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Introduction

The traditional view is that Samuel the priest was the author of this book and I see no compelling reason to reject that position. (Ancient Biblical Scholarship Versus Modern Biblical Scholarship)

The book of Judges records the history of Israel from the death of Joshua to the time just before God instructed Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel (which is recorded in the book of 1 Samuel). In other words, Israel’s judges come between Moses-Joshua and the kings.

A “judge” was an elder or leader of Israel whom God used to grant Israel deliverance from this or that enemy. Examples are Gideon and Samson.

Judg 2:16 Then the LORD raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them.

Paul names four of the judges named in this book in his “Hall of Faith” (“Hall of Fame for Faith”), which is the title often given for the 11th chapter of his letter to the Hebrews.

Heb 11:32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,
Heb 11:33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
Heb 11:34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

It was this realization that led to the establishment of a kingdom in Israel – something foreseen in the Law of Moses (Deut 17:14-20).

Dating of the Events in the Book of Judges

This book can be divided into three sections. The dates are from Ussher’s Chronology and are approximations.

• General Introduction and Description of the Times: Judg 1:1 through 3:6 – 1425 BC
• Specific Accounts of Twelve Judges: Judg 3:7 through Judg 16:31 – 1406 BC to 1120 BC
• Two Tragic Stories of the Times: Judg 17:1 through Judg 21:25 – 1406 BC

As you can see, the dates for the last part of the book (Judg 17-21) suggest this material belongs nearer the front of the book. However, this is the way the book has come down to us, so we just “play the ball as it lies.”

The “Twelve” Judges

Although commentators speak of “twelve” judges, the number should not be taken too precisely because, first of all, the Bible never explicitly gives that number. Twelve is just the total number of leaders who are profiled in the book of Judges, and that count can be confused by a couple of things: 1) whether Barak is counted (he usually isn’t, at least not separately from Deborah), and 2) whether Gideon’s (Jerubaal’s) wayward son Abimelech is counted (he usually isn’t). There is also that fact that during the time of the judges (that is, the time after Joshua but before Israel’s kings), 1 Samuel identifies both Eli (1 Sam 4:18) and Samuel (1 Sam 7:6, 15, 17) (both living after the twelve) as having been judges in Israel. Even Samuel’s sons – Joel and Abijah – judged for a time, but so badly that Israel demanded that Samuel appoint a king. Then there is a “Bedan” mentioned as a judge in 1 Sam 12:11, but it is not clear whether this is a unique person or an obscure reference to one of the other judges (Barak? Samson?). There’s no reason that there couldn’t have been judges who served during this time period whose stories were not recorded. For all these reasons, the number 12 when applied to the judges is simply a traditional way that the key figures in the book of judges have been described. And most commentators using this term would list them in the order in which they appeared, which is: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson.

The Nature of the Times

The days of the Judges were a true “wild west” environment. There was no Moses, no Joshua, and no king for the nation. Judges had limited authority when compared to a king. They were authorized to fend off an oppressing enemy, but that was about it. In that vein, the book’s most memorable verse is probably its last:

Judg 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

This sentence, or some variation of it, also appears in Judg 17:6; 18:1; 19:1. What justice was achieved was “frontier justice.”

The anarchy created an atmosphere in which the spiritual and moral character of the nation became greatly corrupted. In fact, the last two stories of the book, which take up the last five chapters (Judg 17-21), are downright depressing to read. The twelve judges, even with their rough edges, inspired the sort of appreciation Paul wrote in Heb 11 above, but the general description of the times (Judg 1-2) and especially the two tragic stories with no hero (Judg 17-25) serve mainly as warnings as to what can happen to us if we stop clinging tightly to the Lord.

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Judges 1

The Tribes of Israel Struggle with Canaanites

By this time, Israel has taken the land of Canaan for its own, and therefore it is properly known as the land of Israel from this point forward. All further warfare with Canaanites is referring to pockets of Canaanites still dwelling in the land that Israel failed to destroy or drive out when Joshua conquered the land.

Just as God had warned through Moses, if Israel did not destroy or completely drive out all the Canaanites from the land, there would be ongoing problems that would affect every aspect of life in the promised land. The following warning from the Lord through Moses had come while Israel was still in the desert, about a year before Joshua led them across the Jordan River into Canaan to possess it. What it warned against is, alas, what actually came to pass. Like a parent warning a child who would not listen, so the Lord warned Israel who did not listen.

Num 33:50 Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying,
Num 33:51 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
Num 33:52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places;
Num 33:53 and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.
Num 33:54 ‘You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
Num 33:55 ‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live.

The stories of Israel’s individual judges, of whom there are about a dozen, do not begin until Josh 3. The first two chapters consist of describing general conditions that the Israelites were experiencing in the promised land. It was no heaven on earth, for the reasons Moses gave in Num 33 above.

References to names like “Judah” and “Simeon” in this chapter and beyond are not to the men themselves but to their descendants – that is, the respective tribes that bear their names. The twelve sons of Jacob themselves all lived and died in the time of the book of Genesis. Thus, generally speaking, in any book other than Genesis “Judah went up” (as you see in the beginning of this chapter) means “the tribe of Judah went up,” and “Judah said to Simeon his brother” means “the tribe of Judah said to the tribe of Simeon.” All the tribes had struggles with Canaanites and in this first chapter a sampling of those struggles is given for each tribe.

Ongoing Struggles with Canaanites…

…for Judah and Simeon

Judg 1:1-5 – Judah and Simeon (whose territory is within the boundaries of Judah) collaborate to defeat 10,000 men at Bezek.

Judg 1:6-7 – The king of Bezek gets a dose of what he’s been dishing out.

Judg 1:8 – The tribe of Judah captures and sets fire to Jerusalem, but, as we’ll see later, the Canaanites will retain control of this city. They will not lose that control until King David takes it from them – which won’t happen for another 400 years!

Judg 1:9-11 – Judah drives out more Canaanites from its territory.

Judg 1:12-15 – This story was first told in Josh 15:13-19 (see also BSN note on it). Othniel later becomes known as one of Israel’s judges and we’ll read about him in Judg 3:7-11.

Judg 1:16-20 – These are various other campaigns against the Canaanites undertaken by the tribe of Judah which are being described.

Judah is achieving some success but they should not have to be doing this fighting for pockets of land. The Canaanites should have been destroyed or driven out during the initial invasion under Joshua. (Recall the warning of Num 33:50-55.)

…for Benjamin

Judg 1:21 – Jerusalem sat on the border between Judah’s territory and Benjamin’s. The city’s fortifications were strong, and were resistant to attack from either direction. (Recall from Judg 1:8 that Judah came close to conquering it, but still failed.)

