Biblical judges

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Biblical judges are not to be confused with modern legal judges. While judge is the closest literal translation of the Hebrew term used in the Bible, the position is more one of unelected non-hereditary leadership than that of legal pronouncement. In the Biblical context of the Book of Judges, the term designates those who act as deliverers. The word, however, means more than this: it refers to leaders who took charge of the affairs of the tribes in case of war, and who assumed leadership of their respective tribes in the succeeding times of peace. In accordance with the needs of the time, their functions were primarily martial and judicial.

Biblical origin

According to the introduction to the Book of Judges (2:10-3:6), after the death of Joshua, a new generation of Israelites grew up and rather than worshipping Yahweh, instead worshipped the Baals and the Asherah, provoking God to anger. This divine wrath is described as causing the Israelites to be plundered by raiders and made it so that they were never able to defeat their enemies when they went out to fight. Hence they fell under the influence of the Canaanites, Philistines, Amorites, and other foreign rulers.

However, God offered an olive branch, raising up people from time to time to save them from their enemies, referred to as judges. However on many occasions the people do not listen to the judges and refuse to obey God's commands. Even though God raises up judges for them several times, each time the judge dies they go back to their old ways. Finally (Judges 2:20-23) it is revealed that it was part of God's plan for the Israelites to be unable to drive out the remnant Canaanite tribes - they were left to test whether the people would keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did.

List of Biblical Judges

The following (in order) are identified as Judges in the Book of Judges - great judges are those deemed worthy of large narratives in the Book:

Othniel
Ehud (great judge)
Shamgar
Deborah (great judge)
Gideon (great judge)
Tola
Jair
Jephthah (great judge)
Ibzan
Elon
Abdon
Samson (great judge)

Textual critics believe that Abimelech was also originally considered a judge, becoming changed to a "king" owing to his being regarded as evil, at which point Shamgar was added to the list so that there were still 12 in the Book. Textual criticism also views the minor judges as being added to the list simply to make the total number equal 12, which had religious significance to the Israelites.

The First Book of Samuel also mentions:

Eli (great judge)
Samuel (great judge)

According to textual criticism the initial portion of the first book of Samuel, containing these two names, was probably originally the final part of the Book of Judges. Hence the original form of the book, according to textual criticism, listed 8 judges, 7 good and 1 bad, 7 being a religiously significant number.

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