Judges Commentary

The Book of Judges explores the tension between Israel’s faithfulness to serve God and its frequent reversion to worshipping idols. Judges covers a unique period in Israel’s early years as an established nation, chronicling the period between Joshua’s leadership and the establishment of a human king.

This period is characterized by a vicious cycle where the Israelites turn away from God to worship idols, which leads to their oppression by neighboring kingdoms. In response to their suffering and cries for help, God raises up leaders known as judges. These judges deliver Israel and lead them back to God, restoring peace for brief periods of time. However, after each judge dies, the cycle of idolatry, oppression, deliverance, and temporary peace repeats.