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Home , Abimelech (Judges)

Understanding the *

In Hebrew the title of the book is Shophetim, which means “judges.” The book is set during the period of the settlement of Canaan. It was based on old stories gathered and edited at a later date. In the Hebrew scriptures called the TANAKH, Judges is the second book of the Former Prophets coming after . It describes the exploits of various tribal leaders and heroes during the period the settlement in Canaan between the entry into the Promised Land and the rise of the Monarchy under the Prophet . The author of judges is unknown, but Chapters 1-8 and 10- 16 may have been compiled by the Deuteronomists from old oral traditions possibly from the Northern tribes. Chapters 9 and 17-20 may have been added by a post-exilic editor known as the “R” source or the redactor. The Judges account of the settlement shows that it took far longer and involved more episodes than the suggests. The key themes of Judges are:

• The Importance of obedience to God • Abandoning God leads to punishment • God’s mercy upon repentance

In this regard, Joshua deals with three thematic segments:

1. Hostile Threats 2. Judges as Leaders 3. The Deuteronomistic View of History

This week for Sunday, May 21, 2017, we will complete Judges Chapters 9-12 dealing with:

• Abimelech, son of , kills his brothers to become king (Chapter 9 • and are judges (Chapter 10) • Jephtah defeats the Ammonites (Chapters 10-12:7) • , , and judge Israel (Chapters 12:8-15)

We will also take up Judges Chapters 13-21 dealing with:

• defeats the Philistines and destroyes their temple after they cut his hair and blind him (Chapters 13-16 • Epilogue (Chapters 17-21)

*John Bowker. The Complete Bible Handbook: an Illustrated Companion. DK Publishing. New York 1998

Judges Study Questions

JUDGES 9

1. Who is Abimelech, where does he go, what does he ask and why? (Judges 9:1-2)

2. What is the answer given to Abimelech, what is he given, what does he do with it? (Judges 9:3-5) Judges Page | 2

3. How many people does he kill, and who is left? (Judges 9:5)

4. What do the men of do with Abimelech, where and what is the significance of this place? (Judges 9:6) (Genesis 12:6-7)

5. What does Jothan do, and what is the meaning of his parable? (Judges 9:7-15)

6. What challenge does Jothan issue, and what does he do afterward? (Judges 9:16-21)

7. What happens after three years of Abimelech’s reign, and what is the reason? (Judges 9:22-24)

8. Who challenges Abimelech? (Judges 9:25-29)

9. What does the reference in Judges 9:28 pertain to? (Genesis 34)

10. What is Abimelech’s response to the challenge? (Judges 9:30-49)

11. What is Abimelech’s end? (Judges 9:50-57)

12. How does this relate to what was spoken by Jothan in Judges 9:7-16)

JUDGES 10

1. Who next judges Israel, for how long and from which tribe is he? (Judges 10:1-2)

2. Who is Israel’s next judge, from which tribe, and for how long? (Judges 10:3-5)

3. Into whose hands does the Lord now sell the children of Israel and for how long? (Judges 10:6-8)

4. On which side of the Jordan is this oppression taking place, and which tribes are affected by it? (Judges 10:8-9)

5. What is the Lord’s response to the cry of the people? (Judges 10:10-14)

6. What drastic action do the children of Israel take in reaction to the Lord’s position? (Judges 10:15-16)

7. For what are the people of this place waiting? (Judges 10:17-18)

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JUDGES 11

1. Whom does God next call to be a judge, and what is peculiar about his parentage? (Judges 11:1)

2. What is the reaction of ’s brothers and where does he wind up? (Judges 11:2-3)

3. Who makes war with Israel, and who do the elders send for? (Judges 11:4-6)

4. What is his response to their call, and what do they swear to do if he will return? (Judges 11:7-11)

5. What emissary does Jephthah send to Ammon, and what is Ammon’s reply? (Judges 11:12-13)

6. What does Jephthah relate in his answer, and to what does he credit Israel’s possession of the land? (Judges 11:14-23)

7. What question does Jephthah put to Ammon, and what does it mean? (Judges 11:24)

8. What further challenge does Jephthah make to Ammon? (Judges 11:25-28)

9. What moves Jephthah, where does he go, and what vow does he make to the Lord? (Judges 11:29-31)

10. Who comes from Jephthah’s house to greet him after his victory over Ammon, and what is his reaction? (Judges 11:32-35)

