Judges, Ruth: Revised Edition (The NIV Application Commentary)

by K. Lawson Younger

THE MAIN SECTION OF JUDGES (3:7–16:31) contains six major judge stories built around a basic literary cycle: Othniel (3:7–11), Ehud (3:12–30), Deborah and Barak (4:1–5:31), Gideon and Abimelek (6:1–9:57), Jephthah (10:6–12:7), and Samson (13:1–16:31). In the two center cycles there is a pairing of the judge with another person: Deborah (the prophetess, see 4:4) and Barak (the judge); Gideon (the judge) and Abimelek (the “king”). This main section also contains interspersed stories of minor or non-cyclical judges: Shamgar (3:31), Tola (10:1–2), Jair (10:3–5), Ibzan (12:8–10), Elon (12:11–12), and Abdon (12:13–15). These are interspersed among the major judge stories, occurring in a one-two-three sequence: (1) Shamgar, (2) Tola and Jair, (3) Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon. However, this main section (3:7–16:31) is not simply an anthology of judge stories and summary notices but a long and complex narrative movement. The tendency to study and preach the major/cyclical judges in isolation from the overarching message of the cycles section has created many false impressions about these characters. Often these judges are held up as models that Christians should emulate.59 But this is not the primary message that the book is communicating.60 Samson and Gideon are two clear examples. Samson is by far the best known of all the judges. Sermons and Sunday school lessons often concentrate on his various heroic deeds as positive attributes. But the picture from the context—especially when the ...