Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion you should be able to:

• Articulate a clear understanding of the historical and social context of the book of Judges

• Compare various episodes in the book to biblical and extrabiblical parallels

• Discuss the portrayal of various women in Judges, including Deborah, Jael, and Jephthah’s daughter

• Explain the process of Israel’s “Canaanization” and how the church today must heed warning signs of moral and spiritual apostasy

• Describe the exploits and flaws of major leaders in Judges, including Gideon, Samson, and Barak

• Outline the general structure of Judges and explain how to understand the book’s later chapters

Course Outline

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: Introduction to the Book

• Considering the Title “Judges”

• The Date of Judges

• The Purpose of the Book

• The History of Interpretation

• How to Read Judges

• Extrabiblical Sources

• Historical and Religious Issues

• Read as Great Literature

• Unit 1 Quiz

Unit 2: The Canaanization of Israel: Background (Judg 1:1–36)

• Background and Purpose of Judges 1

• Overview: The Report of Israel’s Performance (Judg 1:12–36)

• Introduction to the Book (Judg 1:1–2)

• The Successes of Judah (Judg 1:3–20)

• Adoni-Bezek

• Jerusalem and the Upland Campaign (Judg 1:4–8)

• Conquest of Hebron (Judg 1:10)

• Conquest of Debir (Judg 1:11–15)

• Caleb and Acsah (Judg 1:11–15)

• Settling in Arad (Judg 1:16)

• Sacking of Hormah (Judg 1:17)

• The Southwest Coastal Lowlands (Judg 1:18)

• Summary of Judah’s Campaigns (Judg 1:19–20)

• The Remaining Tribes (Judg 1:21–29)

• The Northern Tribes (Judg 1:30–36)

• Unit 2 Quiz

Unit 3: What’s Wrong in Israel (Judg 2:1–3:6)

• Overview of Judges 2

• The Structure of Judges 2

• The Envoy of YHWH and the People’s Response (Judg 2:1–5)

• Interpretations of Israel’s Behavior (Judg 2:1–20a)

• The Roots of Israel’s Apostasy (Judg 2:6–10)

• The Expression of Apostasy (Judg 2:11–13)

• God’s Reaction to Israel’s Apostasy (Judg 2:14–20a)

• God’s Interpretation of Israel’s Behavior (Judg 2:20b–22)

• Consequences of Apostasy

• More about Domestic Consequences of Apostasy (Judg 3:1–6)

• Unit 3 Quiz

Unit 4: Introduction to the Book of Deliverers (Judg 3:7–31)

• Structure of Deliverer Accounts

• Preliminary Observations (Judg 3–16)

• Othniel and Aram-Naharaim: A Paradigmatic Account (Judg 3:7–11)

• Ehud and Moab (Judg 3:12–30)

• Ehud’s Left-Handedness

• Ehud’s Preparation

• Ehud’s Deliverance of Israel

• Ehud: Theological and Practical Implications

• Shamgar the Judge (Judg 3:31)

• Unit 4 Quiz

Unit 5: Barak and the Canaanites (Judg 4–5)

• Literary Observations on the Barak Cycle

• Structure of Judges 4–5

• Jabin and Sisera

• The Oppression of Sisera (Judg 4:1–3)

• God Raises a Deliverer (Judg 4:4–10)

• Who Was Deborah?

• Deborah’s Role in Israel (Judg 4:4–5)

• Deborah and Barak (Judg 4:6–9)

• Summary of Events in Judges 4

• Barak’s Victory (Judg 4:11–22)

• The Battle’s End (Judg 4:15–22)

• Jael the Assassin (Judg 4:17–22)

• Evaluating Barak and Jael

• Unit 5 Quiz

Unit 6: Celebrating the Victory (Judg 5:1–31)

• Song of Celebration

• Ancient Near Eastern Victory Hymns

• Authorship of the Song

• The Historical Representation of Israel in Judges 5

• The Purpose of Judges 5

• Reading the Hymn, Part 1 (Judg 5:1–27)

• Reading the Hymn, Part 2 (Judg 5:28–31)

• Chariots and Sun Gods

• Theological and Practical Implications of Judges 5

• Unit 6 Quiz

Unit 7: The Gideon Cycle: Overview and Early Events (Judg 6–9)