11. What is his daughter’s response to this dilemma, and what does Jephthah do? (Judges 11:36-40)

JUDGES 12

1. Who reacts to the passage of Jephthah’s passage through their territory, and what form does this reaction take? (Judges 12:1)

2. What is Jephthah’s explanation, and to what does he credit his actions? (Judges 12:2-3)

3. In their pursuit of the Ephramites, what device do the Gileadites use to trap the fleeing Ephramites, and how many are killed as a result? (Judges 12:4-6)

4. How long does Jephthah judge Israel, and who succeeds him? (Judges 12:7-15)

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JUDGES 13

1. Into whose hands does the Lord deliver Israel when they do evil this time? (Judges 13:1)

2. To whom does the Angel of the Lord appear, in which tribe? (Judges 13:2)

3. What does the Angel of the Lord tell the woman, what does the Angel order her not to do, and from whence does this restriction come? (Judges 13:3-5) (Numbers 6)

4. What does Manoah do in response to what his wife tells him, and what does the Lord do? (Judges 13:6-11)

5. What does Manoah offer to do for the Angel of the Lord, and what is the Angel’s reply? (Judges 13:12-16)

6. What does Manoah ask of the Angel of the Lord, and what is the Angel’s reply? (Judges 13:18)

7. What does the Angel of the Lord do when the kid is offered, and why a kid? (Judges 13:19-20) (Leviticus 3)

8. What is Manoah’s fear when he realizes that they have seen the Lord, and what is his wife’s response? (Judges 13:21-23)

9. What comes to pass because of these things? (Judges 13:24-25)

JUDGES 14

1. What does Samson ask, and what is the response of his parents? (Judges 14:1-3)

2. What is it that Samson’s parents are unaware of in his request, and what is the purpose? (Judges 14:4)

3. What encounter does Samson have on his way to Timmnath, what does he do, and who does he tell about it? (Judges 14:6)

4. What does Samson discover when he returns to Timmnath, who does he share it with, and what does he tell them about it? (Judges 14:7-9)

5. What does Samson ask at his wedding party, and what is the proposition? (Judges 14:10- 14)

6. How do Samson’s friends get the answer? (Judges 14:15-18)

7. What is Samson’s response to the trick played on him, what does he do to fulfill his part of the bargain and what is done with his wife? (Judges 14:18-20 Judges Page | 5

JUDGES 15

1. What is Samson told, by whom, when he returns to his wife, and what is he offered instead? (Judges 15:1-2)

2. What is Samson’s reply to what he is told, and what does he do in revenge? (Judges 15:3- 5)

3. What is the reaction of the Philistines to this act, and how does Samson respond? (Judges 15:1-8)

4. What do the Philistines then do, how do the men of Judah respond, what do they attempt to do and how many of them attempt to do it? (Judges 15:9-12)

5. What is Samson’s request, and what is done? (Judges 15:13)

6. What does Samson do, and what does he call the place where it is done? (Judges 15:14- 17)

7. What is Samson’s complaint to the Lord and what does the Lord do, and what is the place called? (Judges 15:18-19)

8. How long does Samson judge Israel? (Judges 15:20)

JUDGES 16

1. Where does Samson go next, what does he do? (Judges 16:1-3)

2. Where does Samson go next, to whom, and who approaches her to entrap Samson? (Judges 16:4-5)

3. What does Delilah ask Samson, what does he tell her, and what happens? (Judges 16:6-9)

4. What is Delilah’s reaction, what does Samson tell her and what happens next? (Judges 16:10-12)

5. What does Samson next tell Delilah and what happens? (Judges 16:13-14)

6. What impact does Delilah's persistence eventually have on Samson, and what is the result? (Judges 16:15-21)

7. What eventually happened to cause Samson to regain his strength and how does he trap the Philistines? (Judges 16:22-31)

