Judges
The judges of Israel were charismatic military deliverers raised by God during the period between Joshua's death and Saul's coronation (c. 1200-1050 BC). They were empowered by the Spirit of God to rescue Israel from oppressors (Judg. 2:16-18) and were neither hereditary rulers nor permanent governors — their authority was locally recognized and functionally limited to the crisis at hand. The Hebrew shofet encompasses both military leadership and judicial adjudication of disputes (as illustrated by Deborah, who held court under her palm tree — Judg. 4:4-5).
The Book of Judges is organized around a repeating theological cycle: Israel's apostasy to Canaanite deities → divine punishment through oppression → Israel's cry for help → God's raising of a deliverer → rest → relapse into apostasy and repetition of the cycle. The major judges receive extended narratives: Othniel, Ehud, Deborah and Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. Twelve minor judges are listed with brief notices only. The book's trajectory is one of progressive moral and spiritual deterioration, culminating in the civil war of chapters 19-21 and the refrain 'everyone did what was right in his own eyes' (Judg. 17:6; 21:25). Hebrews 11:32-34 names Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah among the heroes of faith.
The judges of Israel
The deliverers raised up in the book of Judges, followed by Eli and Samuel who judged Israel before the monarchy:
Othniel — the first judge, who defeated Cushan-rishathaim
Ehud — the left-handed judge who slew Eglon of Moab
Shamgar — who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad
Deborah — the prophetess who judged Israel and summoned Barak
Barak — who with Deborah routed Sisera’s army
Gideon — who with three hundred men routed Midian
Tola — who judged Israel twenty-three years
Jair — the Gileadite who judged twenty-two years
Jephthah — the Gileadite who defeated Ammon and made a rash vow
Ibzan — of Bethlehem, who judged seven years
Elon — the Zebulunite who judged ten years
Abdon — who judged eight years
Samson — the Nazirite of great strength who fought the Philistines
Eli — the priest who judged Israel and raised Samuel
Samuel — the last judge, who anointed the first kings