• Overview of the Gideon Cycle

• Oppression in the Gideon Cycle (Judg 6:1–5)

• The Prophet’s Message (Judg 6:7–10)

• Gideon’s Call (Judg 6:11–24)

• Gideon Cleans House (Judg 6:25–32)

• Gideon’s Piety

• Gideon’s Problems

• Unit 7 Quiz

Unit 8: Gideon’s Big Test (Judg 6:33–8:3)

• Preparing for Battle and Second-Guessing

• Reducing the Troops (Judg 7:1–8)

• Gideon’s Third Thoughts (Judg 7:9–15)

• An Unlikely Battle Plan (Judg 7:16–23)

• After the Battle (Judg 7:24–25)

• Postscript of the Battle (Judg 8:1–3)

• Unit 8 Quiz

Unit 9: Aftermath of Battle (Judg 8:4–28)

• Structure and Themes of the Section

• Gideon and the Succothites (Judg 8:4–9)

• Capture and Cruelty (Judg 8:10–17)

• Gideon’s Personal Vendetta (Judg 8:18–21)

• Gideon Becomes a Problem (Judg 8:22–27)

• Gideon’s Legacy

• Unit 9 Quiz

Unit 10: Gideon’s Legacy (Judg 8:28–35)

• Personal and Spiritual Legacy

• Marks of Israel’s Spiritual Decline

• Theological Significance of the Gideon Narrative

• Unit 10 Quiz

Unit 11: Gideon’s Dynastic Legacy: Abimelech (Judg 9:1–57)

• Overview of the Abimelech Account

• Abimelech Seizes the Throne (Judg 9:1–6)

• Jotham’s Preamble (Judg 9:7)

• Jotham’s Fable (Judg 9:8–15)

• The Evil Spirit (Judg 9:22–25)

• Conspiracy of Gaal (Judg 9:26–29)

• Defeat of Shechem (Judg 9:42–49)

• Death of Abimelech (Judg 9:50–55)

• The Epilogue (Judg 9:56—57)

• Unit 11 Quiz

Unit 12: The Minor Governors (Judg 10:1–5)

• The Significance of the Minor Governors

• Five Minor Judges (Judg 10:1–5)

• Unit 12 Quiz

Midterm Exam

Unit 13: Jephthah (Judg 10:6–12:7)

• Overview of the Jephthah Account

• Connections with Earlier Judges

• Israel’s Canaanization and God’s Anger (Judg 10:6–9)

• Israel’s Cry and God’s Response (Judg 10:10–14)

• The People’s Response (Judg 10:15–16)

• Israel’s Agent of Deliverance (Judg 10:17–18)

• A Candidate Emerges (Judg 11:1–3)

• Jephthah’s Response (Judg 11:4–11)

• Unit 13 Quiz

Unit 14: Jephthah’s Victory and Vow (Judg 11:12–12:7)

• Negotiations (Judg 11:12–28)

• Jephthah’s Masterful Speech (Judg 11:14–28)

• Tarnished Victory (Judg 11:29–33)

• Jephthah’s Vow (Judg 11:30–31)

• Ancient Child Sacrifice

• Joy and Tragedy (Judg 11:34–35)

• A Daughter’s Honor (Judg 11:36–40)

• A Closer Look at Jephthah’s Vow

• Negotiations with Ephraim (Judg 12:1–3)

• Civil War (Judg 12:4–7)

• Considering Jephthah and Israel

• Concluding Thoughts about the Jephthah Cycle

• Unit 14 Quiz

Unit 15: Samson and the Philistines (Judg 13:1–16:31)

• The Paradigm Breaks Down

• The Structure of the Samson Cycle

• The Philistines (Judg 13:1)

• Birth and Call Narrative (Judg 13:2–24)

• Manoah’s Wife and the Nazirite Vow (Judg 13:2–5)

• The Wife’s Report (Judg 13:6–7)

• Manoah’s Three Exchanges (Judg 13:8–16)

• Third and Fourth Exchanges (Judg 13:17–19)

• Two Responses to Wonder (Judg 13:20–23)

• The Promise Fulfilled (Judg 13:24)

• Summary of Judges 13

• Unit 15 Quiz

Unit 16: Samson’s Marriage (Judg 13:25–14:20)

