The Judges

 Othniel:              Judges 3:8 -3:11

         a. Caleb’s nephew Judges 1:13 and 3:9

            b. Captured Debir for Caleb

                        1. Was originally captured by Joshua, but apparently not inhabited

                        2. Did this so he could marry his cousin, Caleb’s daughter

            c. One of only 4 judges spoken of as having the “spirit of God come upon him”

            d. Delivered Israel from the King of Mesopotamia after 8 years in slavery

                        1. Israel fell to this king due to idol worship

 Ehud:                  Judges 3:15, 1 Chron 7:10, I Chron 8:6

            a. Left handed, unusual enough in Old Testament to mention it

            b. Killed Eglon the Fat, King of Edomites

            c. Insured peace in Israel for 80 years

 Shamgar:                         Judges 3:31

             a. Raid against Philistines, killing 600 with an ox-goad

                        1. Metal tipped instrument which needed sharpened often

Deborah: See Deborah in the 5 W’s study

Gideon: See Gideon in the 5 W’s study

Abimelech:          Judges 9:1-55

            a. Son of Gideon by a concubine

            b. Approached “lords” of the land, idol worshippers, about making him king

                        1. They agreed, giving him 70 pieces of silver to hire assassins

                                    A. Killed all of Gideon’s 70 sons except Jotham escaped

            c. Abimelech was not his real name, but he gave it to himself  Jud 8:31

                        1. Abimelech was a term meaning King, in Egypt

            d. Armed rebellion took place, Abimelech went to crush it, almost did

                        1. when a woman dropped a millstone upon his head from a besieged tower

                                    A. could not  be killed by a woman, so he begged his armor bearer to slay him

            e. Only ruled 3 years

 Tola:                        Judges 10:1-2

             a. Grandson of Dodo, from tribe of Issachar

             b. Ruled 23 years

 Jair:

                   Judges 10:3 – 5

             a. Had 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys and had 30 towns

             b. Judged Israel 22 years

 Jepthah:    Judges 11:1 -12:7

            a. Israel under Ammonite rule for slipping once again into idolatry

            b. Mother was a harlot

            c. Was excluded from his father’s inheritance by his brothers

            d. To make money he formed a band of robbers and stole for a living

            e. Was good at it, elders hired him to lead them against the Ammonites

            f. Tried to negotiate, but failed.  Made deal with God

                        1. If he would help him win battle, he would sacrifice first person to come meet him upon    his return

            g. Sacrificed his daughter (only child) even though it caused tremendous grief

                        1. Because of this, was known as Man of God for centuries

 Ibzan:                    Judges 12:8-10

             a. Had 30 sons

            b. Gave away 30 daughters in marriage, but brought in 30 wives for his sons from elsewhere

            c. Judged Israel 7 years

 Elon:                        Judges 12: 11-12

             a. Judged Israel 10 years

            b. No other information given

 Abdon:       Judges 12: 13-15

 Sampson:            See Samson in the 5 W’s study

 Eli:                 1 Sam 1:1 – 4:8

             a. Priest at Shiloh

            b. Old Man, overweight, with faithless sons

                        1. Hophni and Phinehas

2. They paid no attention to the proper ritual of sacrifices

3. Committed sins with the women who did service at the door of the tent of the meeting

4. Introduced prostitution into tabernacle worship (likely because of the wording)

            A. 1 Sam 2:17 for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

5. Used the job of Priest only to make money                              

6. Were killed transporting the ark to the scene of a losing battle

            c. Had a good side

                        1. Encouraged Hannah to Godliness and blessed her for her faith

                        2. Foretold Samuel’s Birth

                        3. Had a lot to do with raising Samuel

                                    A. Did better with Samuel than his own sons                   

d. Upon hearing of death of sons, fell backward off bench

                        1. Broke his neck and died

 Samuel:  See Samuel in the 5 W’s study     

 Deborah

 Who:

a.   Meaning: Honey Bee.  ,.

b.   Deborah was a prophetess and judge in Israel.

c.   Deborah is mentioned as the wife of Lapidoth.

i.    Because of the feminine tense of the word Lapidoth many have argue that it would better read, "woman of Lapidoth." Thus making Lapidoth a geographic term instead of biographic.

ii.    Either way the importance is the fact that Deborah was a prophetess and a judge in Israel.

