Structure of the book of Judges

Prologue [1:1-2:5]
[2:6-3:6] 		Israel fails to purge the land
The Pattern of rebellion & salvation
Main
Stories 		(3:7-11)
[3:12-30]
[4-5]
[6-9]
[10:6-12:7]
[13-16] 		Example of the pattern: Othniel
Ehud—the lone hero from Benjamin/Dan
  Deborah—woman (looked down on by men but valued by God) from Joseph’s tribes
    Gideon and Abimelech—the ideal judge and his son, the worst judge
  Jephthah—(social outcast by men, but valued by God) from Joseph’s tribes
Samson—lone hero from Benjamin/Dan
Epilogue
—chaos 		[17-18]
[19-21] 		Micah & the Danites: Israel just as idolatrous as the Canaanites
Gibeah: Israel just as immoral as the Canaanites

The Pattern

  1. [2:10-13] They forget about God’s goodness and forsake him
  2. [2:14] God allows them to be defeated and oppressed
  3. [2:15] They are very distressed
  4.         and eventually cry out to God for help
  5. [2:18a] God had compassion on them and sent them a deliverer (judge)
  6. [2:18b] They served God as long as the judge lived

The pattern can be seen clearly with Othniel