Judges

About Judges

Judges records a dark, repeating cycle: Israel abandons God, enemies oppress them, they cry out, and God raises up a deliverer—only for it all to happen again, worse each time. It was written to show what life looks like when everyone does what is right in their own eyes. The book leaves Israel longing for a faithful king, setting the stage for Samuel, David, and ultimately a greater Deliverer.

Written by

The book is anonymous; Jewish tradition names Samuel as the author, but the text itself never says who wrote it.

When

It covers the unsettled centuries between Joshua's death and Israel's first king—roughly 1350 to 1050 BC, with the start date depending on the dating of the exodus; when it was written down is uncertain, though its refrain about having no king suggests the time of the monarchy or later.

Themes

• The cycle of sin and rescue
• God's mercy to an unfaithful people
• Unlikely deliverers
• The cost of compromise
• The need for a true king

Key verses

• Judges 2:18-19Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
• Judges 21:25In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.