What is a Judge?
- A leader or ruler who was divinely appointed to deliver Israel from oppression and to administer justice
- Military leadership, judicial authority, and spiritual guidance
- Raised by God during times of crisis to lead the Israelites against their enemies and to bring them back to faithfulness to the covenant
| Name | Years Judged | Tribe | Key Information | References | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua | 1398-1380 BC | Ephriaim | •Lead the Israelites into the Promise Land •92 when became a Judge •Died at 110 | Book of Joshua | ||
| Othniel | 1350-1310 BC | Judah | •Conquered the city of Debir •Spirit of the Lord came upon him •Defeated the king of Mesopotamia | •Joshua 15:17,19 •1 Chronicles 4:13 •Judges 3:9-11 | ||
| Ehud | 1292 to 1212 BC | Benjamin | •A left-handed man •Killed king Eglon the Moabite by strapping knife to his right side so the guards wouldn’t catch it | •Judges 3:13-16, 29,30 | ||
| Shamgar | ? | Naphtali? | •Struck down 600 Philistines with an oxgoad | •Judges 3:31 | ||
| Deborah | 1192 to 1152 BC | Ephraim | •Defeated the King of Canaan •Shamed the men who wouldn’t take leadership | •Judges 4:3-9; 5:6-7 | ||
| Barak | 1192 to 1152 BC | Naphtali | •Was alongside Deborah against the Canaanites | •Judges 4:3-9; 5:6-7 | ||
| Gideon | 1145 to 1105 BC | Manasseh | •The greatest of Israel •Angel of the Lord speaks to Gideon…realizes it was the Lord Himself •Belonged to an undistinguished family of the Abiezrites •He thought he was unfit for God’s service | •Judges 6:11-8:32 | ||
| Tola | 1102 to 1079 BC | Issachar | •Led for 23 years | •Judges 10:1-2 | ||
| Jair | 1079 to 1057 BC | Manasseh | •Led 22 years •Had 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys, controlled 30 towns in Gilead | •Judges 10:3-5 | ||
| Jephthah | 1087 to 1081 BC | Manasseh | •Served for 6 years •Born of a prostitute •A mighty warrior •Driven away as an adult because he was considered illegitimate child •Lived among a gang of scoundrels | •Judges 11:1-12:7 | ||
| Ibsan | 1081 to 1074 BC | Judah or Zebulun | •Had 30 sons and 30 daughters •Led Israel for 7 years •Buried in Bethlehem | •Judges 12:8-10 | ||
| Elon | 1074 to 1064 BC | Zebulun | •Led Israel for 10 years | •Judges 12:11-12 | ||
| Abdon | 1064 to 1056 BC | Ephraim | •Had 40 sons and 30 grandsons who rode 70 donkeys | •Judges 12:13-15 | ||
| Samson | 1085 to 1065 BC | Dan | •Great physical strength •Judge for 20 years •A Nazarite who took the Nazarite vow (No drunkness, can’t touch anything dead and can’t cut your hair) •Fought the Philistines •Broke his vow and lost his strength •Much much more | •Judges 13:2-22; 14:6-12; 15-13; 16:1-23 •Numbers 6:3-6 •Hebrews 11:32 | ||
| Eli | 1153 to 1113 BC | Levi | •Some don’t consider him a Judge •Blessed Samuel’s mother •2 wicked sons | •1 Samuel 1:1-3, 17, 24-28; 2:12-35; 3:10, 19-21; 4:3, 10, 17-18 | ||
| Samuel | 1085 to 1053 BC | Levi | •His mother Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord •Samuel heard the Lord call to him in the night •Had 2 sons, Joel and Abijah •Anointed Saul as the first King of Israel then anointed David as the successor | •1 Samuel •Psalm 99:6 •Jeremiah 15:1 •Acts 13:20 |