Life Without Law

An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on the Book of Judges

www.easyenglish.info

Philip Smith

The translated Bible text has been through Advanced Checking.

Words in boxes are from the Bible.

A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.

About this book

Beliefs

The book called Judges was in the *Hebrew *Scriptures. It was in the section called Former (earlier) *Prophets. In Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28, we can read what would happen in *Israel’s future. If *Israel’s people were loyal to God, God would bless them. If they were not loyal to him, he would *curse them. (Look at Deuteronomy 28:15-26.) And nobody can make God believe anything that is not true. In Judges, we can see examples of how those things happened. Sometimes people obeyed God and sometimes they did not obey him. In this book, we see what happened as a result. We learn more about the *blessings and *curses. We learn how God trains his people.

The *Lord is the chief Judge. He allowed cruel things to happen to *Israel’s people. He punished them. Sometimes you may not like the punishment that God allows! He also sent people to make *Israel’s people free. There were periods when they had peace. However, the writer does not say very much about these periods.

God had promised to give them that country where they were. They had already fought to get it. But the real battle to get the country did not begin until after Joshua’s death. Joshua had often said that they had not *captured it completely. Sometimes they succeeded. However, the people did not always live in the area that they had *conquered. The *tribes (family groups) did not control the whole country. They controlled only a small part. In between the *tribes, there were two powerful groups of towns. All these towns had the same ruler. The *tribes could not always defeat the people in *Canaan. Some *tribes made an agreement with the local people. Then they could live together.

The judges were very wise. They were able to prepare for the future. Many judges had strong beliefs. They very much wanted the *blessings that God promised. They wanted their nation to obey God’s *commandments. So they had authority. But also, many people knew them. People did not choose them for their jobs. God chose them. The jobs did not usually pass from father to son.

The kings of *Canaan had many *weapons that were not just simple ones. With those weapons, they could destroy things more easily and they could kill people more easily. So the *Israelites succeeded only when they all fought together. Usually, *Israel’s *tribes only had an interest in their own affairs. The one thing that brought them together was their belief in God. They also believed that they were a nation. So they could act together to meet a common enemy. But when they stopped trusting God, selfish interests became the most important things. So they could not defeat their enemies.

Maybe a group of *tribes lived round a *religious place. Maybe they came together because they all wanted to praise God. Some Bible students think that those things were true. Here are some things that were perhaps true about these groups:

1          6 or 12 *tribes worked together as a group. Perhaps one *tribe took care of the central place where people praised God.

2          They had a central place where they praised God every year. This was not always in the same place. First, it was in Shechem and then it was in Bethel and Shiloh. Perhaps they learned from this that they could not keep God in one place. They carried the *ark from place to place. When the people saw the *ark, they remembered the agreement between them and God. Perhaps that central place was a place where they organised things. They also had a Book of the *Covenant (Agreement). This contained God’s law, which they should obey.

3          Perhaps they had an annual ceremony. There is not very much evidence for this in *Israel. However, once a year, Samuel’s parents went to Shiloh, where they praised God. (See 1 Samuel 1:3.)

4          They all had the same purpose. They wanted to defend the central place where they praised God. They obeyed common laws. Deborah led 6 *tribes when they fought together against the people in *Canaan. Benjamin’s relatives did not obey a law and 11 *tribes attacked them because of that.

These are only ideas about why *tribes came together as a group. However, all the *tribes believed in God. And this was the main thing that made their friendly relations strong.

Local heroes

Judges emphasises the local activity of groups of people. Other groups did not control them. Sometimes these groups were smaller and sometimes they were larger than a *tribe. *Israel’s people did not usually come together all at the same time. Instead, the judges acted for all the people of *Israel. We learn from this book that the work of local leaders was very important. Its stories include some stories about how people and places got their names. There are people’s names like Jerubbaal and place names like *Jawbone Hill. There are also customs, and here is one example. Women were sad about people that had died. And so every year they did something special to show this. This custom began when Jephthah was the judge.

The writer tells us about how the people gave up their beliefs. They easily agreed with the way that the people in *Canaan lived. And they easily changed to it. He shows us that God’s grace and patience helped *Israel’s people to improve. (Grace is a free gift from God. We cannot do anything to earn it.)

Importance of the book

Judges is about a time when change happened. *Israel’s people had a central place where they praised God. The *tribes lived in some different places that were separate from each other. So the *tribes could not all work together. *Israel’s people had not *conquered the country completely. So they divided the *tribes into 3 groups. When some *tribes fought for their lives, they did not get any help from other *tribes. There was one time when 6 *tribes came together. That was to help Deborah and Barak against the army from *Canaan. Four (4) *tribes did not come and the writer does not tell us anything about the other two *tribes. Finally, the country had a king. The *tribes could not work together without a leader.

Their *religion had two kinds of laws. Some laws were about particular events. (This is an example. ‘You may find your enemy’s animal which he has lost…’) Other laws were useful in all situations. (They were like this, for example. ‘You shall…’ or ‘You shall not...’) God controlled what happened to people. And he controlled what happened at different times. He did not just control the powers of nature. But not all *Israelites believed this. *Israel’s people had big problems. God had told them to kill all the other people who lived in that country. He did not want the *Israelites to imitate these people’s *religions and their evil ways. But the *Israelites did not obey him. The result was that they practised syncretism. (Syncretism is when people mix different *religions together.) They praised the other people’s gods as well as *Yahweh. The leaders were not very good. There was nobody like Moses or Joshua. The structure of the *tribes remained. However, the gap between the northern and the southern *tribes began while the judges were ruling.