• Overview of the Story of Samson’s Marriage

• A Lion and a Wife (Judg 13:25–14:10a)

• Wedding Preparations (Judg 14:10b–11)

• Samson’s Riddle (Judg 14:12–14)

• The Riddle Solved (Judg 14:15–18)

• The Theological Climax (Judg 14:19–20)

• Unit 16 Quiz

Unit 17: Samson Fights the Philistines (Judg 15)

• Overview and Introduction to Judges 15

• Fiery Jackals (Judg 15:4–5)

• Samson’s Philistine Ethic (Judg 15:6–13)

• A Deadly Jawbone (Judg 15:14–15)

• Celebration and Thirst (Judg 15:16–19a)

• Samson’s Selfishness (Judg 15:19b–20)

• Unit 17 Quiz

Unit 18: Samson in Gaza (Judg 16)

• Overview of Judges 16

• Key Questions (Judg 16:1–3)

• Purpose of the Narrative Fragment (Judg 16:1–3)

• Key Themes (Judg 16:1–31)

• The Sorek Valley (Judg 16:4–5)

• Delilah (Judg 16:4–5)

• Delilah’s First Attempt (Judg 16:6–9)

• Delilah’s Further Attempts (Judg 16:10–16)

• The Betrayal (Judg 16:17–20)

• The Tragic Climax (Judg 16:20–22)

• A Hair of Hope (Judg 16:22)

• In Praise of Dagon (Judg 16:23–24)

• The Philistines’ Song of Praise (Judg 16:24)

• Samson’s Final Prayer (Judg 16:25–28)

• The Last Act (Judg 16:29–31)

• Theological and Practical Implications of the Samson Cycle

• Unit 18 Quiz

Unit 19: The Climax of the Book (Judg 17–21)

• Overview of the Book’s Climax

• Absence of a King (Judg 17:6)

• Corruption of a Household (Judg 17:1–6)

• Corruption of the Priesthood (Judg 17:7–8)

• A Conversation between Micah and the Levite (Judg 17:8–13)

• Unit 19 Quiz

Unit 20: The Danite Mission (Judg 18)

• Overview of Judges 18

• A Parody of Sorts (Judg 18:1)

• Good Questions, Bad Answers (Judg 18:2–3)

• Requesting an Oracle (Judg 18:4–6)

• Peaceful Laish (Judg 18:7–10)

• On the March (Judg 18:11–20)

• Micah’s Empty Protest (Judg 18:21–26)

• The New Cult (Judg 18:27–31)

• Unit 20 Quiz

Unit 21: A Levite’s Misstep (Judg 19:1–28)

• Overview of Judges 19–21

• Anonymity and Absence in Judges 19–21

• Principal Characters (Judg 19:1–9)

• Setting the Stage (Judg 19:10–15)

• Social Outrage (Judg 19:16–21)

• Moral Outrage (Judg 19:22–23)

• The Gang Rape (Judg 19:24–26)

• The Journey Home (Judg 19:27–28)

• Theological and Practical Implications of Judges 19

• Unit 21 Quiz

Unit 22: Civil War in Israel (Judg 19:29–20:48)

• Overview of Judges 20

• The Nation at War (Judg 20:1–7)

• Preparing for War (Judg 20:8–17)

• The Rhythm of Battle (Judg 20:18–28)

• The Final Battle (Judg 20:29–48)

• Theological and Practical Implications of Judges 20

• Unit 22 Quiz

Unit 23: Saving Benjamin (Judg 21)

• Overview of Judges 21

• The Silence of God (Judg 21:3–4)

• A Legal Loophole (Judg 21:5–7)

• Second Holy War (Judg 21:8–11)

• An Insufficient Solution (Judg 21:12–18)

• The Second Solution (Judg 21:19–22)

• Implementing the Plan (Judg 21:23–25)

• Social and Historical Implications of Judges 21

• Theological Implications of Judges 21

• Unit 23 Quiz

Conclusion

Details

• Title: Mobile Ed: OT317 Judges

• Instructor: Daniel I. Block

• Publisher: Lexham Press

• Publication Date: 2016

• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education

• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources

• Courses: 1

• Video Hours: 18