Judges Chapter Summaries

Judges 1

Judah & Simeon fight against Canaanites, take Jerusalem; tribes of Israel expand territory but did not drive all Canaanites out

Judges 2

Israel disobeys God, does not remove other nations, worships other gods; God raises up judges to deliver Israel from disobeying

Judges 3

Israel intermarries & worships false gods, serves other nations; Othniel, Ehud & Shamgar deliver Israel from other nations

Judges 4

Israel does evil; Israel serves king Jabin; Deborah judges Israel; Barak leads battle against Sisera; Jael kills Sisera

Judges 5

Deborah & Barak sing song to LORD about battle with kings of Canaan; Israel delivered from other nations, rests for 40 years

Judges 6

Israel does evil, serves Midian 7 yrs; angel of LORD appears to Gideon; Gideon destroys altar of Baal; God gives sign to Gideon

Judges 7

Gideon gathers Israelite men to fight; men reduced to only 300 soldiers; God delivers Midian into hand of Gideon & Israel

Judges 8

Succoth & Penuel deny support for Gideon; Gideon conquers 120000 men of Midian; Israel has peace 40 years, turns from God

Judges 9

Abimelech kills brothers, rules over Shechem 3 yrs; Jotham warns Abimelech & Shechem; Abimelech destroys cities & is killed

Judges 10

Tola & Jair judge Israel; Israel forgets God & serves Baalim; Philistines take over Israel; Israel cries to God for help

Judges 11

Jephthah leaves home; Ammonites war against Israel; Jephthah helps Israel defeat Ammonites; Jephthah's daughter sacrificed

Judges 12

Ephraim fights against Gilead; Gilead defeats Ephraim; Jephthah judges Israel 6 yrs; Ibzan, Elon & Abdon judge Israel

Judges 13

Philistines rule Israel; angel appears to Manoah & his wife, says they will have a son who will deliver Israel; Samson is born

Judges 14

Samson wants to marry a Philistine; Samson kills a lion, makes a feast, shares riddle, marries a Philistine, kills 30 men

Judges 15

Samson burns Philistine's property with foxes, captured by Judah, handed to Philistines, kills 1000 men, judges Israel 20 yrs

Judges 16

Samson escapes from Gaza; Samson likes Delilah; Samson loses strength, captured, regains strength, dies with many Philistines

Judges 17

Micah takes & returns silver from his mother; idol made from silver; Micah has house of gods; young Levite stays with Micah

Judges 18

Dan sends spies to find land; spies meet Micah; spies & 600 men from Dan take Micah's idols & priest, conquer Laish, build city

Judges 19

A Levite marries a lady from Judah; they separate but later travel & stay 1 night in Gibeah; men of Gibeah rape her; she dies

Judges 20

Because some men of Gibeah of Benjamin raped the Levite's concubine, 400000 men of Israel fight against Benjamin & win

Judges 21

Israel gathers at Mizpah, feel sorry for tribe of Benjamin's separation; young women given to Benjamin; Israel has no king