Problems about what was right and what was wrong

We can see these problems when we read the story about Samson. Samson did not have much interest in *religion. When God’s Spirit came on him, he was very strong. So he did powerful acts. However, not everything that he did was right or good. Even when God’s Spirit was with a person, his or her character was not always good. But we must remember these things:

1          At the time when Samson lived, moral standards were not generally good. And he often lived by those standards.

2          The book’s editor writes about a lack of goodness. And the stories about Samson clearly show that lack.

3          God was in complete control. He changed the results of Samson’s actions so that they would suit God’s own plans.

4          God chose certain people to do what he wanted. These were often people that we would least expect him to choose. One example was Cyrus in the book of Isaiah. In the *Old Testament, God gave people powerful skills. But those people did not always live good lives.

5          The behaviour of *Israel’s people became worse during this time. But, by the things that happened, God showed his own character and power. In these stories, we can see how he did it. We must remember this when we look at the stories.

*Religious value of the book

1          God is good. God punished people because of the wrong things that they did.

2          God has complete control. He freed the people from all their enemies. He used storm and rain to help them. God, who has power over all, is the most important person. The judge is not the most important.

3          God is kind and he is very patient. Sometimes the people cried for help. And he was always willing to listen to them then.

4          Belief is very important. There is a list of the judges in Hebrews 11. This shows that they trusted God. And it shows that they worked with him. This made it possible for him to show his power.

Structure of the book

There were 12 judges (leaders). Six (6) judges had power that God gave to them. They had a part in important political events. They helped *Israel’s people to make their home in that country. After each judge had ruled, “the country had rest”. Some other judges were less important. They helped to make sure that people obeyed the law.

The book of Judges is like a bridge. The bridge is between the Exodus and the government by a king. The basic structure has 11 sections. We can see these in the story about Othniel (Judges 3:7-11).

1          *Israel’s people do what is wrong.

2          *Israel’s people make the *Lord angry.

3          *Israel’s people suffer great cruelty.

4          *Israel’s people cry to the *Lord.

5          A judge comes to free them.

6          There is a description of the judge.

7          The judge gets power.

8          He or she makes judgements about the disagreements of *Israel’s people.

9          The judge rescues *Israel’s people.

10        The judge gives peace to *Israel’s people.

11        The judge dies.

The writer often repeats this structure in this book. God never makes *Israel’s people completely free from other nations. God gives judgement to his people. He rescues them from their enemies and he rescues them from themselves. Although that is the structure, God does not always work in that same way. We do not think that some things will happen. But God does those things. God is the judge. He is the one who frees his people. He decides what judgement to give to them. And he decides how to free them. During the age that the writers describe in the *Old Testament, God’s people failed a lot. But during that same period, God’s Spirit was working. When the judges were ruling, the people often failed. But God helped people to fight successfully against things that were wrong. With his help, they defeated the powerful people that intended to do bad things to his *kingdom.

Writer of the book

We do not know who wrote the book. And we do not know the date when he wrote it. Many people think that he wrote it while the kings were ruling. He repeats words like these. ‘At that time, *Israel’s people had no king. If a person himself thought that something was right, he did it. Each person did things for that reason’ (Judges 17:6). Judges 1:21 seems to show that the author wrote the book before 1003 B.C. (B.C. means the number of years Before Christ was born.) 1003 B.C. was the date when David *captured Jerusalem city from the *Jebusites.

Plan of the book

Introduction: *Israel’s people did not finish the *conquest and they turned away from God, 1:1–3:6

1:1-21 Enemies *conquered southern *Canaan

1:22-26 Enemies *captured Bethel

1:27-36 *Israel’s people failed to remove their enemies

2:1-5 What happened when *Israel’s people did not obey the agreement

2:6-3:6 What God did when *Israel’s people refused to serve him

Cruel pain and trouble, then freedom, 3:7 - 16:31

3:7-11 Othniel

3:12-30 Ehud

3:31 Shamgar

4:1-5:31 Deborah and Barak

6:1-8:35 Gideon

9:1-57 Abimelech, the bad judge

10:1-2 Tola

10:3-5 Jair

10:6-12:7 Jephthah

12:8-10 Ibzan

12:11-12 Elon

12:13-15 Abdon

13:1-16:31 Samson

Extra information

17:1-18:31 Micah and Dan’s *tribe; Dan’s *tribe went to live in another place

19:1-21:25 The wrong things that the people in Gibeah did and how God punished Benjamin’s *tribe

Chapter 1

‘After Joshua died’ is probably a title for the whole book. The events in this section probably happened during his life. They are the same as those in Joshua chapters 15 and 17. (His death is in Judges 2:8.) Here we read about Judah’s *tribe and Simeon’s *tribe. We learn how they *conquered the southern area in *Canaan. In order to ask the *Lord, they probably used the *urim and *thummim. These were two stones with different marks on them. They showed different answers to questions that people asked God. People believed that God controlled these stones. ‘Men throw the stone, but the *Lord controls its decisions’ (Proverbs 16:33).

The *Lord promised to give success. But the people had to fight against the people in *Canaan. They put the local king Adoni-Bezek in prison. They cut off his big toes and *thumbs. This took away his respect for himself. It stopped him from killing anyone. He did not complain about what they did to him. He had done the same thing to many other people. ‘70’ here probably just means a large number. His friends took him to Jerusalem for safety. And he died there.

