however,
is not of the priestly family.
In chapter 18,
hundreds of Danites who are on their way
to conquer land for their tribe
make a stop at Micah’s house.
They steal his gods
and take Jonathan to be their priest.
In chapters 19 and 20,
men of the Benjaminite city of Gibeah
commit sex crimes
against the concubine of a Levite.
The Benjaminites fail
to hand over the guilty men,
so the other tribes war against Benjamin,
almost wiping out the tribe.
As you read the book of Judges,
note the harm that can come
to those who leave Jehovah,
observe how merciful God is
when his people repent
and cry out to him for help,
and see why we can trust Jehovah
—our Great Judge—
to deliver us from all our enemies
by means of his Kingdom.

Introduction to Judges
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Introduction to Judges

An introduction to the book of Judges.
The book of Judges was written
by the prophet Samuel,
who completed it in about 1100 B.C.E.
Judges covers a period of some 330 years,
from about 1450 to approximately 1120 B.C.E.
The book primarily discusses
the exploits of the judges,
whom Jehovah used
to deliver his people from oppression.
In chapter 1,
we read
that the Israelites do not drive out
all the pagan inhabitants of the land.
Instead,
they subject some of them to forced labor.
In chapter 2,
an angel warns the Israelites
that because they
have not listened to Jehovah,
the remaining people of the land
will ensnare them in false worship.
In chapters 3 to 16,
we see that the angel’s words
begin to be fulfilled
after the death of Joshua and his generation.
In an often repeated cycle,
the Israelites take up false worship;
Jehovah abandons them to their foes;
the people cry out for help;
and Jehovah raises up judges to deliver them.
The 12 judges are
Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Barak,
Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah,
Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson.
Did you know?
The judges described in this book
were men of faith
who led and delivered God’s people,
recognizing Jehovah
as the true Leader and Deliverer.
They were not judges
in the legal sense of the word.
In chapter 3,
Judges Othniel and Ehud
deliver the Israelites
from servitude to the kings
of Mesopotamia and Moab.
In chapter 4,
a prophetess named Deborah
sends for a man of faith named Barak.
She tells him that Jehovah
will grant him victory over Sisera,
the chief of the army
of Canaanite King Jabin,
who is oppressing Israel.
Jehovah gives Sisera’s entire army
into the hands of Barak.
Not so much as one man remains.
Sisera himself is executed
by a woman named Jael.
In chapters 6 to 8,
Jehovah uses Judge Gideon and just 300 men
to take the lead in delivering Israel
from Midianite oppression.
Chapters 11 and 12 discuss the exploits
of Judge Jephthah.
With Jehovah’s help,
he subdues the Ammonites who, 
along with the Philistines,
had oppressed Israel for 18 years.
Chapters 13 to 16 describe the exploits
of Judge Samson,
a Nazirite to whom Jehovah gives
extraordinary physical strength.
Samson takes “the lead in saving Israel
out of the hand of the Philistines.”
The events in chapters 17 to 21
fit an earlier period of time.
In chapter 17,
a man in Ephraim named Micah,
who has “a house of gods,”
hires a young Levite named Jonathan
to serve as his priest.
Jonathan, however,
is not of the priestly family.
In chapter 18,
hundreds of Danites who are on their way
to conquer land for their tribe
make a stop at Micah’s house.
They steal his gods
and take Jonathan to be their priest.
In chapters 19 and 20,
men of the Benjaminite city of Gibeah
commit sex crimes
against the concubine of a Levite.
The Benjaminites fail
to hand over the guilty men,
so the other tribes war against Benjamin,
almost wiping out the tribe.
As you read the book of Judges,
note the harm that can come
to those who leave Jehovah,
observe how merciful God is
when his people repent
and cry out to him for help,
and see why we can trust Jehovah
—our Great Judge—
to deliver us from all our enemies
by means of his Kingdom.


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