BIBLE STUDY --- BOOKS OF THE TANAKH {NEVI’IM}

BOOK OF JUDGES --- PART 1

Old Testament book named after the prominent leaders raised up by Adonai to deliver His people. The word “judge” in Hebrew also denotes the activity of governance, including warfare. Some scholars have argued that there were two kinds of judges: charismatic deliverers {or major judges} and local judicial sages {minor judges}. It is uncertain why some judges receive cursory attention, whereas the exploits of other judges are given in great detail.

AUTHOR

The book reflects a final editing of the material in the period of the early monarchy. It may well be a polemic for the righteous rule of David over against the kingship of Saul, which was moulded by a secular, Canaanite conception of kingship rather than by the Law of YHVH. The author was almost certainly not Samuel, as traditionally thought, but a later compiler who relied on ancient written materials.

DATE

Though the judges succeeded in giving the tribes some rest from the incursions of surrounding enemies, the Israelites were continually harassed over long periods of time. Scholarly opinion differs on the duration of the period of the judges. The dating of the exodus affects the dating of the beginning of the judges. Those who take an early date for the exodus put the beginning around 1370–1360 BC, whereas others propose a date close to the end of the 13th century BC. A related issue pertains to the chronology of the judges. Does Judges give a chronological, sequential account of the period, or is the book a representative account of judges from various parts of Canaan and Transjordan who “judged” a region, a tribe, or several tribes simultaneously?

LITERARY FRAMEWORK

There is no doubt that the stories in the book bear the marks of literary creativity. The stories are classics in their own right. The poetry of Deborah’s song {Judges 5} is very moving, and the fable of Jotham {9:8-15} is a fine example of figurative speech. The care given to the stories is also reflected in the construction of the book. There are two introductions: a political one {Judges 1:1–2:5} and a socioreligious one {2:6–3:6}. The political introduction connects Judges with the story of the Conquest, when the tribes attempted to occupy the land. It prepares the reader for the political and military problems of the era of the judges. The socioreligious introduction explains why Israel had so many adversities, why the institution of the judges arose, and why Adonai never gave Israel the promised lasting rest from its enemies. The main body of the book is the story of the judges {3:7–16:31}. References to the minor judges {six in all} are set within the stories of the major judges in increasing frequency. As is evident from the schema, the number of minor judges increased in frequency in proportion to the decrease in number of major judges: two major, one minor; two major, two minor; one major, three minor; one major. There is a total of 12 judges, representative of the 12 tribes of Israel. The purpose of the listing of 12 judges, representative of the various parts of Canaan and Transjordan, is to demonstrate that all tribes throughout the conquered territories experienced grave difficulties from a variety of enemies: Arameans, Moabites, Ammonites, Amalekites, Canaanites, and Philistines. Israel was hard pressed on nearly all its frontiers. The appendixes {chapters 17–21}, together with the two introductions, form the framework of the book. The political and socioreligious problems {1:1–3:6} are presented by way of several stories in the last chapters. The final editor who gave the book its canonical shape purposefully framed the stories of the judges so as to show lack of movement. The successes of the previous stages in redemptive history came to a standstill in the ebb and flow of the judges. Though Adonai delivered His people in many ways, they returned to the problems described in {1:1–3:6}. The appendixes describe Israel’s problems representative of the period of the judges, when “there was no king in Israel” {17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25}.

PURPOSE AND THEOLOGICAL TEACHING

The cycle of apostasy, judgment, cry for deliverance, and YHVH’s raising up of a judge reflects a Deuteronomic perspective with its warnings concerning disobedience and judgment. The repetitiveness of the cycle supports the contention of the anonymous narrator that Israel remained unchanged by the grace of YHVH. However, in spite of the moral, religious, and political anarchy as well as the civil wars, the last chapter shows that the tribes are still concerned with each other’s welfare. Though the unity of YHVH’s people has been gravely challenged, the situation is not hopeless. The book ends on a note of hope -- hope for a king who may deliver Israel. Thus, there are several purposes of the book:

1 -- to demonstrate the meaninglessness of this stage in Israel’s development;
2 -- to explain why the tribes did not occupy all the land promised to the patriarchs;
3 -- to justify the way of YHVH, who was gracious and patient with Israel’s repeated acts of disobedience;
4 -- to set forth the legitimacy of a “shepherd” king in contrast to a despotic form of kingship; and
5 -- to explain the urgent need for a new momentum, lest Israel succumb to the Philistines and intertribal warfare.

CONTENT

THE POLITICAL INTRODUCTION {1:1–2:5}

In Joshua 1–12 the warfare under Joshua is portrayed as a mobilization of Canaanite forces against Israel. By the intervention of Adonai, the Canaanite resistance was put down and the land was occupied by the tribes {chapters 13–21}. Joshua 13–21 however, clearly shows that each tribe had problems ridding its territory of pockets of Canaanite resistance, which were usually centred around heavily guarded and well-fortified cities {cf. 13:2-6, 13; 15:63; 16:10; 17:12-18}. The book of Joshua emphasizes the successes and minimizes the problems, whereas the prologue to Judges sets the stage for the whole book by openly addressing Israel’s problems and failures. As the book unfolds, it is precisely these problems and failures that in due time bring Israel to the brink of disaster. The period of the judges began with the death of Joshua {Judges 1:1; 2:8-9}. The Israelites had inherited a legacy from Joshua: The Law of Adonai {Joshua 23:6; 24:26}, the land, a challenge to obey Adonai {24:14-27}, and a promise of YHVH’s presence and help in subduing the Canaanites {23:5, 10}.