…for Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh)

Judg 1:22-26 – The spies and “the man coming out of the city” in this story are like the spies and Rahab in Jericho (Josh 2).

Judg 1:27 – Manasseh fails to fails to destroy multiple Canaanite strongholds in its territory.

Judg 1:28 – Where the Israelites could not destroy or drive out the Canaanites, they were sometimes at least able to subjugate them as they had the Gibeonites (Josh 9:16-27).

Judg 1:29 – Ephraim fails to drive out the Canaanites in Gezer.

…for Zebulun

Judg 1:30 – The subjugation of Canaanite populations was, at best, a suboptimal solution. God’s instruction had been to completely clear the land because any remaining presence of Canaanites was going to be a corrupting influence on Israel.

…for Asher

Judg 1:31-32 – That the Asherites “lived among the Canaanites” sounds as if there were as many Canaanites in the region as Israelites.

…for Naphtali

Judg 1:33 – As with the Asherites, the sons of Naphtali “lived among the Canaanites.”

…for Dan

Judg 1:34-36 – The sons of Dan were experiencing an even rougher time than some of the other tribes, being “forced” into the hill country.

Summary

Nine of Israel’s twelve tribes are mentioned in this chapter by name, but we should not assume that any tribes were exempted from the criticism of not having completely driven out the Canaanites. Reuben and Gad are not mentioned probably because they settled on the east side of the Jordan River, which wasn’t technically in the land of Canaan. Issachar is not mentioned, but they were a smaller tribe and its omission from this list can’t be taken to mean they had completely removed all the Canaanites. The point of the chapter is that across the board, the Israelites failed to drive the Canaanites from the land and are suffering the negative consequences about which the Lord had warned them through Moses (Num 33:50-56).

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Judges 2

The Lord Rebukes Israel

Judg 2:1-5 – The Lord rebukes Israel for disobeying the word He had spoken to them through Moses in the desert – the word copied at the beginning of the notes on Judg 1 above (Num 33:50-56).

Joshua Dies

Judg 2:6-9 – This is a repeat of material that was in Josh 24. It sets up the next verse, which will describe how the generation of leaders that worked with Joshua died off and a new generation of leaders took over. Such a generational change can present new challenges in addition to the ones already present.

Another Generation of Israelites Comes of Age

Judg 2:10 – See note on previous verses. Compare the statement in this verse to the following one found in the book of Exodus.

Ex 1:8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

Joseph’s pharaoh appreciated Joseph and, as a result, showed kindness to Joseph’s family. The new pharaoh takes for granted whatever Joseph had done for Egypt and sees no reason to be kind to Joseph’s family. On the contrary, he’s afraid of Joseph’s family and takes what he thinks are completely justified precautionary measures – which are really hostile actions. The point is not that new generations always act with hostility toward the previous generation’s friends; rather, the point is that new generations lack the knowledge and values of prior generations unless prior generations have passed on that knowledge and inculcated those values in the rising generation. Joseph’s pharaoh did not properly teach the next pharaoh to appreciate what Joseph had done for Egypt – the long-term benefits he had brought the country. Similarly, Joshua’s generation of leaders did not teach the rising generation all that had been learned in Egypt and in the wilderness. And America’s rising generations have not been taught what made America great, much less how important Jesus and the Bible are to success of any and every nation.

Israel Serves the Gods of Neighboring Peoples

Judg 2:11-15 – This is just as the Lord said in Num 33:50-55 (and as was quoted in the BSN notes above at the beginning of Judg 1). The Lord had warned that remaining Canaanites would be “as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides.” And this is just what we see described in these first two chapters of Judges. Note also this verse which immediately follows Num 33:50-55:

Num 33:56 ‘And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.'”

What had the Lord planned to do to the Canaanites? To answer that question, remember this that Moses spoke on behalf of the Lord:

Deut 9:4 “Do not say in your heart when the LORD your God has driven them out before you, ‘Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,’ but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is dispossessing them before you.

Thus the Canaanites deserved cursing – that is, they deserved the wrath of God’s judgment. That wrath would now come on the Israelites, too, because they had not driven the Canaanites out of the land. Note also that it was not the presence of the Canaanites in the land per se that was bringing trouble on the Israelites. It’s that the presence of the Canaanites would lead to the Israelites, to one degree or another, adopting their ways, their idols, their sins.

The Lord Raises Up Judges…to Limited Success

Judg 2:16-23 – Because the Lord is merciful as well as just, He did not leave the Israelites to stew in the mess they had made of things but rather sent judges – deliverers – to rescue them from evil. But immediately after the deliverance, the twelve tribes of Israel would revert to their former ways. Thus Samuel is here describing the pattern we’ll see repeated over and over again throughout the generations of the judges – from Judg 3 to Judg 21. It’s a dysfunctional pattern – a vicious circle – that will eventually lead to the abandonment of the “judge model” of government in order to move to a “kingdom model.” And that story will be told in 1 Samuel.

Each of the judges follow the pattern set by Joshua. Moses was a lawgiver, but Joshua was a military commander. Neither Moses nor Joshua was a king because Israel had God as its king. Therefore, each of the judges would do as Joshua had done – which was to lead Israel in battle against its enemies. There was one sense, however, in which the judges were like Moses. It was that as Moses had delivered the Israelites from its bondage to Egypt only to fall back into some form of misery because of their unfaithfulness, so the judges would, over and over, deliver the Israelites from various bondages only to have the people fall back into some other form of dysfunction and misery. Growing spiritually is in large part a matter of recognizing patterns.

With the Law of Moses, Israel should have been able to live without a king, but the book of Judges proves that they could not. This reality speaks of the greater and more important reality that because of sin, humanity cannot live with God alone – there must be an intermediary, a king. This is where Messiah and the messianic plan comes in to play. God would become one of us and show the way. As Messiah, He would be made king – first of the Jews and then of all the nations. That’s the role He plays now. And will forevermore. Therefore, we can say that primary value of the book of Judges is that it demonstrates empirically the need for a godly king – and Jesus Christ is the only one who could fully measure up to that task.

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Judges 3

Idolatry Leads to Servitude

Judg 3:1-6 – Intermarriage was the big problem, for with it came the service to false gods. Had the Israelites removed all the Canaanites from the land, the temptation to marry Canaanite women would have been removed.

The Individual Judges

The book now begins describing the individual judges who delivered Israel. The book is very uneven in the space it devotes to the twelve judges it covers. Gideon and Samson get the most attention – four chapters each. Deborah (along with Barak) and Jephthah each get a couple of chapters. The rest of the judges get less than a chapter each, and most get only a few verses – some just two or three. Shamgar gets the least: one verse.