What:

a.   Deborah' s was a main character in the deliverance of Israel from the oppression of Jabin.

b.   Deborah was a located judge Rd-the people would bring her disputes to her.

Where:

a.   Deborah introduced as a prophetess and a judge (Judge 4:4).  .    ,
b.   Deborah sitting in her place of judgment (Judges 4:5)
c.   Deborah delivers plans of war against the oppressor Jabin and his General Sisera (Judges 4:6-10).

d.   Deborah sings a song of celebration and remembrance (Judges 5).

When:

a. Deborah's time of judging over Israel has been placed almost one hundred years after the death of Joshua. This would place the battle against Jabin approximately 1125 B.C.

Why:

a.    Deborah was the only female judge in Israel.

b.   She brought the people back to God by doing God's will without fear.

 

Gideon:

 Who

a. Meaning: "Tree Feller" (Lumberjack) also "Warrior"

b.   Was the son of a farmer who worshipped the idolatrous god Baal. Gideon was called to be a judge for Israel.

What:

a. Gideon was called by an Angel of the Lord,

b. Gideon was given signs to prove that God was behind his calling,

c. Gideon lead an army of three hundred men and defeated the Midianites.

d. Gideon lead the Israelites to 40 years of peace, had many children and then passed from this life, "at a good old age".

Where:

a.   Gideon introduced (Judges 6:11)

b.   Gideon called to deliver Israel from their oppressors (Judges 6:12-23)

c.   Gideon instructed to cleanse his father's house of the idols (Judges 6:25-26)

d.   Gideon and the sign of the fleece (Judges 6:34-40)

e.   Gideon gathers 32, 000 men to go in battle (Judges 7:1)

f.    God cuts the number down from 32,000 to 300 by a series of tests (Judges 7:2-7).

g.   Gideon divided the three hundred into three parties and goes to conquer

Midian (Judges 7:16-8:21).

h. The Hebrew writer includes Gideon among the great heroes of faith (Hebrew 11:32).

When:

a.   The approximate time of Gideon's victory over Midian is 1110 B.C.

i. We are not told when Gideon was born nor at what age he passed. The only mentioning is that of, "at a good old age" he died (Judges 8:32).

Why:

a.   Gideon was faithful and served the Lord with fervor.

b.    He over came the idolatry of his father's house and stood for the true God.

Samson

Who:

a.   Meaning:   "The sun's child" or, "man of the sun"

b.   Samson was the son of Manoah from the tribe of Dan. c.   Samson was the eight judge in Israel.

What:

a.   God lifted up Samson as a notional hero and judge during the oppression caused by the Philistines.

b,   Samson was a Nazirite raised under the three conditions of the Nazirite vow.

i. Not to eat or drink of the fruit of the vine.

ii. Not to be contaminated by any unclean thing.

iii. Not to cut the hair of his head.

c.   Samson down fall was the women he chose to love.

d.   Samson judged Israel for twenty years. In his death he destroyed more Philistines than in all of his twenty years of judging in Israel.

 Where:

a. Samson's birth is foretold        (Judges 13:1-5)

b. Samson would be a Nazarite   (Judges 13:4-5, 12-14)

c. Samson's first indiscretion wanting a Philistine wife       (Judges 14:1-3)

d. Samson kills a lion with his bare hands            (Judges 14:5-6)

e. Samson take honey from the unclean (dead lion)          (Judges 14:8-9)

f.  Samson offers a wager on a riddle       (Judges 14:10-19)

g. Samson burns the fields with foxes      (Judges 15:1-6)

h. Samson delivered by his people to the Philistines         (Judges 15:8-14)

i.  Samson kills 1000 Philistines with a jawbone   (Judges 15:15-16)

j.  Samson uproots the gates of the city of Gaza   (Judges 16:1-3)

k. Samson again falls prey to a woman    (Judges 16:4-21)

l.  Samson's death         (Judges 16:22-30)

  When:

             a. Samson was the judge of Israel for twenty years. It has been suggested that he held this office starting approximately 1170 B.C.

b. The scriptures do not declare when he was born or the age of his death.

 Why:

            a. In the age of heroes Samson was the mightiest.

b. He was chosen by God and worked for God against the Philistine oppressors.

c. Quite possibly his mistakes teach us more than his triumphs.