Bible Dictionary
Judges
The judges were temporary deliverers and leaders whom God raised up during Israel’s unsettled period between Joshua and Saul. Their authority was generally limited, and their ministries repeatedly followed Israel’s repentance after oppression.
Biblical Usage
The judges repeatedly appear in a cycle of oppression, deliverance, and renewed disorder. Their work supplied Israel’s need for leadership before the monarchy. The listed judges include Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah and Barak, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Eli, and Samuel.