The noun “judges” (Hebrew šōp̱ēṭ) is only used in Judges 2:16-19. However, this term is also used throughout the rest of Scripture (Ruth 1:1; 2 Sam. 7:11).
The English title “Judges” comes from the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, as well as the Latin Vulgate. Modern people typically think of “judges” as men in robes who preside over legal cases. While the judges of Israel did adjudicate legal disputes, their primary function was to serve as leaders or “deliverers,” who rescued Israel from apostasy and judgment: “Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them” (Judg. 2:16). God is the ultimate “Judge” (šôpēṭ) who ruled the nation (Judg. 11:27), but he sovereignly worked through these ad hoc leaders to deliver the nation of Israel.
Many men and women were said to “judge” or lead Israel (Judg. 3:10; 10:2-3; 12:7, 8-9, 11, 13-14; 15:20; 16:31). Wolf writes, “In all there were fifteen judges, if Barak is considered a co-judge with Deborah and if Eli and Samuel are added to the thirteen judges in the Book of Judges.”
Judges records the history of Israel from just after the death of Joshua (~1,360 BC) to just before Samuel (~1,060 BC) or roughly “three hundred years” (Judg. 11:26). But when was the book written? Several factors need to be considered:
Since the book of Judges contains history up to the time of the monarchy (~1020 BC), the author must have been writing after that time (~1020 BC).
The statement “in those days there was no king in Israel” (Judg. 18:1; 19:1) implies that it was written during the time of the monarchy (~1020 BC), but before the division of Israel after the time of Solomon (~930 BC).
Judges 3:3 implies that Sidon was the major city of Phoenicia. Historically, this changed after 1200 BC when Tyre became the most important city. Of course, this doesn’t imply that the author was writing before 1200 BC. It could simply mean that the author had reliable history passed down to him.
The mention of the Jebusites living in Jerusalem “to this day” (Judg. 1:21) fits better with a dating before the time of David, who removed the Jebusites from Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:6-8).
The mention of the Canaanites being in control of Gezer fits better with a time before Solomon, because the Egyptians conquered Gezer and offered it to Solomon in 970 BC (1 Kings 9:16).
Though he is uncertain, Arthur Cundall dates the book around 980 BC. Similarly, Archer dates the final composition of the book around 1000 BC, during the early reign of David.
Critics of an early dating of Judges point out a chronological difficulty in the book. In one place, we read, “Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land” (Judg. 18:30). According to history, Assyria didn’t take the Israelites captive until 732 BC. So how could the book be written in 1000 BC?
Proponents of the early dating of Judges respond in one of two ways: (1) This text is a later interpolation by a scribe or (2) the text should read “until the captivity of the ark [not land].” Under this second view, this text is referring to the capture of the Ark of the Covenant under Eli (1 Sam. 4:10-21). The changing of the word “would involve simply the change of one consonant” in the Hebrew, so such an explanation is certainly plausible. Furthermore, this would fit nicely with the context. In the very next verse, the author mentions how “the house of God was a Shiloh” (Judg. 18:31). If the text originally read “ark,” rather than “land,” then this would explain the parallel in verse 31 (“the house of God”).
The Jewish Talmud records that Samuel—the final judge—was the author of Judges. However, “most scholars have abandoned this view,” because the author of Judges is definitely in favor of the need for a king, while Samuel was definitely against the idea (1 Sam. 8).
If our dating of the book is correct (~1000 BC), then the author would’ve lived around that time. Herbert Wolf states that “the writer of the Book of Judges is unknown,” merely speculating that the author could be “an associate of Samuel,” though not Samuel himself. Likewise, Archer writes, “There is no clear evidence as to the identity of the author.” Yet he continues, “It would be natural to suppose that either Samuel himself or else some student or disciple of his might have been responsible for the compilation of this history.” Archer infers some sort of “prophetic” authorship for the book, because “[the author] measures Israel’s history by the standard of faithfulness to Jehovah’s covenant.”