Othniel

Judg 3:7 – Othniel is the first of Israel’s judges. He is mentioned briefly in Josh 15:13-19 (and the story is repeated in Judg 1:11-15) where his valor in battle won him the hand of Caleb’s daughter Achsah.

Judg 3:8-11 – A common feature in the book of Judges is a reference to the years of Israel’s bondage (“eight years” in verse 8) and then the years of its deliverance (“forty years” in verse 11). That comparison is worth noting.

Judg 3:10 – An occasional refrain in the book of Judges is “The Spirit of the Lord came upon” the judge, and the judge did such and such. The point is that it is by the Spirit of the Lord and not our own strength can we do great things for Him. This statement is made four times about Samson. The anointing of Israel’s kings will echo this dynamic. And then we’ll see it from one end of the New Testament to the other – that it is by the Spirit of the Lord that men of God do their work. (See related BSN note on Judg 4:4 below.) As the prophet Zechariah will later put it:

Zech 4:6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.

Ehud

Judg 3:12-30 – This story of how Ehud, the left-handed Benjamite, delivered Israel from Eglon the king of Moab is colorful. ***** Israel’s bondage lasted 18 years, and the peace that came afterward lasted 80.

Shamgar

Judg 3:31 – The only other mention of Shamgar in the Bible besides this one verse is in Judg 5:6-7 where Deborah mentions him as her predecessor.

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Judges 4

Deborah (and Barak…and Jael)

Judg 4:1 – This was the repetitive dysfunctional pattern at work: after the deliverance by Ehud, the Israelites once again fall away from the Lord.

Judg 4:3 – The Israelites were in bondage to King Jabin and his right-hand man Sisera for 20 years. Once delivered, they would be at rest for forty years (Judg 5:31).

Judg 4:4 – To say that Deborah was a prophetess was to say that the Spirit of the Lord was upon her because, from the Bible’s standpoint, all true prophecy is by the Spirit of the Lord (the Holy Spirit). See BSN note above on Judg 3:10 for more on “the Spirit of the Lord.”

Judg 4:8-9 – Deborah’s statement will lead to an interesting plot twist when the woman of whom she speaks turns out to be a woman other than herself.

Judg 4:10 – Deborah kept her promise to go with Barak (Judg 4:8-9).

Judg 4:12-16 – Barak certainly did his part. But the mission would not be accomplished until Sisera himself was caught.

Judg 4:17-22 – This is the plot twist mentioned in the note on Judg 4:9. It’s a gruesome scene for us, but Sisera got to die in his sleep rather than have to be conscious through his execution as Jesus was required to experience in His crucifixion.

Eccl 8:14 There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.

Judg 4:23-24 – Israel first defeated Sisera’s army with its 900 iron chariots. Then, through a woman, killed Sisera. And then finally Sisera’s king. Mission accomplished. Time to celebrate. (See the next chapter.)

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Judges 5

The Song of Deborah and Barak

Judg 5:1 – Two-thirds of Israel’s tribes are explicitly named in this song. (They are: Reuben, Dan, Naphtali, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, and Benjamin.) Therefore, Deborah were not speaking merely of narrow tribal interests. They were fighting for all Israel Israel’s God.

Judg 5:2 – Leaders leading and followers volunteering are a sign of the Lord’s blessing. That’s why the “volunteer” dynamic shows up in this messianic psalm: #FJOT

Ps 110:1 The LORD says to my Lord:
“Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
Ps 110:2 The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying,
“Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”
Ps 110:3 Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power;
In holy array, from the womb of the dawn,
Your youth are to You as the dew.

In this other messianic verse, the “volunteer” factor is also present, though less explicit.

Is 44:5 “This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’S’;
And that one will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to the LORD,’
And will name Israel’s name with honor.

Judg 5:6 – Shamgar is the judge who, mentioned only in one verse (Judg 3:31), followed Ehud and preceded Deborah and Barak.

Judg 5:9 – Here is another reference to “volunteers” as we saw in the second verse above. Speaking of Judg 5:2, there is also the following messianic prophecy from Isaiah to show a connection between “leaders” and “commanders.” #FJOT

Is 55:4 “Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
A leader and commander for the peoples.

Judg 5:15 – The phrase “great resolves of heart” fits well with “volunteers” (verses 2 and 9).

Judg 5:18 – Notice the similarity of phrasing in the following verse from John’s Revelation:

Rev 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Judg 5:31 – As for “those who love Him,” they can “be like the rising of the sun in its might” because they are looking to Him whose image they are reflecting.

Rev 1:16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

***** The Israelites enjoy these 40 years of peace after having been in bondage to Jabin and Sisera for 20 years (Judg 4:3).

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Judges 6

Gideon (Jerubaal)

Judg 6-8 tell of Gideon’s tenure as judge for Israel, and Judg 9 tells of Gideon’s wayward son who caused havoc after his father’s death. Gideon – who is given the nickname “Jerubaal” as a taunt to the Midianites by his father (Judg 6:31-32) – is shown to be willing but timid repeatedly throughout the story. Nevertheless, he prevails and delivers Israel from the torments of Midian.

Midian’s Oppression of Israel

Judg 6:1-6 – The Midianites raided and harassed the Israelites for seven years.

The Lord Commissions a Reluctant Gideon

Judg 6:7-10 – When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for relief from the oppression of Midian, the Lord sent a prophet.

Judg 6:11 – The Lord also sent an angel, and specifically sent him to Gideon, the son of Joash the Abiezrite, of the tribe of Manasseh (Judg 6:15).

Judg 6:13 – Any sincere and zealous 21st-century American believer cannot help but speak in this way to the Lord sooner or later. It is not a commendable sentiment, but it is an understandable one. It is our sins and unbelief that have kept the Lord’s demonstrations of power to a minimum.

Judg 6:14 – The angel of the Lord stays on message.

Judg 6:15-16 – It’s His strength – not ours – that makes the difference.

Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

Judg 6:17-21 – The angel obliges Gideon’s request for a sign.

Judg 6:22-24 – Gideon builds an altar to commemorate his experience, which he takes as proof that God is not looking for a fight. Nothing convinces us of that more than Jesus’ crucifixion.

Gideon Destroys Baal’s Altar and the Asherah

Judg 6:25-27 – Terms used: Baal, Asherah. ***** Gideon wanted to obey the Lord, but was afraid that even his father’s household would come against him because of this act.

Judg 6:28-32 – Given Gideon’s fear, it’s extra neat to see Gideon’s father stand up for him.