Judah’s *tribe attacked Jerusalem and they burnt it. They did not live in it. Later, the *Jebusites *captured that city again. We can see this from verse 21. *Israel’s people did not *capture it completely until David was the king. Jerusalem was between the areas where Benjamin’s *tribe and Judah’s *tribe lived. It was on the border between them. So both those *tribes agreed that it should be the capital (the chief city).

The southern area in *Canaan had three parts. Verse 9 refers to these. They are:

1          the hills between Jerusalem and Hebron;

2          the *Negev, an area that was almost a desert, between Jerusalem and Kadesh Barnea;

3          the lower hills in the west; these were between the plain (near the sea) and the central mountain range.

In verse 10, the name ‘Hebron’ means ‘confederation’. (This is a group of towns that joined together to help each other.) The original name, ‘Kiriath Arba’, may mean ‘a group of 4 towns’. Abraham had once stayed there. During the first 7 years when king David ruled, it was the chief town in Judah.

Caleb got the district called Hebron (verse 20). This was probably the district in which he had travelled before. He had gone there to find out its secrets. Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, *captured Debir. As a reward, he married Caleb’s daughter. Then, after that, she herself asked her father for something. She asked him for land that had *springs of water. These were very important in this dry area.

Verses 16-18 refer to the people that lived after Jethro (Moses’ wife’s father) lived. He belonged to a *tribe called the *Kenites. They were smiths (people that made things from metal). They travelled all the time from place to place. They went from the ‘City with *Palm Trees’. Although that name usually refers to Jericho, here it refers to Tamar city. This city is south from the Dead Sea and it is 85 miles south from Arad. The *Kenites decided to live near Arad. Judah’s *tribe helped Simeon’s *tribe to *capture Zephath. Later, people called it Hormah. This means ‘a place that people have completely destroyed as an *offering’. Judah’s *tribe also *captured Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron. The *Philistines later *captured these cities. (Look at the story about Samson.)

The people in *Canaan had iron *chariots. Judah’s *tribe had to move back to the hills because of this. Benjamin’s *tribe could not defeat the *Jebusites. They had to share Jerusalem with the *Jebusites until David removed these people.

‘Joseph’s *tribes’ means the *tribes that grew from the families of Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Bethel means ‘the house of God’. (El is the name that people used for a god. This could be the true God. Or it could be a false god or an image.) Bethel was a very old place where people praised God. Abraham and Jacob went there. The stories about them refer to that place. When the people divided the *kingdom after Solomon’s death, the people in the northern *kingdom *worshipped there. The *spies saved the life of the man who gave them information. Something similar happened when *Israel’s people *conquered Jericho. Bethel and Ai were close to each other. In the book called Joshua, we do not read that *Israel’s people *captured Bethel. But we do read there how they *conquered Ai. We do not know where the new Luz city was. The man that gave the information to them was probably a *Hittite. The *Hittites ruled many countries in Asia Minor and Syria between 1800-1200 *B.C.

In the area where Manasseh’s *tribe lived, the towns were important. They were important because these towns were on the trade routes. And their people controlled these routes. The *Canaanites with their *chariots controlled this area. The *Israelites had to stay in the hills. The *Canaanites lived between Joseph’s *tribes and the northern *tribes. (‘Joseph’s *tribes’ means the *tribes of Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh.) The writer shows how things became worse. In verses 27-30 the *Canaanites lived among the *Israelites and they worked as the *Israelites’ slaves. However, where Asher’s *tribe and Naphtali’s *tribe lived, *Canaan’s people controlled those areas. But the *Israelites still stayed there. Dan’s *tribe did not remove the *Canaanites, nor did they control the *Canaanites. Later, as a result, the northern *kingdom’s people copied the way in which *Canaan’s people praised their own gods. Dan’s *tribe could not even live in their area with the *Canaanites. In chapter 18, the writer tells us that many people from Dan’s *tribe went to live somewhere else. They went to live in the north. The cities where the *Amorites lived (in verses 35‑36) were between Joseph’s sons’ *tribes and Judah’s *tribe. Judah’s *tribe was in the south.

Chapter 2

The phrase ‘the *angel of the Lord’ refers to God. It means that he appeared and he spoke to them there. Before that time, the central place where they praised God had been in Gilgal. (This was where *Israel’s people first lived in that country.) But now it was in Bokim (which means ‘weepers’).

Many Bible students think that Bokim was at Bethel. Here people buried Rachel’s nurse at the *oak where people wept (Genesis 35:8). That is why Bible students think that.

God had made an agreement with his people. And he had done what he agreed to do. But they had not done what they agreed to do. Now God said that he would allow their enemies to *capture them. They would praise other gods. The people wept and they offered sacrifices. (Sacrifices were gifts for God. They were asking him to forgive the things that they had done wrong.) They were probably not really sorry. Later, they did wrong things again.

This was the time when the Judges began to rule. There are some similar verses at the end of the book called Joshua. There, the writer tells us more about the great things that God had done for *Israel’s people. Joshua and some other leaders died, and a new *generation of *Israel’s people grew up. These people did not know what God had done. They did not obey God. They praised the *Baals and the Ashtoreth. *Baal was the false god of rain and good crops. ‘Ashtoreth’ is the plural of Astarte, who was the female god of war and good crops. She was the wife of the god *Baal. This was how people praised those gods. People had sex with the male and female priests in the *temple. They hoped that this would encourage the gods and female gods to do the same. This would make the land produce food. Sometimes the people even sacrificed their children. (They killed their children. In this way, they were making a gift to a god.)

