The Judges

For more than three hundred years — approximately from 1380 to 1050 B.C. — Israel was led by a succession of national leaders called judges. These male and female heroes rallied the people against oppressive enemies and led them in spiritual revival.

The judges derived their authority from the days of the Exodus when Moses almost exhausted himself trying to settle the many cases brought before him (Ex. 18). Following the advice of his father-in-law Jethro, Moses appointed judges over the people to handle all but the most important questions. The Law later commanded that judges be appointed city by city when the people entered the Promised Land (Deut. 16:18). The most difficult cases were heard in conjunction with the priests, who served as custodians of the Law (17:8–13).

The Israelites apparently followed this pattern during the days of the conquest (Josh. 8:33; 24:1), but after the death of Joshua, the rule of law disintegrated and the people hastened their rebellion. Lacking a human king to guide them, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6; 21:25). Just as God had warned (Lev. 26:14–17), spiritual apostasy soon led to military defeat and political oppression by outsiders (Judg. 2:11–15).

Nevertheless, God raised up judges (2:16) to deliver His people from their enemies and turn them back to Him. Early judges largely succeeded, but over time the call for revival became less effective. Samson, the last judge mentioned in this book, indulged in pride and sexual sin and managed to deliver his people from their Philistine enemies only by taking his own life (16:28–30). The final chapters of Judges tell of ever-increasing idolatry, immorality, and civil war—marks of a dying nation.

Eli, the next-to-last judge, failed both as a father and as a national leader (1 Sam. 2:22–25; 3:11–18; 4:1–18). Samuel, his successor, was immeasurably more effective, but even under his capable leadership, the people rebelled, insisting on a king of their own choosing (8:4–9, 19–22).

Taken from The Modern Life Study Bible