8. Is there a lesson to be derived from Samson’s experience, and if so, what is it? Judges Page | 6

JUDGES 17

1. What was taken, by whom from whom and what was it to be used for? (Judges 17:1-3)

2. What is done with the silver when it is restored, what is created and what does the man do? (Judges 17:4-5)

3. Who comes to the house of Micah, where is he from and of what tribe? (Judges 17:6-9) A

4. What does Micah invite the man to do, what does he do with him and what does he believe will be the result? (Judges 17:10-13)

5. Is Micah’s reasoning valid; if so, why; if not, why not?

6. Is what the Levite doing proper; if so, how; if not, why?

JUDGES 18

1. Who comes to Micah’s house, from where, which tribe and why are they traveling? (Judges 18:1-2)

2. What do they ask of the Levite, what does he tell them, and is his information correct? (Judges 18:3-6)

3. Where do the men arrive, what do they find, and what do they do? (Judges 18:7-10)

4. What do the Danites do, how many and where do they go? (Judges 18:11-13)

5. What do the men of Dan do at Micah’s house, and why? (Judges 18:14-18)

6. What is the answer of the men of Dan to the protest of the priest, and what is his reaction? (Judges 18:18-20)

7. What is Micah’s reaction, and what is the result? (Judges 18:21-26)

8. Where do the men of Dan go next, what do they do? (Judges 18:27-28)

9. What is the result of all of this, who is made their priest and where is their god placed? (Judges 18:29-31)

JUDGES 19

1. Who does this situation involve, in what place, and what is the relationship between the pair? (Judges 19:1-3)

2. How long does the Levite remain, and what is keeping him? (Judges 19:4-10) Judges Page | 7

3. What place do they decide not to lodge in, where do they go instead, and why is it preferred over the place which the servant recommended? (Judges 19:11-14)

4. How are they received when they arrive in this place? (Judges 19:15)

5. Who rescues them and where does he take them? (Judges 19:16-21)

6. Who comes to the house and what do they want? (Judges 19:22)

7. What does the old man offer instead? (Judges 19:23-24)

8. Where has there been a similar encounter? (Genesis 19:1-9)

9. What does the man do when the men at the door refuse to leave, and what is the result? (Judges 19:25-28)

10. What does the man do with his concubine and what is the reason for this? (Judges 19:29)

11. What is the question asked in Judges 19:30, and what do you think of this whole incident?

JUDGES 20

1. Where do the tribes of Israel gather, for what purpose, and what is the significance of this place? (Judges 20:1-2)

2. What does the Levite tell the gathering of tribes, and is it true? (Judges 20:3-5)

3. What does the Levite ask them for? (Judges 20:6-7)

4. What do the men of Israel vow to do, and how? (Judges 20:8-10)

5. What do the tribes attempt to do, and what is Benjamin’s response? (Judges 20:11-14)

6. What was the total number of the men of Benjamin armed and ready to fight at that time, and what was the significance of the left-handed men? (Judges 20:15-16)

7. What is the number of the men of the tribes of Israel ready to fight, who is chosen to fight Benjamin first, and why? (Judges 20:17-18)

8. What do the men of Israel ask of the Lord, what is the Lord’s answer and what is the outcome? (Judges 20:19-25)

9. What do the people of Israel do in reaction to what has happened at Gibeah, where do they do it? (Judges 20:26-27) Judges Page | 8

10. Who makes inquiry of the Lord for the people, and what is the Lord’s response? (Judges 20:28-29)

11. What do the men of Israel do next, and what is the outcome? (Judges 20:30-31)

12. What strategy do the men of Israel use next, and what is the result? (Judges 20:32-35)

13. How many men of Benjamin are killed and how does that compare with the figures given in Judges 20:15? (Judges 20:35)

14. What tactics do the men of Israel use to defeat the men of Benjamin, and what is the outcome? (Judges 20:36-48)

JUDGES 21

1. What vow did the men of Israel make at Mizpeh before the war, and why do they regret it? (Judges 21:1-7)

2. What do the men of Israel seek as a means of circumventing their vow, and who are these people? (Judges 21:8-9)

3. What do the men of Israel do, who is spared, for what reason and what is done? (Judges 21:10-15)

4. How many men of Benjamin are still without wives, and what solution is proposed? (Judges 21:16-21)

5. What are the men of Shiloh to be told when they complain to Israel about the abduction of their women? (Judges 21:22)

6. What is the meaning of the book of Judges?