The writer then tells us what the book is about. The people left God. They did evil things and they praised the *Baals. Then God allowed their enemies to defeat them. And he allowed the enemies to divide them. The people cried out to the *Lord. He sent judges to rescue them. Even then, they only changed their behaviour for a short time. After the judge had died, they were worse than ever!

As a result, God did not force that country’s people to leave.

He left them there

1)         to punish *Israel’s people,

2)         to test whether they were loyal to God, and

3)         to give them experience in battle, as we learn in chapter 3.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 has a list of the nations that remained in the land. We read that the *Israelites married some people from these nations. They served their gods. The 5 towns where the *Philistines lived were Gaza, Ekron, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Gath. The *Canaanites lived in the valleys and they also lived near the sea. They had lived there before anyone else. The people from Sidon lived near the port called Sidon. Later, people called them the Phoenicians. The *Hivites were probably the same people as the Horites, who had been in Upper Mesopotamia. They went to live in the south-west. They lived there in the mountains of Hermon and Lebanon.

Othniel was the only judge that was from the north. The other judges were from the south. This story shows the order of events in each judge’s life.

•           The people did evil things.

•           Their enemies caused pain and trouble to them.

•           The people cried to the *Lord to help them.

•           He sent a judge to make them free. He had given his Spirit to the judge.

•           Then there was peace, which continued for many years.

The judges were very skilful because they had the special power of God’s Spirit. Othniel defeated the king that was the people’s enemy. Cushan-Rishathaim is not the king’s real name. It means the ‘twice wicked Cushan.’ This is probably how the writer of the story described him. Perhaps Cushan was the king of Teman in Edom. (Edom belonged to Jacob’s brother Esau. It was south from the country that God had promised to his people.) If so, it would not surprise anyone that Othniel from Judah’s *tribe defeated him. This is because Judah’s *tribe was in the south. The people in Edom had big holes in the ground. They got brown metal from these.

The *Israelites did not expect the attack by the army from Moab. The people who lived in Moab were *descendants of Lot. They did not live in the country that God had promised to *Israel’s people. They had *captured the ‘City with *Palm Trees’ (Jericho). The *Israelites had *captured this city when Joshua was alive. Moab’s people controlled the *Israelites for 18 years. Then God sent Ehud to free them. In the story, we read that Ehud was left-handed. The *Hebrew word might mean that he was unable to use his right hand. Perhaps it was deformed (badly shaped). However, in chapter 20 we learn that many people in Benjamin’s *tribe were left-handed. The name Benjamin actually means the ‘son of my right hand’. Ehud carried the tax money in his right hand. The people let him go where the king was. They did not think that he was dangerous. He told the king that he had a message. The message was for the king only. This ‘message’ was actually his sword, which he was carrying on his right side. Nobody thought that it would be there. ‘The *statues near Gilgal’ could be stone *statues. These marked the boundary of Eglon’s land. From here, Ehud could easily escape. The king went into his summer room. This was on the roof of the house. It was cool there. Ehud killed him when he stood up. He stood up to hear God’s message. Then Ehud locked the door. The writer tells us everything about how he killed him! The king’s servants were slow to find him. They thought that he had gone to the toilet. Then they discovered what had happened. By then, Ehud had escaped.

God does things that we do not think will happen. We can see the idea of the left hand in I Corinthians 1:26-29. There the writer says that God uses those that are nothing. They will bring to nothing those that are something. Nobody should be proud in the place where God is. After Ehud’s success, people followed him and they defeated the people from Moab. He *captured the places where people went over the river. This stopped other people that would have helped Moab’s people. He also stopped Moab’s army so that it did not escape.

Ehud used his left hand. Contrast this with God’s use of his own right hand. God promises that he will bless his people. And he promises that he will destroy their enemies. And he will do these things with his right hand. At his right hand, there is complete satisfaction, which will last always. His Messiah sits at his right hand. (The Messiah is a very special person that God sent. God chose the Messiah to save his people.) That is the place where power, *blessing and praise are. We always know the results of the wrong things that *Israel’s people did. We know them before they happen. We also know what the result of God’s plans will be. But we do not know how people will attack *Israel’s people. We do not know what God will use to rescue them. We can ask God to do what he has promised. But we cannot tell him how to do it.

Shamgar may not have been from *Israel. Perhaps he was a mercenary (a hired soldier) that was a leader of the *Canaanites’ army. He helped in the *opposition to the *Philistines. The sharp stick was an ox-goad. An ox-goad was 8-10 feet (about 3 metres) long, with a sharp metal top. It was like a *spear. People used it to make animals move. This may have been an event that happened only once. That is, Shamgar may have killed all the 600 *Philistines at one time. In this story, the writer does not follow the usual plan of the other stories.

Chapter 4

These stories are about the northern *tribes. The people in *Canaan may have attacked 6 northern *tribes. The enemy is Jabin the king of Hazor. He does not do anything in the story, but he is still important. Jabin may be the name of a royal rank rather than a personal name. In Joshua 11, we read that people had destroyed Hazor. However, they had probably built it again. About 40 000 people lived in it. People thought that they had destroyed Hazor. But now they knew its power once more. This was another attack by an old enemy. There is something similar in the book called Revelation. There we read about an evil animal. People had hurt its body so that it would die. Then it recovered. We can say that we have succeeded against enemies and bad things. However, they can come to life again. In this world today, no success against what is wrong will ever be final.