Judg 6:33 – The Midianites, as expected, take offense and assemble to destroy Gideon and anyone who sides with him.

Judg 6:34 – As for “the Spirit of the Lord coming on” Gideon, see note above on Judg 3:10.

Judg 6:35 – These were neighboring tribes just north of Manasseh. All the action is taking place in the area to the southwest of the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee.

Gideon’s Fleece

Judg 6:36-40 – Gideon previously requested and received a supernatural sign (Judg 6:17-22). In this short passage, he asks for two more. And receives them as well. These are extraordinary occasions. God does not normally respond to such requests.

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Judges 7

The Lord Reduces Gideon’s 32,000 soldiers to 300

Judg 7:1-8 – The Lord’s intent was to winnow out the weak and show what He could do through a few stout-hearted men. Obviously, any soldier who was afraid would be a drag on the others. And any man who knelt to drink was obviously not keeping an eye out for the enemy. Similarly, Jesus looks to use men who mean business.

Gideon’s 300 Rout the Midian Camp

Judg 7:9-25 – There are elements of Gideon’s battle plan that are reminiscent of Joshua’s battle plan for Jericho. (The Bible is like a vast canyon – that is, full of echoes.)

Judg 7:24-25 – This incident is mentioned in Psalm 83:11 and Isaiah 10:26. It is also mentioned again in the next chapter (Judg 8:1-3) by Gideon with specific reference to the role of the Ephraimites.

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Judges 8

Gideon Kills the Remaining Midianite Leaders (Zebah and Zalmunna)

Judg 8:1-3 – Gideon’s humility and wisdom served him well.

Judg 8:4-9 – Gideon and his men are fighting Israel’s enemies and therefore deserve Israel’s support. The attitude and behavior of the men of Succoth and Peneul are foreshadowing the attitude and behavior of Nabal that we’ll see in the time of David (1 Sam 25) and that of the Pharisees that we’ll see in the time of Jesus (Mt 12:1-8). We should always be appreciative and supportive of those who are doing the Lord’s work. They are taking out enemies who would oppress us. To be ungrateful is bad, to shun and mock them is even worse.

Judg 8:10-12 – Gideon captures the two remaining Midianite kings. (The Ephraimites had previously killed the other two Midianite kings, Oreb and Zeeb – Judg 7:24 – 8:3.)

Judg 8:13-17 – Gideon disciplines the men of Succoth and Penuel for their insolence and ingratitude.

Judg 8:18-21 – Gideon has become battle-hardened and shed the timidity that still resides in his son. Zebah and Zalmunna – like Oreb and Zeeb – will trouble Israel no more.

The Aftermath of Gideon’s Victory over Midian

Judg 8:22-27 – Gideon wisely rejects the authority being offered him but unwisely seeks riches. We’ll see how his foolishness brings trouble on his household in the ensuing chapter.

Judg 8:28 – Midian had troubled Israel for seven years (Judg 6:1); God would now give them forty years of relief.

Judg 8:29-31 – Judg 9 will tell what happens with these 71 sons.

Judg 8:32-35 – If you wonder why Israel would so easily go back to false gods, recall 1) how easy it is for we human beings to be ungrateful, and 2) how easily we can be lured into doing what the people around us are doing.

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Judges 9

This chapter, rather than telling about another of Israel’s judges, is more of a coda to the story of Gideon. He had many wives, and many sons by them (Judg 8:30). As if that wasn’t enough, he also had a concubine in the city of Shechem who bore him a son named Abimelech (Judg 8:31). Although this chapter focuses on Abimelech, he is not generally regarded as one of Israel’s judges because 1) the Lord did not appoint him, 2) he was likely half-Israelite and half-Canaanite, and 3) he didn’t deliver Israelites from evil but rather brought evil upon them. He is therefore an example of “an enemy from within” as opposed to the “enemies from without” that we have been used to seeing in the book of Judges (such as Eglon, Sisera, Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, and Zalmunna). Abimelech was a man who sought to capitalize on the fame of his father rather imitate his father. Alas, we still see such men today.

Abimelech’s Conspiracy

Judg 9:1-4 – Whereas Gideon had turned down power but sought and accepted riches (Judg 8:21-27), Abimelech sought and accepted both.

Abimelech’s Treachery

Judg 9:5-6 – Abimelech employs “worthless and reckless” mercenaries to murder his 70 brothers…but the youngest, Jotham, survives. Abimelech becomes king of the Canaanites in Shechem and Beth-millo.

Judg 9:7-21 – Jotham tells a parable that indicts both Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and then – calling on God for help – Jotham pronounces a curse upon them all. In essence, Jothan is wishing that Abimelech and Shechem would destroy each other.

Shechem Turns Against Abimelech

Judg 9:22-25 – In line with Jotham’s curse, the men of Shechem sour on Abimelech after only three years.

Intrigue at Shechem

Judg 9:26-41 – This chapter is the only place in the Bible where Gaal and Zebul are mentioned.

Abimelech Destroys Shechem and Its Leaders

Judg 9:42-45 – Abimelech destroys Shechem.

Judg 9:46-49 – Abimelech tracks down the leaders of Shechem and destroys them, too.

Abimelech Is Destroyed

Judg 9:50-57 – Not having the Spirit of the Lord to inspire him, Abimelech mindlessly uses the same tactic at Thebez that had worked for him against the leaders of Shechem. A woman in Thebez had the distinction of felling Abimelech – a source of shame to Abimelech which he only thought he was erasing by ordering his armor bearer to slay him…for here we are reading about it millennia later. God was behind the evil that Abimelech and Shechem brought on each other. God did not inspire the evil, but worked so that they inflicted their evil on each other instead of on innocent parties. Recall that all this evil was set in motion by Gideon who 1) sought multiple wives (Judg 8:30), 2) took a concubine, and one with questionable ancestry at that (Judg 8:31), and 3) used his service for the Lord to gain riches for himself (Judg 8:21-27). Gideon was a valiant man and did good for the Lord and His people, but Gideon was not without serious flaws. Only with the new covenant and the kingdom of God would there be opportunity to thoroughly cleanse men’s hearts.

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Judges 10

Tola

Judg 10:1-2 – Tola judges Israel for 23 years.

Jair

Judg 10:3-5 – Jair judges Israel for 22 years.

The Stage Is Set for Jephthah

Judg 10:6-18 – Though Jephthah’s name is not mentioned in this chapter, the backdrop for his story is painted here.

Judg 10:6 – Notice that the Israelites did not invent new gods; they just adopted the gods of the people around them. Likewise, we usually don’t invent new attitudes and behaviors when we turn away from the Lord; we just thoughtlessly adopt the attitudes and behaviors of others.

