The Book of Judges: A Complete Biblical List

Get the list of Biblical judges, including Samson, Gideon, and Deborah, as they go through a cycle of rebellion, repentance, and redemption.

The Brutal Book of Judges

I have to admit–Judges was a tough one to get through. I don’t remember it being so…dark.

Sometimes a deep dive into the history of the Bible will take you into some strange and scary places. I mean, these are the people of God. He has delivered them over and over again. And still, they turn away.

The time of judges is after Joshua’s leadership. The people are told to finish taking over the territories that have been promised to them. But God warns them not to intermarry because they will turn to pagan practices and idolatry.

At first, they listen, but over time, they make treaties and bargain with the people instead of following what God has instructed them to do. And so a vicious cycle begins.

The Israelites become so corrupt and violent that the next generation doesn’t even know God. Over and over in the book of Judges, you see the following pattern:

Disobedience of Israelites
Oppression from other kingdoms
Israelites cry out to God
God appoints a judge (leader)
Deliverance from enemies
Peace in the land
REPEAT

It’s cringe-worthy. And each time their sin and oppression seem to worsen.

There’s something about reading the Bible in order in a study like this one that really makes the characters come back to life. They aren’t stories in a book–these people are real historical figures. And they’re failing. Badly.

The 12 Leaders

God raises up 12 Judges (aka leaders) during this time that lead the people out of bondage. We finally get to see a glimpse of the Israelites returning back to their God.

Othniel
Ehud
Shamgar
Deborah
Gideon
Tola
Jair
Jephthah
Ibzan
Elon
Abdon
Samson

The Bible is a love story of a father who refuses to give up on his children. And while they fail time and time again, a Savior is coming! I can’t wait to read those pages especially after we see how much more these Israelites will continue to fail throughout the Old Testament.

Here are the highlights of 3 biblical judges including Deborah, Gideon, and Samson:

Deborah (Judges 4-5)

Deborah is one of the rare women leaders in the Bible and also a refreshing win for women in the Bible! The biblical story of Deborah tells of her role as a judge over Israel and even calls her a prophetess. She receives a message from God to summon a military leader named Barak and then tells him to gather an army to fight their enemy, Sisera. He says he will only go if she does, so she agrees but tells him that the honor of defeating Sisera will now go to a woman. When they defeat Sisera’s army, he flees and a woman named Jael kills him in his sleep. Deborah’s leadership allows Israel 40 years of peace.

Gideon (Judges 6-8)

God instructs Gideon to destroy his father’s altar to Baal after an angel tells him that he is chosen to save Israel from the Midianites. He calls together his troops with a trumpet and then God tells him to reduce the number of men from 32,000 to 300. With this small army, it’s clear that only God could have given them a victory against the Midianites! While he trusts in God and glorifies him, he later succumbs to old habits and his family and the Israelites begin to worship an ephod he created out of gold.

Samson (Judges 13-16)

Samson is mostly famously known for his relationship with Delilah, a Philistine woman who betrayed him. Her influence is his biggest obstacle in doing what God has called him to do: serve him instead. His extraordinary strength allows him to battle the Philistines and he even kills them with a jaw bone of a donkey! Eventually, when he is betrayed by Delilah, he loses his strength and they capture and blind him (gross story there!). He prays to God for strength one last time and is able to pull down the pillars of the building killing many Philistines while sacrificing himself in the process.

Printable Outline of the Book of Judges

To simplify the book of Judges for you, I created this printable to help breakdown the basic storyline as you study the Bible. Use it in your studies today!