Beyond Today Bible Commentary: Judges

The second book of the Prophets, Judges spans the approximately 325 years from the death of Joshua, some 25 years after Israel's entry into the Promised Land, to shortly before the coronation of Israel's first human king, Saul. Though it may have been written by various authors, adding to the storyline as events transpired—e.g., the Song of Deborah and the parable of Jotham—it was probably put into its final form by the last of the judges, Samuel, in the 11th century B.C.

Table of Contents

6 minutes
Continuing and incomplete conquest
3 minutes
Israel's unfaithfulness after Joshua's death
3 minutes
Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar
4 minutes
Deborah and Barak
2 minutes
The Song of Deborah
4 minutes
Midianite oppression, Gideon's first works, sign of the fleece
3 minutes
Gideon's army of 300
3 minutes
Gideon's diplomacy, vindication, humility and foolishness
4 minutes
King Abimelech
2 minutes
The Ammonite oppression
8 minutes
Jephthah and his vow
1 minute
The war between Ephraim and Gilead
4 minutes
The birth of Samson
2 minutes
Samson's marriage
2 minutes
Foxes and firebrands and the jawbone of an ass
5 minutes
Samson and Delilah, death of Samson with the Philistines
7 minutes
Micah's household shrine
1 minute
Dan adopts Micah's error and takes Laish
3 minutes
The Levite's concubine and the crime of Gibeah
3 minutes
Israel's war against Benjamin
3 minutes
Wives for Benjamin