Even if the author compiled historical sources to write the book, it is still likely that a single author wrote it, due to its literary unity:
The theme of apostasy, judgment, repentance, and renewal is seen throughout the body of the book (specifically Judges 2:6-16:31).
The expression “Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” is used six times throughout the book (3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1).
The phrase “the land had rest” (3:11, 30; 5:31; 8:28) is used four times.
Mark Rooker notes that current scholarship focuses on “reading the text as a coherent literary unity,” rather than the work of multiple authors.
As we read the book of Judges, we should be aware of the major themes that emerge from the text:
First, the book of Judges shows us that we desperately need a King. The purpose of this book is to show the graphic “highlights” of this period of history in order to demonstrate Israel’s need for order rather than anarchy. In the book of Judges, we see:
(1) Military decline. The early judges were successful in fighting against the invading peoples, but this power declines as the book progresses. When we reach Samson (the final judge in the book), he is blind and all alone in the end. After his reign, the tribes of Israel are given to infighting. Manasseh attacked Ephraim (Judg. 12), and the other tribes almost annihilated Benjamin (Judg. 20-21).
(2) Spiritual decline. Throughout the book, we see that the people repeatedly turn to idolatry and occult practices. The spiritual-religious culture in Israel was in steep decline.
(3) Moral decline. The cycle of moral collapse comes to its head in chapter 19, where a young girl is raped, tortured, and dismembered. If this doesn’t tell us that Israel needed a king, nothing will!
The book closes with a cliffhanger: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 21:25; cf. 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). From here, the reader will ask himself: Who will step up to lead as the king in Israel? We find resolution to this question in the book of Samuel. Saul—a tall and handsome man—becomes Israel’s first king. But Saul becomes corrupt, only to be replaced by David. However, David also becomes corrupt, committing adultery and murder. Later on, his sons only become more immoral.
This leaves the reader asking: Who can have the POWER and the INTEGRITY to lead the people in Israel? Of course, as followers of Christ, we see the answer to this question clearly. Jesus has the omnipotence of deity, but he is also “gentle and humble in heart” (Mt. 11:29) and “knew no sin” (2 Cor. 5:21). Christ is the fulfillment of this tension for the perfect King.
Second, the book of Judges shows us the mercy of God to help those who cry out to him. Judges is a cyclical book: (1) the people fall into idolatry, (2) God gives them over, (3) the people cry out to God for help, and (4) God raises up a judge to help. This shows us how God consistently and mercifully responds to even the most horrible of people. When we read this book, we become frustrated (“Why can’t you people just learn from your mistakes?!”). However, the reflective reader will see that this book applies to the psychology of sin. Apart from the mercy of God, we don’t learn! Judges reveals the horrifying truth that we are just as sinful and foolish as the nation of Israel.
Third, the book of Judges shows us the importance of “passing the baton.” Moses did an excellent job of training Joshua before he passed on (see “Introduction to Joshua”). However, while Joshua was a great man of God, his successors were weak and worldly. All of Joshua’s hard work went spiraling down the spiritual toilet after his death. Likewise, each of the judges pulled Israel out of spiritual anarchy, but they didn’t train anyone to replace them. After they died, the nation fell into anarchy.
Similarly, we might consider ourselves great spiritual leaders for God, but who is going to replace us once we are out of the picture? Believers throughout history have seen periods of great revival. However, these periods of revival are transitory and temporary. Judges paints a clear antithesis for what can happen if we don’t replace ourselves.
Fourth, the book of Judges shows Israel’s transition from a group of emancipated slaves to a full-fledged nation. When they entered the Promised Land under Joshua, Israel consisted of a collection of tribes led by a single man: Joshua. After Joshua took over the land, the Canaanites came to take it back, competing for control of this precious real estate. This breakdown of leadership is what led to the monarchy under Saul (~1020 BC).