Judg 10:7-10 – You have to wonder why it took 18 years before the Israelites would cry out to the Lord. Why do we wait so long to ask for help?

Judg 10:11-14 – It’s a fair point the Lord makes: “Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.” We deserve a similar response when we trust in people rather than the Lord. We tend to think that false gods and idols are relegated to ancient history, but modern societies practice secularism which leaves humans as the supreme beings. Thus secularists have for their gods fellow human beings. We receive explicit warnings both testaments against placing in human beings the trust that should only be placed in the Lord.

Jer 17:5 Thus says the LORD,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the LORD.
Jer 17:6 “For he will be like a bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A land of salt without inhabitant.
Jer 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.
Jer 17:8 “For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.

***

John 12:42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;
John 12:43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

Judg 10:15-16 – The Lord’s mercies are so tender! Passages like this give us hope, especially words like these: “and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.” Just remember: it was their repentance that put Him in this frame of mind.

Judg 10:15 The sons of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day.”
Judg 10:16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.

We can expect similar mercies if we similarly repent.

Judg 10:17-18 – This situation and question set up Jephthah to make an entrance, but in a more profound sense, they set up Messiah to make an entrance. That is, in these verses we see the outline of the world’s need of a Savior. #FJOT

***

Judges 11

Jephthah Appears on the Scene

Judg 11:1-3 – #FJOT Like Jephthah, Jesus had, at least in some minds, a questionable origin. And like Jephthah, Jesus suffered, at least early in His ministry, the scorn of His brothers. (Mt 12:46-50; Mk 3:20-21, 31-35; Lk 8:19-21; Jn 7:1-10). And, although Jesus’ brothers’ James and Jude eventually came around, Jesus – like Jephthah – had to find early support from men who were not His brothers, but only one of His “fellows” was worthless (Mk 3:13-19).

Judg 11:4-11 – Jephthah’s faith is apparent in Judg 11:11, and this is surely to his credit. Jephthah could do the most good for his people as their head, and so it is with Jesus and us. #FJOT

Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Col 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
Col 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

Judg 11:12-28 – Jephthah accurately recalls and recites the history of Israel with its neighbors from the books of Moses. In Judg 11:26, Jephthah dates himself and his contemporaries to be living about 300 years after the interactions he is describing. What he says matches both Moses and Ussher (Ussher’s Chronology). After God and Israel had shown respect for the land of the Ammonites, it is wrong for the Ammonite king to be claiming land that is not theirs.

Judg 11:29 – Re: “the Spirit of the Lord,” see note on Judg 3:10 above.

Judg 11:30-31 – Like the man of faith he is, Jephthah does not take victory for granted but rather seeks the Lord’s aid in order to achieve victory. That said, this vow has provoked much speculation across time because it’s not exactly clear what he thought he was promising.

Judg 11:32-33 – Whatever the vow meant, it’s clear the Lord gave the victory and the vow therefore must be paid.

Judg 11:34-40 – Back to the enigmatic vow, some commentators think Jephthah sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering while others think that she never married. The latter seems more plausible to me. That is, she lived like Anna (Lk 2:36-38). Thus, either way, Jephthah was giving up having any descendants beyond her since she was his “his one and only child.” And, thus, Jephthah was showing greater interest in preserving the Lord’s name than in preserving his own. As John the Baptist said…

John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.

***

Judges 12

Jephthah Deals with the Men of Ephraim

Judg 12:1-3 – Honor was a big deal in that society and the Ephraimites thought they’d been dishonored by Jephthah. Jephthah disagreed.

Judg 12:4-6 – Folks back then had accents and dialects just as we do today. This is why I don’t think should ever fret about “the right way” to pronounce a word you read in the Bible, because no one today can be sure how all the Bible’s words were originally pronounced. Besides, no one back then spoke English anyway.

Jephthah’s Passing

Judg 12:7 – Although Israel was troubled for 18 years before they cried out to the Lord for help and repented, Jephthah only judged Israel for 6 years. But in the succession of judges the Lord provided after Jephthah’s passing, there were another 25 years of protection for God’s people.

Ibzan

Judg 12:8-10 – Ibzan judges Israel for 7 years.

Elon

Judg 12:11-12 – Elon judges Israel for 10 years.

Abdon

Judg 12:13-15 – Abdon judges Israel for 8 years.

***

Judges 13

The Birth of Samson

Judg 13:1 – The vicious circle of Israel’s spiritual life takes another turn, coming back again to the place of apostasy, where Israel’s affection for her Lord is missing.

Judg 13:2 – #FJOT A child will be given to a woman who is in no position to have a child.

Judg 13:3 – #FJOT An angel announces a birth that would otherwise be unexpected.

Judg 13:4-5 – See BSN note on Nazirite vow.

Judg 13:6 – Distinguishing between an angel and a man could be difficult. The New Testament affirms this.

Heb 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

In addition, scriptural reports of angelic appearances like this one often go back and forth between describing the being as “man” or “angel,” which creates even more potential for uncertainty.

Judg 13:8 – Feeling inadequate as a parent of a child being announced this way, Manoah prays for more instruction.

Judg 13:9-12 – Manoah’s request is granted.

Judg 13:13-14 – The angel simply repeats to Manaoh what he had previously said to Manoah’s wife.

Judg 13:15 – Manaoh shows hospitality to a stranger…reminiscent of the way Abraham received three strangers (Gen 18:1-8).

Judg 13:16 – The angel makes his heavenly identity clear to Manoah.

Judg 13:17-18 – Manoah makes a reasonable request. Gabriel had the honor of announcing the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Lk 1). At this time and in this case, however, the angel’s name is left undisclosed. The Old Testament was a time for mysteries; the New Testament was a time for revealing them. (Mysteries and Revelations)

Judg 13:19-22 – This angelic experience reminds us of the one Gideon had (Judg 6:11-24).

Judg 13:23 – The woman makes a lot of sense.

Judg 13:24 This reminds us of what Luke said about another Nazirite: John the Baptist.

Luke 1:80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

It also reminds us of what Luke said about Jesus growing up. #FJOT

Luke 2:40 The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

***

Luke 2:52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Judg 13:25 – As for “the Spirit of the Lord,” see the BSN note above on Judg 3:10.

***

Judges 14

Samson’s Marriage

Judg 14:1-3 – Samson was a weak man. (Yes, weak.) His strength came from those times that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (see BSN notes on Judge 3:10 above). Obviously, this wasn’t one of those times. Samson’s weakness came from setting his mind on what he could see with his physical eyes – not what he could see with his spiritual eyes.

