Book 7 · History

Judges

Judges tells the long unmaking of Israel after Joshua: the people settle in the land but do not drive out its inhabitants, turn again and again to other gods, and are handed over to violence until the LORD raises judges to rescue them. The book moves from repeated cycles of oppression and deliverance into darker, more fractured stories, ending with a people still in the land yet scarcely ordered by covenant faithfulness.

Judges stands between conquest and kingship, showing why life in the land cannot hold without faithful leadership and obedience to the LORD. It carries Israel from Joshua's partial victories into the moral disorder that makes the later hope for a righteous king intelligible.

Chapters

Pick a chapter.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Outline

Every section, in order.

Chapter 1
1. The Conquest of Canaan Proceedsvv. 1-7
2. The Capture of Jerusalem and Hebronvv. 8-26
3. The Failure to Complete the Conquestvv. 27-36
Chapter 2
1. Israel Rebuked at Bochimvv. 1-5
2. Joshua’s Death and Burialvv. 6-9
3. Israel’s Unfaithfulnessvv. 10-15
4. Judges Raised Upvv. 16-23
Chapter 3
1. Nations Left to Test Israelvv. 1-6
2. Othnielvv. 7-11
3. Ehudvv. 12-30
4. Shamgarvv. 31
Chapter 4 Deborah and Barak and Jael Kills Sisera
1. Deborah and Barakvv. 1-16
2. Jael Kills Siseravv. 17-24
Chapter 5 The Song of Deborah and Barak
1. The Song of Deborah and Barakvv. 1-31
Chapter 6
1. Midian Oppresses Israelvv. 1-10
2. The Call of Gideonvv. 11-24
3. Gideon Destroys Baal’s Altarvv. 25-32
4. The Sign of the Fleecevv. 33-40
Chapter 7
1. Gideon’s Army of Three Hundredvv. 1-8
2. The Sword of Gideonvv. 9-14
3. Gideon Defeats Midianvv. 15-25
Chapter 8
1. Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunnavv. 1-21
2. Gideon’s Ephodvv. 22-27
3. Forty Years of Peacevv. 28-31
4. Gideon’s Deathvv. 32-35
Chapter 9
1. Abimelech’s Conspiracyvv. 1-6
2. Jotham’s Parablevv. 7-21
3. Gaal Conspires with the Shechemitesvv. 22-29
4. The Fall of Shechemvv. 30-49
5. Abimelech’s Punishmentvv. 50-57
Chapter 10
1. Tolavv. 1-2
2. Jairvv. 3-5
3. Oppression by the Philistines and Ammonitesvv. 6-18
Chapter 11 Jephthah Delivers Israel and Jephthah’s Tragic Vow
1. Jephthah Delivers Israelvv. 1-28
2. Jephthah’s Tragic Vowvv. 29-40
Chapter 12 Jephthah Defeats Ephraim and Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
1. Jephthah Defeats Ephraimvv. 1-7
2. Ibzan, Elon, and Abdonvv. 8-15
Chapter 13 The Birth of Samson
1. The Birth of Samsonvv. 1-25
Chapter 14 Samson’s Marriage and Samson’s Riddle
1. Samson’s Marriagevv. 1-7
2. Samson’s Riddlevv. 8-20
Chapter 15 Samson’s Revenge
1. Samson’s Revengevv. 1-20
Chapter 16
1. Samson Escapes Gazavv. 1-3
2. Samson and Delilahvv. 4-14
3. Delilah Learns the Secretvv. 15-22
4. Samson’s Vengeance and Deathvv. 23-31
Chapter 17 Micah’s Idolatry
1. Micah’s Idolatryvv. 1-13
Chapter 18 The Danites Settle in Laish and The Danites Take Micah’s Idols
1. The Danites Settle in Laishvv. 1-13
2. The Danites Take Micah’s Idolsvv. 14-31
Chapter 19 The Crime of the Benjamites
1. The Crime of the Benjamitesvv. 1-30
Chapter 20 The Decree of the Assembly and Civil War against Benjamin
1. The Decree of the Assemblyvv. 1-17
2. Civil War against Benjaminvv. 18-48
Chapter 21 Wives for the Benjamites
1. Wives for the Benjamitesvv. 1-25