Book Introduction
Judges
Written by Unknown (possibly Samuel)
The Author
Unknown (possibly Samuel) — An unknown compiler who documented the era when every Israelite did whatever they felt like — and recorded exactly how that works out, over and over again
The author is unknown. Jewish tradition suggests , but the book was likely compiled from older tribal stories. The repeated phrase 'In those days there was no king in Israel' suggests it was written after the monarchy began.
1000s–500s BC
The people of
To show the downward spiral of Israel without faithful leadership — and their constant need for God's deliverance
What's It About?
Judges is the dark chapter between Joshua's victories and the monarchy. Israel falls into a repeating cycle: they abandon God, God allows an enemy to oppress them, they cry out, God raises up a judge to deliver them, and then they do it all again. The judges themselves get progressively worse — from faithfulness to self-destruction. The book ends in near-anarchy.
Key Themes
Life Topics
Related Books
Chapters coming soon
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