Rule by Judges

The Twelve Tribes of Israel are now firmly established in Canaan, each with its own parcel of land thanks to Joshua. There was no central ruler, probably due to their unhappy experiences under an all-powerful Pharoah.   Instead, the tribes were ruled by military leaders who were called “Judges”—the word having a different meaning than as we use it today; more aptly we’d consider them tribal chieftains. 

This set-up didn’t last very long, historically speaking; only about 200 years between 1200 and 1000 BC. During this period, we see a strong pattern: (1) the Israelites would start worshiping other gods; (2) God would bring the hammer down through foreign oppression; (3) the people would beg God for forgiveness, and (4) God would raise up a Judge to deliver them. Thus, this era saw war after war after war.

But nonetheless, there were some notable Judges during this period, perhaps the most notable being Deborah. Under Mosaic law, women were not involved in public religious life and were generally prohibited from having authority over men, but nevertheless we are told that Deborah ruled as a Judge and she is credited with mobilizing an army to conquer the Canaanite army and bring about 40 years of peace. (Judges Chapter 4)

Samson was also a judge—although he was perhaps best known for falling in love with Delilah, who was bribed by the Philistines to betray him. She discovered that the secret to his great strength was in his hair, and so one night she cut it off so that the Philistine army could conquer his tribe. He was then blinded and enslaved, but he wound-up having the last laugh because when his hair grew back, he pulled down the pillars of the amphitheater by his chains, killing himself and many Philistines in the process. (Judges Chapter 16)

Gideon was another unlikely hero, called by God to defeat the Midianites who had murdered his brother.   He was hiding in a winepress when an angel greeted him, “The Lord is with you, O Champion.” Gideon respectfully suggested that perhaps the angel had the wrong guy. (Judges 6:11-15)

The moral and spiritual chaos of this period is reflected in the last sentence of the Book of Judges: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” (Judges 21:25) The stage is therefore set for the people to demand a unifying king in the next book, 1 Samuel. (Note: some Books in the Bible are divided into two separate Books, so that there is a “First book of Samuel” designated 1 Samuel, and a “Second Book of Samuel” designated 2 Samuel.)

Next: Saul and David.