The Book of Judges
Judges recounts Israel's repeated cycle of sin, oppression and deliverance through leaders like Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah and Samson — showing the moral chaos that comes when 'there was no king in Israel.'
- Testament
- Old (21 chapters)
- Type
- History
- Date
- Events span the period between Joshua's death (≈ 1370 BC) and the rise of Saul (≈ 1050 BC).
The cycle of apostasy
Sin → oppression by an enemy → cry to God → deliverance by a judge → peace → forgetting → sin again. The cycle repeats six times, growing darker each turn. By the end, Israel is fighting itself.
Imperfect deliverers
Judges' heroes are uneven — Gideon's faith and compromise, Samson's strength and self-destruction, Jephthah's vow and tragedy. The book makes clear that the answer to Israel's chaos is not a human deliverer but a true king.
Key verses (KJV)
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” — Judges 21:25 (KJV)
“Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song.” — Judges 5:12 (KJV)
“And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said...” — Judges 6:36 (KJV)
How to read Judges
Each judge's story stands on its own — read Deborah (4-5), Gideon (6-8) and Samson (13-16) as standalone narratives. The closing chapters (17-21) are bleak; read them once to feel the book's diagnosis of a leaderless people.
Read Judges on your iPhone
Read the full book of Judges in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.
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From the blog
Frequently asked questions
What is the Book of Judges about?
Judges is a book of History, running to 21 chapters. Its main threads: The cycle of apostasy; Imperfect deliverers.
Who wrote the Book of Judges?
Traditionally Samuel; modern scholars see it as a Deuteronomistic compilation reaching final form in the exile.
Where does Judges come in the Bible?
Judges is one of the 39 books of the Old Testament in the Protestant canon, grouped with the History books. You can walk the canon in order using the previous and next links on this page.