JUDAH AND SIMEON {JUDGES 1:2-20}

The prominence of Judah and Caleb parallels the position of Judah in Joshua {Joshua 14:6–15:63; cf. also the house of Joseph, Judges 1:22-29; cf. Joshua 16–17}. Judah was victorious over the cruel Adoni-bezek, who ruled over Bezek, a town of uncertain location. Judah successfully occupied the hill country, the Negev, and the western foothills. They even took Jerusalem, or an outlying suburb identified with Jerusalem {Joshua 1:8}, but could not retain control there {verse 21} until David’s conquest of the city {2 Samuel 5:6-9}. Judah was victorious over the Canaanites in the region of Hebron, already conquered under Joshua {Joshua 10:36}. Hebron, also known as Kiriath-arba {“city of four” or “tetra polis”}, was a powerful ally of Jerusalem {verse 3} and had been able to rally military support for a new assault on Israel, even after its first defeat. Caleb received Hebron, as Moses had promised {Judges 1:20; cf. Joshua 15:13}. After the victory over Hebron, Judah extended its control over the southern hill country by an attack on Debir {Judges 1:11-15; cf. Joshua 15:14-19}. The Kenites {Judges 1:16}, descendants of Jethro and therefore related to Moses by marriage, settled in the Negev around Arad and the City of Palms, which here probably refers to Tamar rather than Jericho. Judah secured the southern border by a victory over the Canaanites at Hormah {Judges 1:17; cf. Numbers 14:45; 21:3; Deuteronomy 1:44} and the coastal plain by victories at Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron. However, Judah’s successes in the coastal plain were resisted by a well-armed Canaanite force {Judges 1:18-19}. It occupied the Judean hill country and the Negev, but could not retain control over the plains. The Philistines were soon to take control over Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, and incorporate them into their pentapolis.

BENJAMIN {1:21}

Jerusalem was situated on the border between Judah and Benjamin. Judah took the city or a suburb {Joshua 1:8} but was too far removed to retain control over it. Benjamin was too weak to subdue the Jebusites. Only David succeeded in this {2 Samuel 5:6-9}; he incorporated it into Judah {cf. Joshua 15:63}, even though it originally was allotted to Benjamin {Joshua 18:28}.

JOSEPH: EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH {1:22-29}

Ephraim took Bethel, known from the patriarchal stories as a significant cultic site {Genesis 12:8; 13:3-4; 28:19; 31:13; 35:1-15}. However, Manasseh was unsuccessful in taking the fortified cities in the valley of Jezreel {Esdraelon}: Beth-Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo. These cities, controlled traffic along the east-west and north-south roads as well as the important passes through the Carmel range and the ford of the Jordan. Ephraim could not take full possession of the coastal plain, controlled by Gezer. The success of both Ephraim and Manasseh was limited.

THE OTHER FOUR TRIBES {1:30-36}

The other four tribes in Canaan receive brief mention. They too, were only partially successful. Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and especially Dan did not fully succeed in driving out the Canaanites. At best they later subjected most of them to forced labour.

THE FAILURE OF ISRAEL {2:1-5}

The failure to subdue the land and to wipe out the Canaanites and their culture led to intermarriage and idolatry {cf. Exodus 23:33; 34:12-16; Numbers 33:55; Deuteronomy 7:2-5, 16; Joshua 23:7, 12}.
The identity of “the Angel of Adonai” who appears at Bokim is far from certain. It may be a reference to Adonai Himself, to an angelic messenger, or to a prophet {cf. Judges 6:8}. He rebuked the people in the prophetic spirit and pronounced YHVH’s judgment as taking the form of continual confrontation between Israel and the Canaanites {2:3}. Their weeping and sacrificing were to no avail {2:4-5; cf. Malachi 2:13}. Israel stood condemned within a generation after Joshua’s death.

THE THEOLOGICAL INTRODUCTION {2:6–3:6}

The theological introduction begins where Joshua left off {Joshua 24:28-31}. The generation of Joshua was characterized by loyalty, but their loyalty to Adonai did not last long after the excitement of the Conquest and the demonstration of YHVH’s presence {Judges 2:10}. Israel served Canaanite gods {Baal and Astarte} instead. Baal was the storm god, symbolic of rain and fertility, and Astarte was his cohort. The plural {Baals and Ashtaroth, 2:11-13} signifies the many local ways in which the Canaanite gods were worshiped. The religious unity was broken up into a great diversity. Thus, Israel angered Adonai {verses 12-14}, who sent them enemies and plunderers. Israel was unsuccessful in dealing with them, as Moses and Joshua had forewarned {Deuteronomy 28:25, 33; Joshua 23:13, 16}. The cycle of apostasy, judgment, cry for mercy, and deliverance is found throughout Judges. The people were rooted in the apostasy of their forefathers, even though the previous generation had been sensitive to YHVH. Israel did not submit to the leadership of the judges, except to free itself from the oppressors. In fulfilment of the curses of the Covenant, YHVH swore not to give His people rest but to test them and to train them for warfare {Judges 3:1-4}, so that they might learn to respond to the challenges of a real world.