Sisera had 900 iron *chariots. These were the newest military *weapons. The *Iron Age was replacing the Bronze Age. (The Bronze Age was when people made *weapons from bronze. Bronze is a mixture of a red metal and tin.) God’s people wanted that country called *Canaan. However, they opposed the way in which its people lived. God would give *Canaan to *Israel’s people. But *Israel’s people had to force the people in *Canaan to leave. *Israel’s people also had to oppose the evil customs of the people in *Canaan. *Canaan was a pleasant country, but the moral values of its people were not good. *Israel’s people did not learn this until the people in *Canaan ruled over them.

The name Deborah means ‘bee’ (an insect that makes honey). She was a leader who could do a lot. She was not an important judge, because not all the *tribes followed her. Barak means ‘lightning’.

In this story, the enemy is one that we expect. But *Israel’s leader is one that we do not expect. Someone uses a method that we expect. But that person is someone that we do not expect. God does what he has promised to do. But he does not tell us how he will do it. Deborah was not the only ruler. Barak ruled as well. In Hebrews 11, we read that the person with *faith was Barak more than Deborah. Deborah came from the south. The northern *tribes asked her for help. She told Barak to get his army together at Mount Tabor. This is a well-known place about 1300 feet high. There, God would give Sisera and his army to Barak. The writer only writes about 2 *tribes here. In the next chapter, there is a poem about the battle. There he writes about 4 more *tribes. The reason for this may be that the battle was in two parts. The first part was at Tabor. And the second part was at the Kishon river. The writer does not say that Barak was wrong. Barak did what Deborah told him to do. He said that he would go. But he would only go if Deborah went with him. Compare that with what Moses said in Exodus 33:12-17. Barak refused to do anything without Deborah the female *prophet. This was because of what he believed. He believed that he was not good enough. But he trusted in the grace of God. This grace came by Deborah. Barak is the example of a person who trusted God. Other people get the praise.

10 000 men was a small army compared with Sisera’s very large one. But the *Lord completely defeated Sisera’s army. They controlled the valleys. There they could move their *chariots with care and skill. However, the heavy rain caused the Kishon river to flood. (See Judges 5:4, 21.) This surprised them. Their *chariots could not move in the mud. The *Israelites easily defeated them.

Sisera ran away. And he accepted Jael’s invitation to hide in her tent. He thought that he was safe. However, after he had drunk some milk, he fell asleep. Then Jael murdered him. She used a hammer and a *tent peg. When Barak arrived, his enemy was dead. Deborah was an honest person, but Jael was not *faithful. She was a very cruel person. She did things by herself and she did not ask other people about those things first. Like Ehud, Jael killed somebody in private. And she did it with great force. Sisera did not think that she would act like this.

Chapter 5

The story in chapter 4 showed us which people were in the battle. It showed us where it happened and it showed us when it happened. Now this song in chapter 5 shows us how God was working in the battle. In this poetry, the writer tells us a lot about the battle itself. This is a very old poem. Few poems in the Bible are older than this. Some words that the writer uses are difficult to understand. And they are difficult to translate. We read that the important people led the other people. And the other people were willing to follow them completely. The singers are singing a song to praise God. And they call the rulers in the area to hear it. They link the storm with the thunder (a loud noise in the sky) and lightning. They also mention the movement of the earth at Sinai. Even during the lives of Shamgar and Jael, the roads were too dangerous. People stopped using camels to carry things. They went on minor roads instead. They left villages to live safely in towns. These towns had walls. This continued until Deborah became ‘like a mother in *Israel’. The people had chosen new gods. The result was war and weakness. Their enemies would not allow them to have anything to fight with. So they did not dare to show their *weapons. Deborah’s feelings were with the leaders. And they were with the people who were willing to follow. These included the rich people that rode on white *mules. And they also included the poor people, who walked. The singers at the wells encouraged them. They reminded them about what God and his people had done in the past. The people gathered at the city’s gates to give thanks.

The song contains a call to Deborah and Barak. But this does not mean that Deborah did not write the song. She probably did write it. Ancient texts from the Near East often include the name of their authors. Both Deborah and Barak decided to act. They were not content with the situation any more. They read aloud a list of some *tribes’ names. First were the *tribes who came. Makir in verse 14 means Manasseh’s *tribe. Not all the *tribes came. They did not all obey. Some did not come. The singers refer to these in a bad way. They do not mention Judah’s *tribe and Simeon’s *tribe. These *tribes lived a long way away and they probably fought the *Philistines.

Nature’s powers, which fought for *Israel’s people, defeated the army from *Canaan. There was a very strong storm. And there was a sudden flood of water from the sky. This was what led to the success. It was not because of *Israel’s 10 000 soldiers. The kings of *Canaan did not get any possessions that people would normally take from the battle. Instead, they used their horses to escape. These were the horses that they would otherwise have used in the battle. In Bible times, people often fought battles on the plain called Megiddo. The book called Revelation refers to this as Armageddon. This is the place where people will fight the last great battle. In the poem, we read ‘March on, my spirit! Be strong!’ This is the cry of success. The song refers in a bad way to Meroz. This was a town that belonged to the *Israelites. It was in the area where Naphtali’s *tribe lived. It was probably in the area where the battle happened. But its people did not help the *Israelites. So the song refers to it in a bad way.