Rom 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

Samson did not have access to the new covenant as we do, but we can still learn from his mistakes. He looked to God…but did so with insufficient frequency.

1 Cor 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction…

Judg 14:4 – When we don’t do good, God uses our evil to accomplish good. In this case, He’s going to use Samson’s defiance of His command through Moses not to intermarry with non-Israelites for His good purposes. It’s like the way He used the evil of Joseph’s brothers against Joseph to bring relief from famine to the whole family. As Joseph would eventually say to his brothers…

Gen 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

Samson was endowed with an amazing gift, but he’s been described as the man who “woulda, coulda, shoulda…but didn’t.”

Judg 14:5 – Samson received super-human strength when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. The Holy Spirit manifests in a variety of ways. In Samson’s life, it was to give great physical strength.

1 Cor 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

In the case of Eldad and Medad in the time of Moses, it was to prophesy.

Num 11:26 But two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them (now they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the tent), and they prophesied in the camp.

In the case of Jesus, it was to cast out demons (as well as do many other things).

Matt 12:28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

God distributes His Spirit to do His will. He is the one who decides how He wants to work in individual lives.

1 Cor 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

Our responsibility is to be cooperative; He will direct things.

Judg 14:9 – That Samson did not tell his parents about the incident with the lion indicates that he knew how to keep a secret…even if he didn’t always do it.

Samson and the Riddle of the Lion

Judg 14:12-14 – Samson’s riddle was a good one, and he should have won the wager. God, too, presents riddles for which only He knows the answer: Mysteries and Revelations.

Judg 14:15-20 – Samson’s weaknesses defined him as much as his strength did. He was strong with men but weak with women. Once he revealed his secret to even one person, it was no longer a secret.

***

Judges 15

Samson Burns Philistine Crops with Foxes

Judg 15:1-6 – Both Samson and the Philistines seemed to agree that Samson’s father-in-law and wife had wronged him. And though we know that God uses human evil to accomplish His purposes – in this case, thwarting the Philistine domination of Israel – it can still be a messy business.

Judg 15:7-8 – Like Superman retreating to his Fortress of Solitude, so Samson found a refuge from the Philistines in the cleft of the rock of Etam. God had given Moses shielding in the cleft of a rock.

Ex 33:17 The LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.”
Ex 33:18 Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!”
Ex 33:19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”
Ex 33:20 But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”
Ex 33:21 Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;
Ex 33:22 and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.
Ex 33:23 “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

This brings to mind also the old hymn that spoke of Jesus Himself: “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me, Let me hide Myself in Thee.” Jesus is the cleft made for us in the Rock that is God.

Speaking very practically, we find our refuge in reading the Bible and praying. Jesus found refuge by remembering the Bible and praying. (Because of our weaknesses, He lets us take open-book tests.)

Samson Routs the Philistines with a Donkey’s Jawbone

Judg 15:9-10 – The problem with man’s vengeance is that it’s tit for tat, and neither the titting nor the tatting ever seems to end. Vengeance is God’s business.

Rom 12:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.

Judg 15:11-13 – #FJOT The idea of turning over one man in order to save a group was not new in Jesus’ time. The tribe of Judah, to save itself, was going to turn Samson over to the Philistines. God was foreshadowing what He would do through Christ. As He used Samson in his weakness, so He would use Caiaphas in his ignorance.

John 11:48 “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
John 11:49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
John 11:50 nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

God is not mocked. He accomplishes His purposes either with or without the cooperation, or even knowledge, of man. He has saved the world – even though the world still is not fully awakened to that reality.

Judg 15:14-17 – The term “Ramath-lehi” means “the high place of the jawbone.” In the case of Balaam, God spoke through a donkey (Num 22:21-35); in the case of Samson at Ramath-lehi, He spoke through the remains of a donkey. God can speak through anyone or anything. God is even able to make stones speak for Him!

Luke 19:39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”
Luke 19:40 But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”

We today do not need the Lord to speak in these unusual means for we have the New Testament, which consists of the primary historical sources for the life of Jesus of Nazereth. These texts are a sure and sufficient warrant for faith in Him.

Judg 15:18-20 – “En-hakkore” means “the spring of him who called.” This incident brings to mind both Hagar finding water in the desert (Gen 16:13-14) and Moses bringing forth water from a rock (Ex 17:1-7).

***

Judges 16

Samson and the Gates of Gaza

Judg 16:1-3 – #FJOT As Samson relocated the gates of Gaza all by himself, so Jesus relocated the gates of death all by Himself. They used to lead below (Sheol/Hades); now they lead above (Everyone Is Going to Heaven).

Matt 16:18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Jesus went down so that we might go up. That is, He descended through the gates of death to Sheol/Hades below so that He might move them to the mountain that is heaven, which meant we could ascend in the slipstream He created by His ascension there.

Eph 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Eph 4:8 Therefore it says,
“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”
Eph 4:9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)

This is what the prophet Micah was talking about when he wrote the following words.

Mic 2:13 “The breaker goes up before them;
They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it.
So their king goes on before them,
And the LORD at their head.”

The rewiring of death from Sheol/Hades to heaven is described more fully in these two books:

• The Biblical Case for the Second Coming as Accomplished Fact
• The Biblical Case for Everyone Going to Heaven

Delilah Defeats Samson

We know from earlier parts of the book of Judges that it was considered more than embarrassing for a fighting man to be defeated by a woman. This was the attitude on display in the instance of Deborah and Jael besting the Sisera (Judg 4:9), and also in the case of Gideon’s son Abimelech hoping in vain that his armor bearer’s sword would hide the fact that a woman had delivered him a fatal blow (Judg 9:53-54). Thus does a woman’s defeat of Samson – a man noted for his unprecedented strength – convey the greatest possible shame for his name. Yet our gracious God will give him a chance to redeem it.

Judg 16:4 – Women had always been a problem for Samson; this is the one who will do him the greatest harm. She is the only one of Samson’s women whose name we are given.

Judg 16:7 – Samson should have run away at the first temptation from Delilah. We are not to assume we can overcome temptation every time it presents itself to us; therefore, we are instructed to daily seek His help in avoiding it.

Matt 6:13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation…

Judg 16:16 – This is why it is dangerous to toy with temptation; it’s eventually going to catch us in a weak moment.

Judg 16:17 – See Judg 13:2-7 where Sampson’s birth was prophesied and the BSN note on what a Nazirite vow means.

Judg 16:18 – Jesus learned many things from Samson’s experience, including not to disclose all that was in his heart to anyone.

John 2:24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men,
John 2:25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.

