Judges

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term sasa (士師) renders the Hebrew shophetim, which derives from a word meaning "to judge" or "to govern." The judges of the Bible were less courtroom magistrates than leaders whom God raised up to deliver the people from foreign oppression and who then governed for a period of time. English Bibles call the book "Judges." In the Protestant Old Testament it is a historical book placed after Joshua and before Ruth; in the Jewish canon it belongs to the Former Prophets.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Book of Judges falls into three main sections.

• Introduction (1:1–3:6): Describes how the conquest of Canaan was never fully completed and how Israel came to live among the Canaanites.
• Stories of the judges (3:7–16:31): Presents Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah (together with Barak), Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. A recurring cycle unfolds: the people serve idols, are oppressed by foreign nations, cry out to God, and are delivered through a judge.
• Appendix (chapters 17–21): Recounts Micah's idol and the migration of the tribe of Dan, as well as the incident of the Levite's concubine and the ensuing civil war with the tribe of Benjamin. The verse "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25) serves as the book's conclusion.

Jewish tradition regarded Samuel as the author, but in modern scholarship a well-known view holds that the book is part of a historical work shaped by the theology of Deuteronomy. Scholars differ in their estimates of the precise dates of the period of the judges.

Use in the Korean Church

In Korean churches, the story of Gideon defeating Midian with three hundred men (Judges 7) is frequently used in sermons and Sunday school lessons. The story of Samson and Delilah is also widely known. In the New Testament, Hebrews 11:32 names Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah among the heroes of faith. For this reason, many sermons address both the failings and the faith of the judges.

The use of the text varies by denomination and theological orientation. In Reformed circles, a redemptive-historical reading is common, interpreting the repeated failures and the phrase "there was no king" as part of a trajectory that anticipates the true King, Jesus Christ. The prophetess Deborah (chapters 4–5) is often mentioned in discussions of the ordination of women. Supporters of women's ordination cite her as a biblical precedent for female leadership, while opponents regard her as an exceptional case belonging to a particular era. Jephthah's vow (chapter 11) is frequently cited as a warning against rash vows.