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Judges is the English title, Shepher Shoptim is the Hebrew title and Kri-tar is the title used in the Septuagint, the Hebrew Scriptures. The Hebrew word, Kri-tar, means considerably more that what we ascribe to a judge. The duties of a Kri-tar were to act as rulers, deliverers, saviors as well as judges.
The actual period covered by the book is not well defined. It appears to cover a period in history from approx. 1200 B.C. to approx. 1000 B.C. or 200 years. The total terms of all the judges adds up to almost 300 years which indicates that some of their terms overlapped.
The author or authors are unknown. Some believe that Samuel put into some form, using the oral traditions of his day and various other sources, the events recorded in this book. It did not reach its present form until around 500 B.C.
Who were the judges?
There are 12 judges mentioned in the book, coming from 8 different tribes:
| Judge | Tribe | Duration in years |
|---|---|---|
| Oth-niel | Judah | 40 |
| Ehud | Benjamin | 80 |
| Barak | Naphtali | 40 |
| Gideon | Manasseh | 40 |
| Abimelech | Manasseh | 3 |
| Tola | Isschar | 20 |
| Jair | Manasseh | 22 |
| Jephtha | Manasseh | 6 |
| Ibzan | Judah | 7 |
| Elon | Zebulun | 10 |
| Abdon | Ephraim | 8 |
| Samson | Dan | 20 |
The last two judges, Eli and Samuel, are not in this book. They were both Levites.
The first 16 chapters covers the history of these 12 Judges. The last 5 chapters give an account of events that occurred, like the book of Ruth, "In the days when the judges ruled Israel." The chronological order of these events is not known, nor is it known under what Judges rule they occurred.
Now, what about the people of Israel during this time? Under Joshua:
After the death of Joshua:
Matthew Henry says: It is inconceivable how any nation so conceived and blessed could, in such a short time, become so wretched and disobedient." Nowhere in this 200-year account of their history do they remotely resemble the people who gloriously entered the Promise Land.
The Judges were tribal heroes who governed Israel between Joshua and Samuel. Their terms overlapped because not all of them ruled over the entire land. Chapter 2 verse 16 sums up their call and purpose, "Then the Lord raised up Judges who saved them from the power of those who plundered them." The Judges were spirit filled persons who, in time of national emergency, led the people in war and having delivered them, continued to lead them in time of peace. They functioned both as military and civil magistrates.
Following the death of Joshua, Israel plunged into a 200 year "dark age". Chapter 2, verse 10 sums it up, "When that generation (Joshua's generation) was gathered home to their fathers, there arose another generation that did not know the Lord."
Nowhere in this 200-year account of their history, do they remotely resemble the people who gloriously entered the Promise Land. Instead of a "national agenda", each tribe took unto its self. Their government, their worship, their wars and their persecution did not concern their brothers.
During this time, God was King of Israel (Theocracy). Finally, when Samuel, the last of the Judges, sees the evil of these people and their inability to obey a "Heavenly King", he asks God for permission to give Israel an earthly king.
The book begins with records of repeated failures of different tribes to drive out their enemies as God had instructed them. Matthew Henry says of this, "Instead of removing the "moral cancer" spread by the former inhabitants of Canaan, they contracted the disease." The Canaanite people and their gods became a snare to them.
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