Judges--Overview of Oppression

Good article referencing the history of the region during the time of Judges:

Summarizing bits of this article, Israel was oppressed by a number of different groups during the period of the Judges:

1. Mesopotamian Oppression

2. Moabite Oppression (Ehud) Their king, Eglon, crossed the Jordan and occupied Jericho for 18 years. Ehud killed Eglon and chased the Moabites back over the Jordan to their land, peace for 80 years

[Philistines--Shamgar--maverick, slays with ox goad]

3. Canaanite Oppression-King Jabon of Hazor & General Sisera (Deborah & Barak from the North banded together to fight) Peace ensued for 40 years

Hazor was a city above the Sea of Galilee, it has been a site of archaeological interest during the 20th century. Check Wikipedia and this article for more information:

Barak was from Kedesh ( & Naphtali)

4. Midianite Oppression w/Amalekites & "Other Eastern People" (Gideon) he Oppression came from the east and they raided the grain areas---Jezreel/Esdaraleon valley and coastlands as far south as Gaza---at harvest.

The word Jezreel means "God sows" or "El sows".[2] The phrase "valley of Jezreel" was sometimes used to refer to the central part of the valley, around the city of Jezreel, while the southwestern portion was known as the "valley of Megiddo", after the ancient city of Megiddo, which was located there. The area has been known as the Plain of Esdraelon (Esdraelon is the Koine Greek rendering of Jezreel).-Wikipedia




"One of the literary things to look for is repetition of phrases. We will see that in Judges. Another thing to look for is what the author does with character roles. I think an evaluation of the various characters in Judges points to something significant. I think the book of Judges demonstrates (in a negative manner) the importance of competent leadership to the people of God. Although God raised up several judges or leaders to accomplish military victories, many failed miserably in other respects. Despite their military successes, the spiritual climate in Israel grew bitterly cold as violence and anarchy swept through society. The book’s final chapters include a sordid account of idolatry, gang rape, civil war and kidnapping. The book concludes with the somber words, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (21:25; 17:6; 18:1; 19:1). This set the stage for the rise of Samuel and David, through whom God restored some semblance of covenantal loyalty and societal order."

"You cannot read through the book of Judges without noticing that women appear at several strategic points in the narrative. They assume a variety of roles, including heroine, seductress and innocent victim, among others. Their changing roles throughout the book contribute powerfully to the book’s portrayal of the disintegration of Israelite society. The portrait culminates in 1 Samuel 1 with the oppressed figure of Hannah, through whom the Lord reverses the downward spiral detailed in Judges and brings to realization the leadership ideal presented at the beginning of the book." -Hampton Keathly at Bible.org

Random unrelated thought with no home:

I wonder if in Heaven I will get to finish my "to do" list or my "wish I could do" list or if there just won't be a list at all. Only worship? If so, what does that look like? I know it's not sound thinking but somehow that doesn't strike me as productive or efficient enough.

5. Tolah & Jair--Judges but physically distant and did not face specific oppressors.

6. Ammonites--(& Philistines) Judges 10:7 Jephthah

Judges 10:18 Interesting that the Israelites are open to whomever governing them, as long as that person is willing to take on the problem of the Ammonites. In chaotic times, the people are receptive to "strong" leadership---whether good or bad in actuality is of less consequence to them---just as long as they have a perceived lead to follow. People will receive bad certain leadership before they will receive good uncertain leadership. Not sure where this is going in Judges 10 yet, but interesting to think about...

From BKC:

"In contrast with the judgeship of Gideon, who was initially called by the Lord, Jephthah was initially called by other men. However, the Lord was called to witness their selection (Jdg_11:10-11) and He placed His Spirit on Jephthah to achieve victory (Jdg_11:29)."




Ammonite territory was between the Jabbok and the Arnon Rivers.

7. Izban, Elon, Abdon-minor judges, mostly obscure

8. Philistine Oppression--40 years, Sampson (chapters 13-16), ruled 20 years (Judges 15:20)

"Manoah prayed to GOD: "Master, let the man of God you sent come to us again and teach us how to raise this boy who is to be born." Judges 13:8 Great prayer for wisdom!

Also interesting:

"On asking the Angel’s name, Manoah was informed, It is beyond understanding."

