Judges in the Old Testament is a topic that has been widely debated. Many Christians believe that judges were human beings who were appointed by God to rule over Israel. Others believe that judges were supernatural beings who were sent by God to help the Israelites fight their enemies. In this article we’ll discuss who are the 12 judges in the book of judges.
The truth is that judges were both human and supernatural beings. They had human bodies, but they also had special abilities that made them different from other people. These abilities included super-strength, super-speed, and the ability to read minds. You’ll also see the role of judges in the bible in this article.
Some Biblical scholars argue that these superhuman abilities were given to judges by God as a reward for their good deeds during their lifetime. But others contend that these powers were not rewards—they were punishments!
Is Judges In The Old Testament
Book of Judges, a book of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) that, along with Deuteronomy, Joshua, I and II Samuel, and I and II Kings, belongs to a specific historical tradition (Deuteronomic history) that was first committed to writing about 550 BCE, during the Babylonian Exile. (The traditional view that the book was written by the prophet Samuel in about the 11th century BCE is rejected by most biblical scholars.) The judges to whom the title refers were charismatic leaders who delivered Israel from a succession of foreign dominations after their conquest of Canaan, the Promised Land.
The introduction is an account of the conquest of Canaan (1:1–2:5) and a characterization of the period of the judges (2:6–3:6). The main body of the book consists of narratives about the judges. The book concludes with supplements about the migration of the tribe of Dan to the north (chapters 17–18) and about the sins of the Benjaminites (chapters 19–21).
Because the author was an exile in Babylonia, foreign domination was a matter of deep concern. The retelling of Israel’s experiences during the period of the judges is thus coloured by the experiences of the present. The historian emphasized that Israel’s subjugation to foreign powers and its loss of freedom and prosperity were caused by the people’s worship of Canaanite gods. Recurring throughout the book is the stereotyped formula: “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord…and he sold them into the hand of….” After each period of subjection, the historian introduces another formula: “But when the people of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people.” Clearly, the historian schematized the accounts of the judges according to an apostasy–deliverance pattern. This arrangement of historical materials was designed to influence a course of action for the deliverance of the Israelites held captive in Babylonia. In addition to the apostasy–deliverance schema, the historian takes the history of individual tribes and gives an “all Israel” scope. This technique likewise reflects the author’s exilic perspective, for the deliverance of all Israel, he believes, is possible if the people return to their worship of Yahweh.
Gideon, also spelled Gedeon, also called Jerubbaal, or Jerobaal, a judge and hero-liberator of Israel whose deeds are described in the Book of Judges. The author apparently juxtaposed two traditional accounts from his sources in order to emphasize Israel’s monotheism and its duty to destroy idolatry. Accordingly, in one account Gideon led his clansmen of the tribe of Manasseh in slaying the Midianites, a horde of desert raiders; but, influenced by the cult of his adversaries, he fashioned an idolatrous image from the booty and induced Israel into immorality. In the parallel version he replaced the idol and altar of the local deity Baal with the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel, who consequently inspired Gideon and his clan to destroy the Midianites and their chiefs as a sign of Yahweh’s supremacy over Baal. The story is also important for showing the development of a monarchy in Israel under Gideon’s son Abimelech.
Deuteronomist, (D), one of the supposed sources of a portion of the Hebrew canon known as the Pentateuch, in particular, the source of the book of Deuteronomy, as well as of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. (The other sources are the Yahwist [J], the Elohist [E], and the Priestly code [P].) D uses a distinctive vocabulary and style of exhortation to call for Israel’s conformity with Yahweh’s Covenant laws and to stress Yahweh’s election of Israel as his special people. See also Biblical Literature: Old Testament literature.
Who Are The 12 Judges In The Book Of Judges
So who were the judges? The book of Judges lists twelve:
Othniel
Ehud
Shamgar
Deborah
Gideon
Tola
Jair
Jephthah
Ibzan
Elon
Abdon
Samson
Role Of Judges In The Bible
Their primary roles were military and judicial at the time because that was what was required. They were not, however, on the same level as a king. When the institution of Judges was established in the Bible, it was distinct from the institution of King.
Their primary mission was to protect the Israelite people from their enemies, eliminate or expel those who oppressed them, and establish a time of restoration and peace in the land. After delivering the verdict, little is said about the judges’ subsequent leadership of the country.