Are you looking for the Book of Judges Summary by chapter? Do you want to know the key events that occurred in this book? Welcome, my fellow believer and seeker of Biblical wisdom! In this post, I will provide a chapter-by-chapter summary of the Book of Judges. It is indeed a phenomenal and action-packed part of the Bible.
Read: Summary of the Book of Joshua Chapter by Chapter (1-24)
Table of Contents
The Book of Judges Summary by Chapter
Judges Chapter 1: The Israelites Fight the Remaining Canaanites
The Book of Judges begins with the tribes of Israel fighting to take possession of the land of Canaan. The chapter talks about the victories of Judah and Simeon, but also mentions the failures of other tribes to fully drive out the Canaanites.
Certain tribes, such as Benjamin, Manasseh, and Ephraim, could not drive out the inhabitants. The chapter ends by stating that the tribe of Joseph conquered the city of Luz and the house of Joseph settled there.
Judges Chapter 2: The Angel of the Lord at Bokim
An angel of the Lord appears at Bokim and rebukes Israel for making covenants with the people of the land and not breaking down their altars. The Israelites weep and offer sacrifices to God.
This chapter also marks the beginning of a recurring cycle in the book – the Israelites abandoning God, being oppressed by enemies, crying out to God, and God raising a judge to deliver them. Joshua passes away, and a new generation rises that doesn’t know the Lord or what He did for Israel.
Judges Chapter 3: The First Judges Deliver Israel
Chapter 3 introduces us to the first judges: Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar. Othniel, Caleb’s younger brother, delivers Israel from the king of Mesopotamia. Ehud, a left-handed man, delivers Israel from Eglon, the king of Moab, in a dramatic assassination.
Shamgar, the third judge, slays six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. The chapter demonstrates God’s use of diverse individuals to deliver His people.
Judges Chapter 4: Deborah and Barak
Deborah, a prophetess, and judge leads Israel at this time. She instructs Barak to fight against Jabin, the Canaanite king whose army is led by Sisera. Barak insists that Deborah accompany him in the battle.
With God’s help, Barak and Deborah achieve victory. Sisera flees and seeks refuge in the tent of Jael, who kills him by driving a tent peg through his head.
Judges Chapter 5: The Song of Deborah
This chapter is a poetic song by Deborah and Barak, celebrating their victory over the Canaanites. It praises the Lord and those who willingly offered themselves for the battle, while also cursing those who did not help.
It recounts the battle in poetic form and ends with a note on the destruction of Canaanite kings and a prayer for all God’s enemies to perish and for the land to have peace for forty years.
Judges Chapter 6: Gideon Called by God
Israel is being oppressed by the Midianites. Gideon is called by God to save Israel. An angel of the Lord appears to him and calls him a mighty warrior. Gideon, unsure, asks for a sign which the Lord grants.
Gideon destroys the altar of Baal and is pursued by the Midianites and Amalekites. He then tests God’s will by putting a fleece of wool on the threshing floor.
Judges Chapter 7: Gideon Defeats the Midianites
Gideon, with God’s guidance, takes a small army of 300 men to fight against the Midianites. They are armed with trumpets, empty jars, and torches. In a night attack, they create confusion among the Midianites, who end up fighting amongst themselves.
This chapter highlights God’s power and guidance, as Gideon’s small army is victorious over a far more substantial force. Israel is delivered from Midianite oppression.
Judges Chapter 8: Gideon’s Later Years and Death
After defeating the Midianites, the Israelites ask Gideon to rule over them, but he declines, saying that only God will rule over them. However, Gideon asks for gold earrings taken in the plunder, which he makes into an ephod and places in his city, Ophrah.
Sadly, the Israelites begin to worship the ephod. Gideon dies at a good old age, and as soon as he is gone, the Israelites again turn away from God and back to Baal worship.
Judges Chapter 9: Abimelek’s Conspiracy
Abimelek, a son of Gideon, conspires to become king. He kills his seventy brothers (except for the youngest, Jotham) and is crowned king by the people of Shechem. Jotham rebukes the people of Shechem with a parable and then flees.
Conflict arises between Abimelek and the men of Shechem. Abimelek’s ruthlessness and cruelty are highlighted when he destroys Shechem and kills many people. He dies when a woman drops a millstone on his head.
Judges Chapter 10: Tola, Jair, and Israel’s Repentance
Two judges, Tola and Jair, are briefly mentioned. After them, the Israelites once again turn to idol worship. God becomes angry and allows them to be oppressed by the Philistines and Ammonites.
When the Israelites cry out for help, God initially refuses but later relents when they put away their foreign gods and serve Him. The chapter ends with the Ammonites gathering for battle.