The angel of the Lord's name was beyond our understanding----seems fitting that our limits of wisdom are clearly ordained and understood."

"When Manoah asked the Angel's name, he was told it was Wonderful—one of the names given to the Lord Jesus in Isa_9:6."-BBC

13:19-23 Then Manoah offered the young goat to the LORD. The Angel ascended to heaven in the flame of the altar, showing clearly that this was an appearance of the LORD Himself.

"Manoah and his wife then worshiped by falling on their faces—an act that would have been improper if the Angel were less than God." -BBC Another good point

The offering is necessary so that they do not die---how far we have come (or gone!) that we now assume face-to-face correspondence with the Lord because of who we are.

Great stuff on Samson's strengths and weaknesses here from the BBC:

"Few men in the Bible exhibit such a contrast of strength and weakness. When we think of Samson, we ordinarily think of his strengths. He killed a lion with his bare hands (Jdg_14:6). He killed thirty Philistines single-handed (Jdg_14:19). He broke the cords with which the men of Judah had bound him, and slew 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey (Jdg_15:14-16). In escaping from a trap which the Philistines had laid for him, he walked away with the gates of Gaza (Jdg_16:3). Three times he escaped the treachery of Delilah—once by breaking the seven fresh bowstrings that bound him, once by snapping the new ropes as if they were a thread, and once by pulling out the pin that fastened the seven locks of his hair to a loom (Jdg_16:6-14). Finally, he pulled down the pillars of the house in which the Philistines were being amused by him, killing more in his death than he did in his life (Jdg_16:30).

But Samson's weaknesses were even more apparent. He had a weakness for women, and was willing to disobey God in order to get a woman who pleased him (Jdg_14:1-7). He also disobeyed his parents (Jdg_14:3). He practiced deceit (Jdg_14:9; Jdg_16:7, Jdg_16:11, Jdg_16:13 b). He fraternized with thirty Philistines, the enemies of God's people (Jdg_14:11-18). He gave way to temper and vindictiveness (Jdg_14:19 b; Jdg_15:4-5). He had a cruel streak in his nature (Jdg_15:4-5). He consorted with a harlot (Jdg_16:1-2). He dallied with evil (Jdg_16:6-14). He revealed the secret of his strength to the enemy (Jdg_16:17-18). He was too cocky and self-confident (Jdg_16:20 b). Last, but not least, he broke his Nazirite vow (Jdg_14:9)."

From Wikipedia on Sampson--a liberal view, of course, but there are definite similarities between Hercules & Sampson. Who is to say that Sampson didn't inspire Hercules though? The Endiku connection is also interesting.

"Academics have interpreted Samson as a demi-god (such as Hercules or Enkidu) enfolded into Jewish religious lore, or as an archetypical folklore hero, among others. These views sometimes interpreted him as a solar deity, popularized by "solar hero" theorists and Biblical scholars alike.[30][31][32] The name Delilah may also involve a wordplay with the Hebrew word for night, 'layla', which "consumes" the day.[33] Samson bears many similar traits to the Greek Herakles (and the Roman Hercules adaptation), inspired himself partially from the mesopotamian Enkidu tale: Herakles and Samson both battled a Lion bare handed (Lion of Nemea feat), Herakles and Samson both had a favorite primitive blunt weapon (a club for the first, an ass's jaw for the latter), they were both betrayed by a woman which led them to their ultimate fate (Herakles by Dejanira, while Samson by Delilah). Both heroes, champion of their respective people, die by their own hand: Herakles ends his life on a pyre while Samson makes the Philistine temple collapse upon himself and his enemies."

Also interesting:

"Dr. Zvi Lederman, co-director of the Tel Aviv University Beth Shemesh dig which discovered the seal discussed below, believes that Beth Shemesh, a Canaanite village, was a cultural meeting point on the border of Israelite, Canaanite and Philistine areas and calls the stories "border sagas", saying that Samson could cross boundaries, seeking a Philistine wife but also fighting and killing Philistines. He is quoted as saying "When you cross the border, you have to fight the enemy and you encounter dangerous animals. You meet bad things. These are stories of contact and conflict, of a border that is more cultural than political."[39]"