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Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16

After Joshua died, the tribes of Israel continued their conquest of Canaan. Some of the tribes failed to drive out all the inhabitants of Canaan as they had been commanded. Some Israelites quickly forsook the Lord by worshipping the false gods of the Canaanites, and the Lord removed His protection from them. Despite the Israelites’ disobedience, the Lord heard their cries when they humbled themselves, and He raised up judges to deliver them from their enemies. One of these judges was Deborah, whose faith inspired the Israelites to rely on the Lord. Later the Lord called upon Gideon to deliver Israel. Gideon and his army of 300 men defeated a vast army of Midianites by relying on the Lord. Samson, another judge, was blessed with tremendous physical strength but failed to fulfill his divine calling because of selfish and unrighteous choices.

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Background and Context

What is the book of Judges?

The book of Judges relates the history of the Israelites after they settled in the land of Canaan and after Joshua died. It is named after the various leaders in the book who are called “judges.” The book mentions 12 judges who ruled with various degrees of effectiveness.

In Judges we learn that because the children of Israel failed to remove wicked influences from the promised land, they became entangled in sin and were then afflicted and often conquered by their enemies. After they cried unto the Lord for help, He sent judges to deliver them. However, the Israelites soon returned to their sins. This pattern is repeated multiple times throughout the book.

illustration of the cycle of sin and deliverance in the book of Judges

The book of Judges can be divided into three segments:

Judges 1:1–3:6: Israel’s continued efforts to conquer and settle the promised land; introduction to the cycle of sin and deliverance.
Judges 3:7–16:31: Accounts of the 12 judges.
Judges 17–21: Two final episodes that highlight Israel’s tendency to fall into idolatry and lawlessness.

Judges 2:11–15; 3:5–7

What were some of the false gods of the Canaanites?

When the Lord gathered the children of Israel at Mount Sinai in the days of Moses, He commanded them to worship only Him as God. He repeatedly warned the Israelites that if they did not drive out the Canaanites when they entered the promised land, the Canaanites would influence many to worship their false gods. When the Israelites failed to obey this command, the Lord declared that the Canaanite gods would “be a snare” unto them. Jehovah’s words began to be fulfilled when the next generation of Israelites forsook their covenant relationship with Him “and served Baal and Ashtaroth.”

Baal is frequently mentioned throughout the Old Testament and was associated with lightning, rain, and fertility. Ashtoreth (or Astarte)—the singular form of Ashtaroth—was regarded by the Canaanites as Baal’s female counterpart. At times, the terms Baal (and its plural form Baalim) and Ashtaroth are used in the Old Testament to refer more generally to male and female false deities. Other prominent false gods in Canaanite culture included El, the chief Canaanite god, and Athirat (more commonly Asherah—rendered as “grove” in the King James Version), considered by the Canaanites to be the mother of the gods and female companion of El.

The Canaanites believed their gods held power over many aspects of life that were also significant to the Israelites, such as rain, warfare, fertility, and life itself. The Canaanites also worshipped their gods in ways that would have felt familiar to the Israelites, including through prayer, holy days, temples, priests, sacrifice, and incense. However, the worship of Canaanite gods was also associated with repulsive behaviors. Through Moses the Lord taught, “Every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.”

Judges 2:18

What are we to understand from the phrase “it repented the Lord”?

See “Genesis 6:6. What are we to understand from the phrase ‘it repented the Lord’?”

Judges 4:4

What does it mean that Deborah was a prophetess?

Deborah, described as a prophetess, is the only female judge mentioned in the Old Testament. A prophetess is “a woman who has received a testimony of Jesus and enjoys the spirit of revelation.” The scriptures record many instances of women experiencing the spirit of revelation, with some referred to as prophetesses.

Deborah walking with the Israelite army — Deborah, by Kathleen Peterson

Judges 6:11–24

Was it appropriate for Gideon to ask God for a sign?

There is a difference between sincerely seeking confirmation from God with real intent and demanding a sign from Him without faith. In Gideon’s case, he sought for a sign in faith. President Dallin H. Oaks taught that “signs are not acceptable to produce conversions, but they are acceptable—even promised—to confirm them.” He also observed, “The Old Testament contains memorable examples of miracles that amounted to signs. … Gideon asked for and received a sign that he was chosen to deliver Israel.”

Judges 6:25–32

What does Jerubbaal mean?

Gideon had obeyed the Lord’s command to tear down the altar of Baal, cut down the “grove” (an Asherah pole, used to represent the fertility goddess Asherah), and replace them with an altar dedicated to Jehovah. When the men of the city sought to kill Gideon for his actions, his father, Joash, argued that if Baal were truly a god, he should be capable of defending himself. To emphasize this point, Joash called Gideon “Jerubbaal,” which can mean “let Baal plead” or “let Baal contend.”

Judges 7:16–25

What might the Israelites’ battle cry have meant?

With their hands occupied by horns and lamps, all Gideon’s army could do was shout, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” This battle cry likely emphasized their trust in the Lord and His chosen leader to deliver them from the Midianites.

Gideon blowing a horn and holding a lamp — Illustration of Gideon and his army of 300 men blowing horns and holding lamps, © Lifeway Collection/licensed from goodsalt.com

Judges 8:24–27

Why did Gideon create a golden ephod?

An ephod was part of a high priest’s clothing and was occasionally used by some as a means to seek God’s direction. In making an ephod from the spoils of war, Gideon may have intended to make a fitting memorial honoring God’s part in the victory. However, the Israelites eventually treated it like an idol.

Judges 13:2–5

What was a Nazarite?

The term Nazarite comes from a Hebrew word referring to someone who is consecrated, devoted, or dedicated through the making of a vow. The Nazarite vow could be temporary or a lifetime commitment. The vow included abstaining from all things produced from a grapevine, not cutting one’s hair, and avoiding contact with a dead body. A parent could choose to dedicate a child to God as a Nazarite, and the child could then decide to continue the vow as they became an adult.

Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14

What does it mean that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson?

Today when we speak of a person having the Spirit of the Lord, we are usually referring to someone who is faithful and obedient and therefore worthy of the Holy Ghost’s influence. However, in the account of Samson, this phrase seems to acknowledge only his remarkable physical strength, which came as a gift from God.

Despite Samson’s great strength, which God gave to help him fulfill his mission to deliver Israel, Samson’s focus frequently drifted toward fulfilling immoral and selfish desires. Sister Ann M. Dibb, formerly of the Young Women General Presidency, observed, “Samson was born with great potential. His mother was promised, ‘He shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines’ [Judges 13:5]. But as Samson grew, he looked more to the world’s temptations than to God’s direction. He made choices because they ‘pleaseth [him] well’ [Judges 14:3] rather than because those choices were right.”

Judges 16:17–22

What role did Samson’s hair play in his strength?

Samson’s hair was not the source of his strength. Rather, it was the symbol of his covenant relationship with God, who was the source of Samson’s strength. Samson lost both his physical and spiritual strength because he violated his covenants with God, including those that applied specifically to Nazarites.

Judges 16:23–31

Why might God have strengthened Samson once again?

After the Philistines captured and tortured Samson, they gave glory to their false god Dagon, saying, “Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.” When Samson was brought between two pillars of Dagon’s temple, he asked the Lord to give him strength so he could punish his enemies. Even though Samson’s request to the Lord was self-centered, it is possible that the Lord granted it to demonstrate His power over Dagon.