Judg 16:20 – This verse ends with one of the saddest sentences in all of Scripture. It’s actually even sadder than the one that follows it about Samson losing his sight. ***** Another way of putting it could have been “Samson did not know that disaster was close to him” (see Judg 20:34 and accompanying BSN note below).

Judg 16:21 – Samson’s eyes had been the source of most of his temptations. Let us be careful what we look at.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

Our eyes have been a problem from the beginning.

Gen 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Jesus even went this far:

Mark 9:47 “If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell,
Mark 9:48 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.

This does not mean, of course, that Jesus wants us to amputate body parts. Nor does He mean that physically removing our eyes can actually guarantee the removal of sin, for we still have our minds with which we can sin. The point He’s making is that spiritual limitations are far more detrimental than physical limitations. Samson learned this the hard way. I’m sure he wants us to go to school on his tuition rather than make the same mistakes.

Samson Dies Victorious over the Philistines

Judg 16:22 – God would once again use evil for good. That is, his blindness and incarceration would set the stage for an opportunity to redeem his name.

Judg 16:30 – #FJOT This outcome foreshadows that Jesus would do even more good through His death than He did through the life that preceded it…for His death led to a life that would never end. In this regard see also the story of Aaron’s rod that bore fruit in Num 17. Samson prayed, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Because Jesus prayed to die with us, and, because He did, we can all now live with Him.

Acts 2:24 “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

***

Rom 6:9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.

***

2 Tim 1:10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

***

Heb 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
Heb 2:15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Heb 7:15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek,
Heb 7:16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.

***

1 John 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

***

Rev 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
Rev 1:18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

So transformative for the human race and for all of creation was the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that Satan himself wished he had not inspired Jesus’ crucifxion.

1 Cor 2:7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
1 Cor 2:8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

With the story of Samson, the account of Israel’s twelve judges, which began with Othniel (Judg 3:7-11), is now concluded.

***

The remainder of the book of Judges consists of two sordid episodes in Israel’s history. Ussher dates them just before, rather than just after, the succession of the twelve judges.

• A Man Named Micah, a Levite Named Jonathan, and the Danites – Judg 17-18
• A Nameless Levite, His Nameless Concubine, and the Benjamites – Judg 19-21

These accounts demonstrate how bad things were getting in Israel even when there was no oppressing enemy or judge around! In other words, Israel’s problems came not just from external forces, but also from forces at work in their own sinful hearts. We should know.

(As we have five chapters of “appendix” or “epilogue” material at the end of this book, we also find four chapters at the end of 2 Samuel which in similar fashion supplement the narrative that precedes it.)

***

Judges 17

Micah and a Levite Corrupt the Law of Moses

Judg 17:1 – This “Micah” has nothing to do with Micah the prophet (“Micah of Moresheth”) who lived about seven centuries after this time.

Judg 17:3 – This is an obvious violation of the Law of Moses (specifically, the Ten Commandments). Things will only get worse from this point. This story of Micah is a story of spiritual corruption and degeneration.

Judg 17:5 – The corruption grows.

Judg 17:6 – This is a recurring theme in the last two stories of this book.

Judg 17:7-8 – Ephraim’s territory was in central Israel, just north of Judah’s and Benjamin’s territories.

Judg 17:10 – The Levite sells himself. He’s prostituting the priesthood God gave his tribe.

Judg 17:13 – Micah is acting as if the Law of Moses promises a blessing to everyone who hires his own live-in Levite. Micah is doing what’s right in his own eyes, but using Mosaic vocabulary to “sanctify” it. This is often called syncretism. It’s DIY religion, picking bits and pieces from this and that. God frowns on it, and condemns it in both testaments.

Deut 4:2 “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

***

Col 2:23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

***

Judges 18

Danites Take Micah’s Levite and Idols

The story of Micah’s corruption of the system Moses had taught was bad enough, but that corruption’s going to catch on and spread.

Five Danites Scout for New Territory

Judg 18:1 – The reference to territory not yet being assigned is another factor indicating that this story took place early in the time of the Judges, not late. In this regard, see also Judg 20:28 and accompanying BSN note below.

Judg 18:5 – These members of the tribe of Dan decide they’ll get in on Micah’s self-made religion. (This is how Israelites took on Canaanite practices – just copying what they saw others doing.)

Judg 18:6 – How would he know? Did he even pray about it?

Judg 18:7 – Laish was in the far north of Israel. Remember that this story began in central Israel.

Judg 18:8 – This is like the twelve spies returning with their scouting report of Canaan in Num 13, and like the two spies returning with their scouting report of Jericho. That is, this is five spies from the tribe of Dan returning to tell other Danites what they’d found.

Judg 18:9 – Those of us who procrastinate need such prods from God. For other such motivators, see Josh 18:3; 1 Kgs 18:21; 2 Kgs 7:3-4.

The Danites Rob Micah on Their Way North

Judg 18:11 – 600 Danites set out to conquer the land in the north Of Israel that the five Danites had scouted.

Judg 18:12 – “Mahaneh-dan” means “the camp of Dan.”

Judg 18:15 – They’re stopping by Micah’s on their way back up north to pick up some “religious protection.” It was like the priest and idols would be “good luck charms.”

Judg 18:20 – The Levite was a pure mercenary. He was glad to leave Micah and join these Danites who would have more to give him.

Judg 18:22 – Micah’s “Neighborhood Watch” decides they’re going to help Micah track down the Danites and recover the stolen property.

Judg 18:23-26 – After some huffing and puffing, Micah and his neighbors give up and go home empty-handed.

Judg 18:27-29 – The 600 Danites succeed in conquering Laish and renamed it “Dan.” From this would come the expression “From Dan to Beersheba,” which was first used in the Bible in Judg 20:1 below.

Judg 18:30 – Here, as the story ends, we learn the name of the Levite. It is “Jonathan.” Some ancient manuscripts of this book have “Moses” where “Manasseh” appears, suggesting this was Moses’ grandson. If so, the episode is all the more scandalous.

Judg 18:31 – The reference to “Shiloh” is Samuel’s reminder that all worship by Israel was to have been centered in Shiloh because that’s where the tabernacle was parked. All the people in the story are operating on a very superficial knowledge of the Law of Moses and seem oblivious to some of its most basic requirements, even though they are using some terms and concepts borrowed from it. Theirs is almost a superstitious practice of Moses’ Law. We see the same thing today where many people fetishize aspects of what Jesus taught, all while missing His fundamental teachings.

The story of these last two chapters has given us a view of Israel’s spiritual (religious) degeneracy during the time of the Judges. The last three chapters of the book will give us a view of its moral degeneracy.

