Bible Dictionary
Judges, Book of
The Book of Judges records Israel’s repeated apostasy, oppression, repentance, and deliverance through figures such as Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. Its closing episodes portray the moral disorder of Israel before the monarchy.
Biblical Usage
The book presents the judges as deliverers raised up in response to Israel’s distress. It explains calamity as the consequence of abandoning Yahweh and practicing idolatry, and portrays divine patience as the means of rescue. Its closing accounts emphasize the disorder of Israel when there was no king.
Scripture References