Now the writer of the song blesses Jael. She destroyed someone that was evil. That is why the writer blesses her. The writer enjoys every detail of her action. Perhaps Sisera tried to find safety in Jael’s own tent. She probably killed him in order to free her character from any blame. When she offered him *yoghurt rather than milk, she seemed generous. This made him feel safe. In fact, he was not safe. Jael did not entertain this visitor in a way that anyone would expect. It was like what Judas did. He gave Jesus to his enemies after the last supper. The *tent peg was probably metal, as the *Kenites were smiths. (Smiths are people that make things from metal.) People used *tent pegs to hold up the *ropes of a tent. Women usually erected the tents.

In the final section, the writer imagines Sisera’s mother. She is waiting for his return. She suggests reasons for his delay. Perhaps, he is organising how they share the property. Perhaps, he is sharing out the unhappy slave girls that the soldiers stole after the fight. Sisera will certainly return with clothes that his mother can wear. They will have beautiful colours and patterns. So Sisera’s mother is the mother in *Canaan and Deborah is the mother in *Israel. Notice the contrast between these. The last verse shows that the confidence of *Canaan’s people has no real reason. ‘*Lord, I pray that all your enemies will die like this.’ But those who love God will succeed.

What Jael did does not seem good. Deborah’s song shows happiness about her enemies’ death. To be happy for such a reason is not good either. But Jesus commanded us to love our enemies. If we know this, perhaps we should not make too strict a judgement. In his book ‘The Goodness of God’, John Wenham says this:

‘They do not bless Jael for murder and lies. These remain evil things even when you cannot do anything in a different way. They bless her for her courage. And they bless her for the fact that she obeyed the true God.’

Chapter 6

The stories about Gideon and his son, Abimelech are the most important ones in the book. John J. Davies says, ‘Gideon is the ideal judge like Moses. His son is the very opposite.’

The *Israelites soon forgot about Deborah’s success and they behaved in their old ways again. The new enemies were people from Midian and Amalek’s people. They were ‘too many’ in number, so that *Israel’s people could not defeat them. Their plan was what we today call a ‘scorched (burnt) earth plan’. This means that they destroyed everything on the land so that *Israel’s people could not grow food there. God told the people what he had done for them. Then he told them what they had done to him. God had heard their voice, but they had not listened to him. He had done very many kind things for them, but they still did wrong things. So God had to notice those wrong things and he had to punish *Israel’s people. And this was the result. He sent to them too many people from Midian.

Gideon is like *Israel’s people. He says that he is not important. God can use people when they know their weakness and their difficulties. The *angel described Gideon as a brave soldier. But this was a *prophetic description rather than what Gideon actually was at that time. However, his courage grew. This was not because he was brave. It was because God was making him brave. Notice the parallel between Gideon and Moses. Compare Judges 6:6, 11, 14, 15, 22 with Exodus 2:23 and Exodus 3:10-12 and Exodus chapter 6. Several things are the same about how God called each person and that person’s answer.

The *angel of the Lord is God, who is appearing as a person. Usually, God gave messages under an *oak tree that was a holy tree. Gideon’s father came from the family of Abiezer, Manasseh’s son. The hole in the ground was called a *winepress. (The ground there was rock.) In there, people used their feet to *crush *grapes. The juice ran down to a place where something held it. Gideon was able to separate corn from stems in the *winepress. This shows how small the harvest was. Gideon was like other people who lived at that time. He thought that God had left him alone. God had done things for his people in the past. But he thought that God had not done such things in the present. However, God made him feel sure that God was giving him the task. Gideon thought that he was not the most suitable person for it. But God encouraged him. He promised to be with Gideon.

*Israel’s people had to learn how great their enemy was. In verses 17-18, Gideon asked for a sign. And he offered a present. The word for ‘present’ means something that people offered to a king. Or they offered it to an important person. The present was expensive, as they had very little food. The flour weighed between 34 and 45 pounds (15-20 kilograms). The fire burnt up the meal. Then Gideon knew who his visitor was. And he was afraid. People believed that no person could continue to live after he or she had seen God. That is why Gideon was afraid. The *Lord told him that he would not die. So he built an *altar (a stone table with a flat top on which to burn dead animals and gifts). From this story, we learn how the place got its name. The name means ‘The *Lord sent peace’. In this part, the story is very similar to chapter 13. That chapter contains the story about Samson’s birth.

Before Gideon could change the nation, he had to change things in his home. Perhaps his father served both God and *Baal. The male cow was a special animal. Perhaps Joash wanted to *sacrifice it to *Baal. God told Gideon to build another *altar on top of a rock. People probably went to that rock whenever the people from Midian attacked. They would go there for safety. (Look at verse 2.) God told Gideon to do this after he had first destroyed his father’s *altar and wooden *pole. The *altar was where people offered gifts to *Baal. And the *pole was where people praised *Asherah. These were evil things from the world round them. These things had come into their lives before anyone had noticed it.

So Gideon obeyed God and he destroyed his father’s *idol. (An *idol is an object to praise instead of God.) He had to oppose the enemy. It was better to do it at night if he was too afraid during the day. He had to do what God told him. He did not have to be a hero who would take risks.

The people called him Jerubbaal. This name means ‘Let *Baal fight him’. It was Gideon’s nickname. (A nickname means a name that people give someone. They give it to them because of what they are like.) In this story, we learn why they gave him this nickname. The neighbours of Gideon’s father protested against Gideon’s action. Then Gideon’s father replied to them in this way: If *Baal were a real god, he would not need their help in this matter. If they did help him, it would be an insult to him. And they would deserve death because of it. They would deserve death because *Baal should be able to protect his own character! By this reply, Gideon’s father showed good wisdom that he had learned from experience.

