"And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed. Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so. And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way." (Jdg 2:10-19)
[Oppressed 8 yrs (Jdg 3:8) | Othniel Judged/Rest 40yrs] "And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the Lord delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died." (Jdg 3:9-11) [Judge from 1352-1312 B.C.]
[Oppressed 18yrs (Jdg 3:14) | Ehud Judged/Rest 80yrs] "But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. ... So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years." (Jdg 3:15, 30) [Judge from 1294-1214 B.C.]
[Oppressed ??yrs | Shamgar Judged ?yrs] " And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel." (Jdg 3:31) [began as Judge after 1214 B.C. and ended some years after 1194 B.C.]
[Oppressed 20yrs (Jdg 4:3) | Deborah, Barak Judged/Rest 40yrs] ... "And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?" ... So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years." (Jdg 4:1-5:31) [Judged from 1194-1154 B.C.]
[Oppressed 7yrs (Jdg 6:1) | Gideon Judged/Rest 40yrs] "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. ... And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. ... Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon. ... " (Jdg 6:1-8:35) [Judge from 1147-1107 B.C.]
[Oppressed 3yrs (Jdg 9:22) | Tola Judged 23yrs] "And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir." (Jdg 10:1-2) [Judge from 1104-1081 B.C.]
[Oppressed 0 yrs | Jair Judged 22yrs] " And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years. And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. And Jair died, and was buried in Camon." (Jug 10:3-5) [Judge from 1081-1059 B.C.]
[Oppressed 18yrs (Jdg 10:8)] | Jephthah Judged 6yrs] "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him. ... Now Jephthah the Gileadite* was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. ... And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead." (Jdg 10:6-12:7) [Judge from 1041-1035 B.C. * See also: Jephthah's Vow and His Daughter]
[Oppressed 24 yrs by Philistines starting at Jdg 10:8 per Jdg 13:1 [See: “Rethinking Chronology from Abraham to Solomon by Applying Unused Texts”] | Ibzan Judged 7yrs] "And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem." (Jdg 12:8-10) [Judge from 1035-1028 B.C.]
[Oppressed 31 yrs by Philistines | Elon Judged 10yrs] "And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun." (Jdg 12:11-12) [Judge from 1028-1018 B.C.]
[Oppressed 0 yrs | Abdon Judged 8yrs] "And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites." (Jdg 12:13-15) [Judge from 1028-1020 B.C. This completed the time span from Othneil until King David began in Judah for 40 1/2 years 1010-969 B.C.]
[Oppressed 40 yrs by Philistines starting at Jdg 10:8 per Jdg 13:1 | Samson Judged 20yrs] "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. ... And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years. ... And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. ... Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years." (Jdg 13:1-16, 31) [Born at start of Jdg 10:8, able "to go to war" at age 20, served as an additional Judge during 20 years of 1039-1019 B.C. during the periods of Jephthah, Ibzan, and Elon and died at age 40 one year before Judge Abdon began. The 40 year Philistine oppression was ended with Samuel 1019 B.C. right after Samson died.]
[Oppressed during 18 yrs of Jdg 10:8 for the eastern half of Israel and the concurrent 40 yrs period of Jdg 13:1 for the western half of Israel (both began at same time and marked Samson's birth) and under king Saul | Samuel Judged 77 yrs] "Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: ... Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord. ... And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young. And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there. ... And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ... And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran." (1 Sam 1:1-25:1); "And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the Lord." (1 Sam 7:15-17) [Samuel, 1101-1012 B.C., was Judge from age 12 [1089 B.C. under Judge Tola] until his death at 89 years [1012 B.C. under Judge Abdon]. [See: “Rethinking Chronology from Abraham to Solomon by Applying Unused Texts”] His service as judge started long before Saul and included most of the 40 year reign of king Saul, 1050-1010 B.C. Samuel died late 1012 B.C., about 17-20 months before David became king over Judah in 1010 B.C. about month Tishri (1Sam 25:1; 27:7; 28:1-4; 1Sam 31:1-13; 2Sam 2:1-4).]
Israel's Judges preview some of the life of Christ Jesus.
obeyed the Law Covenant
promoted worship of God
opposed idolatry
lived as an example before people
trusted in God to do difficult things
willing to help those in need
special selection & purpose
became a leader of others
displayed exceptional courage/
brave, fearless, mighty
defeated enemies who sought to remove Israel from their inheritance
rescues believing sinners
executed judgment and justice
remained faithful unto death
For further study of Israel's Judges as a type:
Barak, son of Abinoam; Gideon, son of Joash the Abiezrite; Jephthah the Gileadite; Samson, son of Manoah; Samuel, son of Elkanah; Jonathan, son of Saul