The judges were not consecutive. That is, some judges co-reigned with other judges at the same time. Wolf writes, “The events narrated in Judges cover a period of 410 years if viewed consecutively. Such a lengthy time does not, however, fit any accepted chronology of the early history of Israel. Consequently some of the judgeships must have overlapped. Samson and Jephthah, for example, may have ruled simultaneously—one in the west, in Canaan, the other in the east, in Transjordan (10:7).” Archer represents the approximate dates of the judges in this way:
Judges | Enemy Nation | Years of Oppression | Years of Deliverance | Approximate Date | Reference |
Othniel | Mesopotamia | 8 | 40 | 1374-1334 | 3:9-11 |
Ehud | Moab, Ammon, Midian | 18 | 80 | 1316-1235 | 3:15-30 |
Shamgar | Midian | 1230 | 3:31 | ||
Deborah | Canaan | 20 | 40 | 1216-1176 | 4:4-5:31 |
Barak | Canaan | 20 | 40 | 1216-1176 | 4:4-5:31 |
Gideon | Midian | 7 | 40 | 1120-1097 | 10:1-2 |
Jair | Amalek | 22 | 1120-1097 | 10:3-5 | |
Jephthah | Ammon | 18 | 6 | 1085-1079 | 11:1-12:7 |
Ibzan | Ammon | 7 | 1079-1072 | 12:8-10 | |
Elon | Ammon | 10 | 1072-1062 | 12:11-12 | |
Abdon | Ammon | 8 | 1062-1054 | 12:13-15 | |
Samson | Philistia | 40 | 20 | 1095-1075 | 13:2-16:31 |
Scholars who hold to the late date for the Exodus offer different dates for the judges.
1230 | Entry into Canaan |
1200 | Othniel |
1170 | Ehud |
1150 | Shamgar |
1125 | Deborah and Barak |
1100 | Gideon |
1080 | Abimelech |
1070 | Jephthah |
1070 | Samson |
1050 | The battle of 1 Samuel 4 |
1020 | The accession of Saul |
As you can see above, one of the principal difficulties of the late-dating of the Exodus is the chronology of the judges, which doesn’t fit within the time frame needed (see also Judges 11:26). This is one reason among many that we reject the late date, and hold to the early date (see “Dating of the Exodus”).
Week 1 (chapters 1-5)
Week 2 (chapters 6-10)
Week 3 (chapters 11-12)
Week 4 (chapters 13-16)
Week 5 (chapters 17-21)
The noun “judges” (Hebrew šōp̱ēṭ) is only used in Judges 2:16-19. However, this term is also used throughout the rest of Scripture (Ruth 1:1; 2 Sam. 7:11).
Wolf, Herbert. Judges. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 3: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 1992. 375.
Incidentally, this time marker of 300 years helps to confirm the early dating of the Exodus (see “Date of the Exodus”).
Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., p. 300). Chicago: Moody Press.
Cundall, A. E., & Morris, L. (1968). Judges and Ruth: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 7, p. 28). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., p. 303). Chicago: Moody Press.
See Merrill Unger, Introductory Guide to the Old Testament, p.292. Cited in Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, who disagrees with this explanation.
Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., p. 302-303). Chicago: Moody Press.
Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., p. 302). Chicago: Moody Press.
Cundall, A. E., & Morris, L. (1968). Judges and Ruth: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 7, p. 28). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Merrill, Eugene H., Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2011), 289.
Wolf, H. (1992). Judges. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 377). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
Wolf, H. (1992). Judges. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 378). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., p. 303). Chicago: Moody Press.
Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (3rd. ed., p. 303). Chicago: Moody Press.
Cundall, A. E., & Morris, L. (1968). Judges and Ruth: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 7, p. 29). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Merrill, Eugene H., Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2011), 289.
Wolf, Herbert. Judges. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 3: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 1992. 376.
Archer, Gleason L. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Revised and Expanded ed. Chicago, IL: Moody, 2007. 250.
Cundall, A. E., & Morris, L. (1968). Judges and Ruth: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 7, p. 34). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
James is an elder at Dwell Community Church, where he teaches classes in theology, apologetics, and weekly Bible studies.