***

Judges 19

A Levite’s Concubine Is Brutalized

This is a different Levite from the one in the previous story. He is given no name. Nor do we learn his concubine’s name. As the previous story (lasting two chapters) was about spiritual degradation in Israel, this story (last three chapters) is about its moral degradation.

A Levite and His Concubine

Judg 19:1 – The moral deterioration in Israel is immediately shown in a Levite having a concubine! But, alas, things are going to get much, much worse than this.

Judg 19:4-9 – The hospitality extended here seems excessive even for that age and that part of the world.

Judg 19:12 – The city of Jerusalem was still controlled by Canaanites (specifically, Jebusites) at this time.

Judg 19:15 – The Levite thought he’d chosen a safe place to spend the night, but little did he know…

Judg 19:16-21 – This is quintessential Ancient Near Eastern hospitality. It looks like all will be well after all, but…

Gibeah’s Crime

Judg 19:22-26 – Gibeah turns out to resemble Sodom turning on Lot and his visitors (Gen 19:1-11) – only there was no angelic presence to grant deliverance on this night. After all that ministry by Moses, Israel was turning out no more moral than Sodom!

Judg 19:27-30 – The Levite is determined to not let this travesty go unaddressed. His was a most unseemly way to calling attention to the crime, but there’s no denying that he got everyone’s attention.

***

Judges 20

Israel’s War with the Tribe of Benjamin

This chapter finds us in the middle of a story that began with the previous chapter and won’t conclude until the next chapter.

Resolve to Punish the Guilty

Judg 20:1-2 – This verse contains the first occurrence of the expression “from Dan to Beersheba.” (The city of Laish had been renamed “Dan” in Judg 18:27-29.) The entire nation had been incensed by the shocking nature of Gibeah’s crime and the gruesome way that news of that crime was communicated throughout the land (Judg 19:29-30).

Judg 20:12-13 – All Israel was against Gibeah because of its heinous crime. However, since Gibeah was a city of the tribe of Benjamin, the Benjamites felt obligated to defend it. The rest of Israel obviously anticipated this possibility, which was why they would have notified the Benjamites before attacking Gibeah. Things would have been so much easier had the tribe of Benjamin simply destroyed Gibeah itself, but they felt their territory was being threatened by the other tribes. So, the battle lines were drawn between Israel and Benjamin: eleven tribes against one.

Judg 20:16 – A sling was respected as a useful weapon of war in these times. (Thus David in 1 Sam 17 was not going at Goliath with a toy.) Those who were left-handed probably enjoyed a slight advantage in a similar (though not identical) way that a left-handed pitcher enjoys a slight advantage in baseball.

Judg 20:17 – As we’d expect, the sons of Benjamin were greatly outnumbered by the rest of the nation.

Israel Defeats Benjamin

Judg 20:18 – It seems Judah is always the leader (see Judg 1:1-2). And such statements are often allusions to Messiah, as in the cases that follow. #FJOT

1 Chr 5:2 Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph),

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1 Chr 28:4 “Yet, the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. [This is King David speaking.]

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Hos 1:10 Yet the number of the sons of Israel
Will be like the sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered;
And in the place
Where it is said to them,
“You are not My people,”
It will be said to them,
“You are the sons of the living God.”
Hos 1:11 And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together,
And they will appoint for themselves one leader,
And they will go up from the land,
For great will be the day of Jezreel.

Judg 20:28 – The reference to Phinehas is another indication that this incident occurred nearer the beginning of the time of the Judges rather than the end. In this regard, see also Judg 18:1 and the accompanying BSN note above. ***** The Israelites were taking heavy casualties and kept seeking the Lord about the bloodbath. Benjamin felt it was defending its own land and such an enemy is always more willing to fight to the last man than an invading force is. Our Civil War took as long as it did because most of the fighting was in the South, who were greatly outnumbered from the beginning but felt they were defending their homes.

Judg 20:30 – It seems the Lord has arranged it so that Israel will prevail on “the third day.” Hmm. #FJOT

Judg 20:34 – Likewise, we often do not know when “disaster is close” to us. In similar fashion, Samson did not know that “the Lord had departed from him” (Judg 16:20). We must seek to be spiritually alert in order to avoid danger.

Judg 20:41 – Terror doesn’t come when we are close to disaster; it only comes when we realize we are close to disaster. Again, we need to remain spiritually alert so as to be aware when danger is near.

1 Cor 16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

Judg 20:44 – The men of Gibeah were not worthy of the valiant and greatly outnumbered men of Benjamin who died for them.

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Judges 21

This chapter finishes the story of the previous two chapters: the tragic story of a Levite and his concubine.

Unforeseen Problem

Judg 21:1-4 – In the passion of their indignation against the Sodom-like treatment the men of Gibeah inflicted on the Levite’s concubine, the men of Israel had sworn not to intermarry with the Benjamites. In the destruction of Gibeah and victory over Benjamin, however, Israel was now feeling compassion for their brothers. That is, the Israelites were facing the dilemma of an alienated and despondent tribe in Israel that could completely die off. There were only 600 Benjamite males left (Judg 20:46-47) after the conflagration, and there were insufficient Benjamite females to keep the tribe from extinction. So Israel sought the Lord for a solution.

Wives Provided for the Tribe of Benjamin

Judg 21:5-12 – Here was another rash oath the Israelites took in rage against Gibeah. But the Israelites now see a way to use Jabesh-gilead’s evil for good. (This creative solution seems inspired by God who uses evil for good quite regularly; after all, Israel had sought the Lord for a solution so maybe that’s where they got the idea.)

Another Innovative Solution

Judg 21:13-22 – The 400 virgins from Jabesh-gilead, when matched up with the 600 remaining Benjamite males, left 200 Benjamite bachelors. Some of the feasts of the Lord instituted by Moses required annual attendance at the tabernacle, which was at this time located in Shiloh. The plan suggested would allow the 200 Benjamites to “take” Israelite wives in marriage without their families actually “giving” them.

Peace

Judg 21:23-24 – The Benjamites go home. The rest of the Israelites go home. Order is restored to the nation.

A Verdict on the Times

Judg 21:25 – These last two stories of the book of Judges (Judg 17-21) bring into the clearest possible focus the “wild west” nature of the times. The only justice being dispensed was “frontier justice” because so much lawlessness prevailed. Through this book, Samuel is making the case for the kingdom he would institute in Israel by anointing Saul – a Benjamite (1 Sam 9).

Our world today is likewise experiencing widespread lawlessness. We have turned away from Jesus and the Bible the way the Israelites forgot the teaching of Moses. Not just America, but practically all of Western Civilization has forgotten the man who was its foundation. It is long past time we should return to Him and His word.

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