A Visit With Jesus: Judges of Israel

Othniel

Othniel was the nephew and son-in-law of Caleb, and the son of Kenaz. His father and uncle were gentile Kenizzite converts who joined the tribe of Judah.
When Israelites forgot God and worshiped the Baals and Asherahs, God allowed them to fall to Aram Naharaim. In the conquest of Canaan, Othniel captured Debir and became the first warrior-Judge of Israel, delivering Israel from the oppression of the Edomites.

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Ehud

The Israelites offended the Lord and they fell to the Moabites.
Ehud was a left-handed Benjaminite who personally killed Eglon, king of Moab and ended Moabite domination of Israel.

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Shamgar

A contemporary of the Judge Deborah: the "Song of Deborah refers to "in the days of Shamgar ben Anath" (Judges 5:6);
His name was not Hebrew, and he might have been the son of a mixed marriage.

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Deborah

Once again, the Israelites offended God and He allowed the Israelites to fall under the power of Jabin, the Canaanite king. Deborah and her general, Barak (Naphtali), defeated Sisera, the general of the army of Canaanite King Jabin of Hazor at the Battle of Kishon near Mt Tabor.

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Gideon

Gideon is one of the most well-known and important leaders from the Book of Judges. There are more verses dedicated to him than any other judge. Interestingly, while he’s listed among the judges, the Bible never explicitly calls him a judge or states that he “saved Israel,” as we see with most of the other judges.

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Tola

Tola was probably from one of the leading clans of Issachar and appears to have lived at Shamir in the territory of Ephraim.

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Jair

Jair may have been a descendant of the same Jair who distinguished himself during the days of Moses and Joshua. He had 30 sons who were itinerant judges, and they possessed 30 cities. There is little said about him in Judges. (much like Tola).

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Jephthah

Jephthah was the son of Gilead by a harlot and was driven away by his half-brothers. The elders of Gilead brought him back and made him their chief at Mizpah. Jephthah refused to give up Gilead to the Ammonites, fighting them and conquering 20 cities.

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Ibzan

Ibzan was a socially prominent man who had 30 sons and 30 daughters for whom he arranged marriages. Jewish tradition identifies him with Boaz of Bethlehem in Judah.

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