Judges Chapter 11: Jephthah’s Vow
Jephthah, a mighty warrior, is asked to fight against the Ammonites. He tries to reason with the king of Ammon but is unsuccessful. Jephthah makes a vow to the Lord that if he is victorious, he will sacrifice whatever comes out of his house to greet him.
He defeats the Ammonites but is distraught when his daughter is the first to greet him. He fulfills his vow, and his daughter is honored by the Israelite women annually.
Judges Chapter 12: Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim
The tribe of Ephraim confronts Jephthah for not including them in the battle against the Ammonites. The conflict escalates into a battle in which Jephthah’s forces defeat the Ephraimites.
A notable incident occurs where the Gileadites identify fleeing Ephraimites by their pronunciation of the word “Shibboleth”. Jephthah judges Israel for six years before he dies, and three minor judges follow him.
Judges Chapter 13: The Birth of Samson
An angel of the Lord appears to the wife of Manoah, telling her that she will give birth to a son who will begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines. The child, Samson, must be a Nazirite, dedicated to God.
Manoah offers a sacrifice to God, and the angel ascends in the flame. The chapter closes with the birth of Samson, who grows up blessed by the Lord.
Judges Chapter 14: Samson’s Marriage
Samson desires to marry a Philistine woman. On his way to court her, he kills a lion with his bare hands. During the wedding feast, he poses a riddle to the Philistines, promising them thirty linen garments and sets of clothes if they can solve it.
The Philistines pressure Samson’s wife to reveal the answer to the riddle. She does, and Samson, in his anger, kills thirty Philistines to fulfill his promise. He then leaves his wife, and she marries someone else.
Judges Chapter 15: Samson’s Vengeance on the Philistines
Samson seeks revenge when he learns that his wife has been given to another man. He ties torches to the tails of 300 foxes and releases them in the Philistine fields, burning their crops. In retaliation, the Philistines kill Samson’s wife and her father.
In response, Samson slaughters many Philistines. The Philistines then demand that the men of Judah hand over Samson. Samson allows himself to be bound but breaks free and kills a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey.
Judges Chapter 16: Samson and Delilah
Samson falls in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistine rulers bribe her to discover the secret of Samson’s strength. After three attempts, Samson finally reveals that his strength lies in his uncut hair.
Delilah has his hair cut while he sleeps, and he loses his strength. The Philistines capture him, gouge out his eyes, and imprison him. In the end, Samson brings down the temple on the Philistines, killing many and himself in the process.
Judges Chapter 17: Micah’s Idols
A man named Micah steals silver from his mother, then confesses and returns it. His mother dedicates the silver to the Lord and has an idol made, which Micah keeps in his house. He appoints one of his sons as a priest.
Later, a Levite comes to Micah’s house. Micah hires him as his personal priest, thinking this will ensure him favor with the Lord.
Judges Chapter 18: The Tribe of Dan Seeks Territory
The tribe of Dan is seeking land to occupy. They send spies who come across Micah’s house and the Levite. The spies return to their people and lead a troop back to Micah’s house, where they take the idols and persuade the Levite to become their priest.
The Danites then attack Laish, a peaceful city, and destroy it. They rebuild it as their own and establish the stolen idols as their gods.
Judges Chapter 19: A Levite and His Concubine
This chapter is a horrific tale. A Levite and his concubine are traveling and stay overnight in Gibeah. The men of the city surround the house and demand the Levite come out. Instead, the concubine is thrown outside where she is brutally abused.
In the morning, the Levite finds her dead. He then cuts her body into twelve pieces and sends them throughout Israel as a call to action against the wickedness in Gibeah.
Judges Chapter 20: The Israelites Punish the Benjamites
The tribes of Israel unite against the tribe of Benjamin because of the atrocity committed in Gibeah. The Benjamites refuse to hand over the perpetrators, and a bloody battle ensues where many lives are lost.
The Israelites finally defeat the Benjamites, killing all but 600 men and putting their towns to the torch.
Judges Chapter 21: Wives for the Benjamites
The Israelites are remorseful for almost wiping out an entire tribe. They find a way to provide wives for the 600 remaining Benjamite men without breaking their vow not to give their daughters to them. They realize that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the assembly, so they attack Jabesh Gilead, killing everyone except 400 young virgins.
They give these women to the Benjamites, but there are still 200 men without wives. The Israelites then tell the Benjamites to capture wives from the women who come out to dance during a festival at Shiloh.
The Book of Judges ends by highlighting the lawlessness and moral decay of the time with the poignant line, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Wrapping Up the Book of Judges Summary by Chapter
Our summary of the Book of Judges chapter by chapter provides an overview of a tumultuous and critical period in Israel’s history. The stories in Judges are intense and sometimes violent, but they serve as powerful lessons on the consequences of turning away from God and the endless mercies He extends to those who repent. May this summary inspire you to read further and deepen your understanding of God’s Word. God bless you!