The people from Midian attacked again. And the Spirit of God came upon Gideon. In the original *Hebrew language, this means that God’s Spirit ‘put himself onto Gideon, like clothes’. God’s Spirit completely controlled him. Gideon asked Abiezer’s relatives (Gideon’s own people) to help him. And he asked Manasseh’s *tribe (to which Abiezer’s relatives belonged). He also asked Asher’s *tribe, Zebulun’s *tribe and Naphtali’s *tribe. He did not call Ephraim’s *tribe to help him. Perhaps he was afraid to lead such a powerful *tribe. They complained about this later, in chapter 8.

Gideon needed to be sure what God wanted. So he used the wool as a test to make sure. People often needed to discover what God wanted. But that was not usually a good way to do it. In Psalm 95:5-11, the writer speaks badly about the *Israelites. This was because they tested God. In Isaiah 7:10-17, the writer speaks badly about the king. But there it was because he did not ask for a sign. We follow God by trust. We do not follow him by what we can see. The important thing about God’s advice is not how God gives it to us. The important thing is the fact that he does give it. Gideon here was different. He was humble, unwilling and shy. He was slow to act. But this does not mean that he did not trust God. He had *faith, but he was careful. He knew that the second sign was the greater *miracle. In the first sign, the wool would easily hold water. But in the second sign, the floor was rock. This would not hold water easily.

Chapter 7

*Israel’s army was at Harod *spring. This is at the bottom of the mountain called Gilboa. The army from Midian had camped across the valley called Jezreel. It was less than 5 miles from the *Israelites. There were ‘too many people from Midian’. God told Gideon that there were ‘too many people’ in his army. He reduced 32 000 men to 10 000 men. In Deuteronomy 20:8, the writer said this: ‘Soldiers who are afraid must go home.’ Gideon’s army would have good morale (confidence) if his soldiers were not afraid. In verse 3, the mountain’s name is ‘Gilead’. ‘Gilboa’ is probably another name for this mountain. Gideon tested how the other men in the army drank. He chose those who drank water with their tongues. This seems a strange choice. Perhaps they used their hands as a dog uses its tongue. In this way, they got water, but they still stayed on their feet. They would be ready if something happened. The rest went down on their knees and they could not get up quickly. However, the important thing may be the number of people. What they did may not be so important.

Before this, God had showed Gideon something to give him confidence in God’s promise. Now God repeated this method. He sent Gideon to get a message. He gave him that message by the men from Midian. With his servant, Gideon went into their camp. He went at night. He went to a place where the best soldiers were guarding the camp. The writer repeats that the soldiers were very many in number. That shows us how difficult the task was. Gideon heard a soldier who was describing a dream. In that dream, a loaf of bread knocked over a tent. The bread was like *Israel’s poor farmers. The tent was like the army from Midian. The soldier said that God had given Midian’s army and the whole camp to Gideon. The men from Midian were afraid. God would certainly act. This message greatly encouraged Gideon.

God chooses what is weak. This will bring shame to what is strong. Gideon’s army had no military skill. They could only blow a *trumpet and they could only break a jar. Then they shouted. Their attack came about two hours before midnight. Most of the soldiers from Midian were sleeping then. Those that had just come on duty had just woken up. The men from Midian heard the sound of the *trumpets. There were shouts. And there were the sounds when the people were breaking the jars. Because of their fear, Midian’s soldiers fought against each other. They ran away to the east. They went down the valley and then they went over the Jordan river. All the towns in the list were on the other side of the river. Zererah was 10 miles south from the place where they went. Abel Meholah was 6 miles east and Tabbath was about 7 miles south-east.

Gideon called for more help. Probably many that came had been in the original group. (This was the group that consisted of 32 000 men.) The groups of *Israel’s soldiers who had *weapons, got ready. They *captured the places where people crossed the river. They killed some leaders of the enemy’s army. Then Gideon felt confident enough to call Ephraim’s *tribe for help. He asked them to control the places where people crossed the river. This would prevent the escape of Midian’s army. They killed two princes of Midian. Oreb means ‘raven’ (a large black bird with a noisy cry). Zeeb means ‘wolf’. (A wolf is a wild animal like a dog. It lives in groups and it hunts in groups.)

Chapter 8

In chapter 8, we learn that we should be careful. And we should remember the good things that other people have done. Ephraim’s *tribe wanted a quarrel. Perhaps they did not like the fact that Gideon had not called them to fight. Perhaps they wanted a share from the goods that the soldiers had taken after the battle. Gideon gave a gentle answer. He told Ephraim’s *tribe that their efforts had been much greater than his efforts. Contrast the way that Jephthah gave an answer to that same *tribe (Judges 12:1-3).

In these verses, the writer continues the story from Judges 7:25. Gideon and his men did not have much strength. But they continued to chase the army that had come from Midian. Gideon’s 300 men had increased to 1500 men. So they were now a force that could fight against Midian’s army. The people in Succoth refused to help him, because Midian’s kings Zebah and Zalmunna were still free. The people in Succoth were afraid of Midian’s people. If the people in Succoth helped Gideon, then Midian’s people might attack them. That is why they were afraid. So Gideon became more cruel. He made this promise. He would make Succoth’s people suffer pain because they had refused to help. Gideon would do this when he returned. The men in Peniel also refused to help. Peniel was the place where Jacob fought the *angel (Genesis 32:24-30). There was a *tower there. People could escape to the *tower in an emergency. Gideon said that he would destroy the *tower.

