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Judges follows Joshua and precedes Samuel in the Deuteronomistic History. Joshua details the career of Israel's first leader in the land of Canaan, while Samuel traces the origins of the Jerusalem monarchy. Judges covers the period between, in which Israel had no central government, and -- according to Judges -- lived in alternating periods of foreign oppression and reassertions of independence under warlords known as shofetim, translated traditionally in English as "judges." Modern scholarship is for the most part highly skeptical about the historical accurancy of the accounts.
The pattern of the book is cyclical and theological in nature. The Israelites engage in idolatry, and Yahweh becomes angry. Yahweh then hands them over to foreign oppressors, who oppress them for X years. The Israelites realize the error of their ways, and call out to Yahweh for help. Yahweh obliges, and sends a judge named Y, who takes on the foreign oppressors and wins. The land then has rest for Z years, until, once again, the people slide back into their old ways. The cycle goes round and round, getting spiraling out of control as time passes. The narrator, who according to most scholars produces[1] this book some time around the seventh or sixth century BC.
After Joshua's death, the Israelites attempt to conquer the remaining indigenous peoples of Canaan (Joshua 1). An angel of Yahweh appears at Bokim condemns the Israelites for failing to carry out the whole conquest as instructed, predicting their fall into idolatry and the continued menace of the remaining non-Israelites. Joshua dies, as do his contemporaries, and the narrator outlines the cycle of disobedience, oppression, repentance, and deliverance that will follow (2).
The first round of oppression begins with Double-bad Cushan, king of Aram Naharayim, who is defeated by Othniel. Next, Eglon king of Moab oppresses Israel until their deliverance by Ehud. A brief note on the judge Shamgar appears (3). King Jabin of Canaan oppresses Israel until their deliverance by Deborah, Barak, and Jael (4). Deborah then sings a very interesting song (5).
The Israelites are oppressed by the Midianites, and Gideon is introduced as an opponent of idolatry (6). Gideon defeats the Midianites (7), shrewdly avoids trouble with Ephraim, and pursues and kills the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunnah. Gideon institutes non-standard worship that the narrator condemns, and upon his death the Israelites fall into Baal-worship (8). The murderous Abimelek, Gideon's son, rises to power, and is killed in an ironic fashion (9).
The judges Tola and Jair each get a passing mention. The Israelites fall under Philistine and Ammonite domination (10). Jephthah, a leader of a rowdy bunch of violent men, is pressed into service as Israel's savior (11). The Ephraimites get upset with Jephthah in a matter similar to the case with Gideon, but Jephthah, instead of humbly avoiding conflict, kills ten of thousands of them. In quick succession the Israelite leaders Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon are mentioned (12).
Israel lapses, and the Philistines dominate them. A miraculous child is born, named Samson (13). Samson is engaged to marry a Philistine woman, but things go sideways over a bet and he kills thirty Philistines and storms off (14). Samson comes back to visit his wife, who has since been married off to one of his groomsmen. Things spiral out of control, and Samson vast numbers of Philistines single-handedly, and becomes the liberator and judge of Israel (15). Samson enters a relationship with a Philistine prostitute, who schemes to destroy him, leading to his eventual capture. In prison, Samson regains the tremendous strength that helped him kill so many Philistines, and goes out in spectacular fashion, in the first act of suicide terrorism in the history of Israel's ethnic conflicts (16).
A man named Micah in Ephraim's hills steals money, returns it, makes an idol, and acquires a priest (17). The Danites take the priest and the idol for themselves, get themselves a city, and set up idolatrous worship (18). A Levite's concubine is fatally raped, cut up in pieces, and sent throughout Israel (19). Israel demands justice, but Benjamin resists, and in the ensuing war nearly all the Benjamites are killed (20). The remaining Benjamites are left without wives, and this problem is solved by killing off an entire city to take its virgins, but this is still not enough women. The rest are kidnapped while dancing at a festival (21).
The book sums up with the following diagnosis of the situation: In those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was good in his own eyes.
Moore, George Foot (1895). A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Judges.
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