Here’s a comprehensive overview of the key questions raised throughout the Book of Judges, organized by chapter with study prompts and deeper reflections:

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🔍 Chapter 1: Israel’s Incomplete Conquest

Difficult Questions:

• Why does Judges 1:8 say Judah captured Jerusalem, yet verse 21 credits Benjamin?

• If God was with Judah (v. 19), how could they fail against iron chariots?

• Why did the Israelites coexist with the Canaanites instead of fully driving them out?

Study Questions:

• How does this connect with Joshua’s conquest?

• What are the consequences of incomplete obedience?

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📘 Chapter 2: The Cycle Begins

Difficult Questions:

• Is there historical or archaeological evidence for the “angel of the LORD” at Gilgal‑Bochim?

• How does God’s “ceasing” to drive out nations align with earlier conquest promises?

• Did Joshua really “send the people away” when he might already have died?

• How do we reconcile Israel being plundered with God’s protection?

• Are there historical records confirming the judges’ existence?

Study Questions:

• How do we see disobedience, oppression, repentance, and deliverance reflected in our lives?

• How did a new generation forget God, and how can we prevent that today?

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🛡️ Chapters 3–5: Early Judges and Deborah

Highlighted Themes:

• Gideon’s tests and God using weak instruments

• Deborah’s leadership, Barak’s obedience, and Jael’s decisive action

• Samson’s moral complexities and his famous riddle

Study Questions:

• What does Deborah’s challenging of gender roles teach us?

• What drives Gideon’s fear, his need for signs, and his eventual victory?

• How did Samson’s strengths and failures reflect Israel’s spiritual state?

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⚔️ Chapter 11: Jephthah’s Vow

Difficult Questions:

• How could Jephthah vow what appears to be human sacrifice, and why isn’t it condemned in Scripture?

• Are there records verifying the 300-year occupation or his conflict with Ammon?

Study Questions:

• What are the dangers of rash promises?

• How do we balance vows with compassion and wisdom?

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🤝 Chapter 12: Civil Strife and Shibboleth

Difficult Questions:

• Is it credible that 42,000 men died over mispronouncing “Shibboleth”?

• Why did Jephthah and Ephraim clash, and what does it reveal about tribal unity?

Study Questions:

• What can modern communities learn from this breakdown in communication?

• How do identity and language serve as both unifiers and wedge‑dividers?

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🔚 Chapters 17–21: Moral Decline and Anarchy

Key Themes:

• The repetitious refrain: “In those days there was no king, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes”

• Stories of religious corruption (Micah’s idol, Danites) and social horror (Levite’s concubine, Benjamite civil war)

Discussion Points:

• How do these episodes illustrate moral relativism and lawlessness?

• What do they say about violence toward women and community breakdown?

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📚 General Questions from GotQuestions.org

• Who authored Judges and when?

• Who were major figures like Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Sisera, Jael, Gideon, Samson, and Delilah?

• What does “in those days everyone did what was right…” mean?

• What can we learn from the Micah/idol story and the Levite/concubine episode?

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✅ Summary Table of Major Questions

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Why These Questions Matter

• Historical Accuracy & Archaeology: Scholars wrestle with the historicity of Judges’ events and figures.

• Theology & Ethics: The book challenges readers on divine justice, obedience, vows, violence, and leadership.

• Social & Moral Insight: Judges offer a mirror to cycles of moral failure, leadership vacuums, and their societal consequences.

What are the questions in the book of Judges?

What is the book of Judges talking about?