Book of Judges Outline

          I.     The Crisis and Conquest after Joshua’s Death (1:1-36)

a.     Who shall go up to fight for us?  (1:1-2)

b.     Judah and Simeon go up & defeat the Canaanites (1:3-7)

c.     Judah fights and takes the city of Jerusalem (1:8-10)

d.     Continued conquest (1:11-20)

e.     Benjamin fails to drive out the Jebusites (1:21)

f.      Joseph takes Bethel (1:22-26)

g.     Manasseh) fails to drive out Canaanites (1:27-28)

h.     Ephraim fails to drive out Canaanites (1:29)

i.      Zebulun fails to drive out Canaanites (1:30)

j.      Asher fails to drive out Canaanites (1:31-32)

k.     Naphtali fails to drive out Canaanites (1:33)

l.      Dan pushed back by the Amorites (1:34)

m.   Joseph halts Amorite advance (1:35-36)

        II.     First cycle of Sin

a.     The Angel of the Lord pronounces judgment for not breaking down pagan altars (2:1-5)

b.     The people return to their homes under Joshua’s leadership and lived in peace all of the days of Joshua’s life and of the lives of those who knew him (2:6-10)

c.     The people did “The Evil” (2:11-13)

d.     God gives them up to their enemies (2:14-15)

e.     The Summary of the Book (2:16-3:6)

      III.     Second Cycle of Sin

a.     The people did “The Evil” (3:7)

b.     The people served the Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia for 8 years (3:8)

c.     God raised up Othniel as a deliverer (3:9-10)

d.     The land  had “rest” 40 years (3:11)

      IV.     Third cycle of Sin

a.     The people did “The Evil” (3:12)

b.     The people served the Eglon, king of Moab for 18 years (3:12-14)

                                               i.     Possible setting for the book of Ruth?

c.     God raised up Ehud as a deliverer (3:15-29)

d.     The land had “rest” for 80 years (3:30)

e.     God raised up Shamgar as deliverer against the  Philistines (3:31)

        V.     Fourth cycle of Sin

a.     The people did “The Evil” (4:1)

b.     Jabin, King of Canaan & Sisera conquered for 20 years (4:2-3)

c.     God raised up Deborah as deliverer (4:4-24)

d.     The Song of Deborah (5:1-31)

e.     The land had rest for 40 years (5:31)

      VI.     Fifth cycle of Sin

a.     The people did “The Evil” (6:1)

b.     Midian conquered for 7 years (6:2-6)

c.     God sends a prophet to speak warning to the people (6:7-10)

d.     God raises up Gideon as deliverer (6:11-8:21)

e.     The people seek to make Gideon king (8:22-27)

f.      The land had rest for 40 years (8:28)

    VII.     Interlude:  Abimelech’s reign

a.     The people enter into idolatry (8:29-35)

b.     The rise of Abimelech to power (9:1-6)

c.     The Parable of the Trees (9:7-15)

d.     The Judgment of Jotham (9:16-21)

e.     Abimelech reigns for 3 years (9:22)

f.      The fall of Abimelech (9:23-57)

g.     God raised up Tola as judge for 23 years (10:1-2)

h.     God raised up Jair as judge for 22 years (10:3-5)

  VIII.     Sixth Cycle of Sin

a.     The people did “The Evil” (10:6)

b.     The Philistines conquered for 18 years (10:7-9)

c.     The people repent and the Lord rebukes them (10:10-16)

d.     Who will go up for us? (10:17-18)

e.     God raises up Jephthah as deliverer (11:1-33)

f.      The result of Jephthah’s hasty vow (11:34-40)

g.     Jephthah leads the people of Gilead against the people of Ephraim (12:1-6)

h.     Jepthah judged Israel for 6 years (12:7)

i.      God raised up Ibzan as judge for 7 years (12:8-10)

j.      God raised up Elon as judge for 10 years (12:11-12)

k.     God raised up Abdon as judge for 8 years (12:13-15)

      IX.     Seventh Cycle of Sin

a.     The people did “The Evil” (13:1)

b.     The Philistines conquered for 40 years (13:1)

c.     God raises up Samson as deliverer (13:2-15:19)

d.     Samson judges Israel for 20 years (15:20)

e.     Samson and Delilah (16:1-22)

f.      Samson’s Faithful Death (16:23-31)

        X.     Interlude:  Micah, two Levites, the Tribe of Dan, and the Concubine

a.     Micah and the Levite (17:1-13)

b.     Micah’s Idol and Levite taken by the Tribe of Dan (18:1-31)

c.     The Levite and his Concubine (19:1-30)

d.     The people of Israel avenge the Levite against Benjamin (20:1-48)

e.     Wives for the men of the tribe of Benjamin (21:1-24)

      XI.     Close of the Book

a.     “There was no king in Israel and everyone did what is right in their own eyes”