The army from Midian reached Karkor. This was east from the Dead Sea. They thought that they were safe there. But Gideon made a surprise attack. He *captured the kings and the army ran away.

He *captured the two kings. He punished the people that refused to help him. A young man wrote down the names of the leaders that refused to help. This is a very early reference to words that people wrote. They used letters like a, b and c. Gideon used this list so that all the leaders of Succoth would suffer pain. The result was probably death for them.

Verse 18 shows that this matter had now become a personal argument between Gideon and the kings. He had managed the national crisis. Now he had to manage his private problems. They had killed his brothers. Gideon told his son to kill them. His son would have got great honour if he had done this. He did not do it, because he was afraid. So Gideon killed them himself. They said with courage, ‘You do it.’ And he did what they said. The shape of the camels’ *ornaments was like a new moon.

The *Israelites wanted Gideon to be their king. His reply may have meant ‘no’. Or it may have meant ‘yes, but I will not be the king in every way.’ Some Bible students say that he accepted the power but he did not accept the name. Other Bible students say that he had God’s Spirit and God’s authority. God did not want a king to rule over *Israel’s people at this time. If a king ruled, the authority could pass from father to son, without God’s Spirit. And God did not want that to happen.

Gideon’s reply may mean that God was really the people’s king. The country was a theocracy. (This means that God ruled over it.) It was not a monarchy (a country that a king rules over). Perhaps he said ‘no’, but maybe he really meant ‘yes’. He aimed to show strong belief in his *religion. He wanted to become popular with those whom he would rule in the future. But in verse 29, the writer says that Gideon went back home to live. Probably, he stopped working and he lived with his family. He had a lot of wealth. Everyone had a good opinion about him.

Gideon did not become a king, but instead he wanted to be a priest. He made his own ephod (priest’s coat). He did not use the one at Shiloh. He covered the coat with a very large amount of gold. This gold came from the ear-rings that Ishmael’s people wore. Ishmael’s people here were people from Midian. They were a group of traders, who bought and sold things. They also went from place to place and they lived in different places. This ephod became something that people praised. In this way, they were not obeying the law that forbade *carved images. Gideon did not intend to go away from the *Lord. Aaron did not intend to go away when he made the male cow from gold. *Israel’s people became ‘*unfaithful to God’. This means that they praised a god in the same way as the *Canaanites did. They had sex with priests and priestesses (female priests). But they completely defeated the people from Midian and peace lasted for about 40 years.

Gideon’s life ended in an impressive way. He was very successful. And he had many wives. He also had a woman that lived with her own family in Shechem. A king often had such women.

The name of his son ‘Abimelech’ means ‘my father is a king’. Perhaps Gideon would have liked to be a king. However, he did not say so. People considered that Gideon’s other 70 sons belonged to his family. But they considered that Abimelech belonged to his mother’s family. Shechem city was in a valley, between the mountains called Ebal and Gerizim. The land round the city produced good crops. The city was on a cross-roads. These roads were routes on which traders travelled.

At Shechem, God first told Abraham who God was. Jacob’s sons *captured that city. It was a city where people would be safe. Those whom people had accused of murder could go there. People buried Joseph there. Joshua met with all *Israel’s people there before his death. Most people there were *Canaanites and they served Baalberith (the ‘god of the agreement’). The city belonged to the *Canaanites. People may have included it in *Israel by an agreement. This would be an agreement of friendship. Perhaps Abimelech’s mother was a *Canaanite.

After Gideon’s death, the nation again served the gods called *Baals. They served the god of the agreement. This god was at Shechem. Perhaps this agreement was between the *Israelites and the people in certain cities. Or maybe it was between the cities and their god. *Israel’s people had forgotten God’s great acts. They would only turn to him when there was a crisis. To serve other gods was attractive to the senses.

In chapter 6, Gideon was weak, because he had a lack of experience. He did not have confidence in himself. In chapter 8, he changed. He did what he wanted. He was not able to make judgements very well. He produced peace, but this depended on himself. It did not depend on God’s law. The people were not grateful. Perhaps they thought that Gideon had had enough rewards.

Chapter 9

Abimelech spoke to the people in Shechem. He said that he would be a better ruler than Gideon’s other sons. He may have done this because his father had not married his mother. Perhaps he was jealous of his brothers. They may have thought that he had no value as a person. (Jephthah in chapter 11 had the same experience.) The people in Shechem were quite willing to have a king that was a son of Gideon. Abimelech was also their own relative. Abimelech spoke to his uncles first, and they told the people in Shechem. They agreed that Abimelech would be their king. They gave money to him. Then he could hire soldiers to help him. These soldiers could go and they could kill his brothers. They murdered the brothers on a stone, as if these were animals for a *sacrifice. People killed animals as a *sacrifice when a king got his crown. When they were making the *sacrifice, they also followed a ceremony. The people would follow the ceremony now and this would make the soldiers’ action look right. The ceremony happened at a holy *oak tree. There was also a stone here. People had put it up to remember something. Abimelech had a very small *kingdom. It was not much bigger than the western area where Manasseh’s *tribe lived. The *kingdom lasted only three years. It did not continue after Abimelech’s death.