Exegesis Judges 13 Essay Outline

Exegesis: Judges III

Inside the Passage -key pieces of the passage explained in detail (historically, message wise, theologically) -Key word study (comprehensive, definitive, and aware complexity and ambiguity?) -summary of the passage (clear, concise, persuasive) -other Biblical material to understand this passage (references elsewhere in the OT or NT - list your sources
Outline
I. Prologue: Incomplete Conquest and Apostasy (1:1- 3:6) A. First Episode: Israel’s Failure to Purge the Land (1:1- 2:5) B. Second Episode: God’s Dealings with Israel’s Rebellion (2:6- 3:6)
II. Oppression and Deliverance (3:7- 16:31) A. Othneil Defeats Aram Naharaim (3:7-11) B. Ehud Defeats Moab (3:12-30) C. Deborah Defeats Canaan (Chs.
4-5) D. Gideon Defeats Midian (Chs. 6-8) e. Abimelech, the anti- judge (Ch. 9) F. Jepthah Defeats Ammon (10:6- 12:7)
III. Epilogue: Religious and Moral Disorder (Chs. 17-21) A. First Episode (Chs. 17-18; see 17:6; 18:1) 1. Micah’s Corruption of Morals (Ch. 19) 2. The Benjaminites’ near removal from their tribal territory (Chs. 20-21)

Summary and breakdown
There is a re-occurring theme in the book of Judges, which is also displayed in the third chapter. The author [tradition ascribes this book to Samuel, but the exact author is unknown] summarizes and explains the Lords dealings with His rebellious people by starting each passage by saying that the people of Israel at the time “Did evil in the eyes of the Lord”. Each cycle has a similar beginning, again stating that “The people did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (There is a total of five times in which this cycle of Sin, Servitude, Supplication, and Salvation occur, in the book of Judges)
1.) Sin- The Israelites fell into patterns of idol worship and turn away from the commands given to them in the Law of Moses (Ten Commandments)
2.) Servitude- Neighboring nations invade and oppress the Israelites. Israelites are unable to resist.
3.) Supplication- Under intense oppression, the Israelites confess their sin to God and abandon (temporarily) their idol worship.
4.) Salvation- God hears the prayer and raises up a Judge to drive away the oppressors and deliver Israel
In a time of apostasy Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. They gave their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons. They were forbidden to marry in this manner. In the same way (I Kings 11: 1-6) King Solomon also married in a manner that was explicitly forbidden. He then fell into worship of other God’s and was seen (v. 6) “to do evil in the eyes of the Lord”.
The Israelites were at this point under the oppression of Cushan-Rishathaim (King of Aram).
The Lord raised up a deliverer by the name of Othneil. (Caleb’s younger brother). Othneil Helped the Israelites rise up and overtake Cushan-Rishathaim. The Lord gave his people forty years of peace. But again the Israelites “Did evil in the eyes of the Lord”. Because of their sin, the Lord gave them over to Eglon, the king of Moab. Joining up with Eglon, the Amalakites, and Ammonites came and attacked Israel. The Israelites were subject to the King of Moab for eighteen years. Israel cried out and this time God sent Ehud, a left handed Benjaminite. Ehud made a double- edged sword and placed the sheath on his right thigh under his clothes. He went before Eglon and presented him with a gift. He then told the king of a secret message that he had for him. The king wanted to be alone. So when they were, Ehud drew his sword and drove it through the king’s stomach. He locked the doors as he let and had time to escape to Seirah, where he blew a trumpet and led the Israelites to the land God had given them. After this they struck down ten thousand Moabites. The land had peace for 80
years.
Ehud’s left handedness was a significant part of this passage though. Since warriors are right handed, the palace guard obviously did not check his right hip for a sheath therefore allowing him to carry a concealed weapon into the palace and even in the presence of the king. Following Ehud was Shamgar. He struck down six hundred Philistines with an ox goad and saved Israel.

Literary Style

The book of Judges is broken up in three ways.
- prologue (1:1 - 3:6)
- main body (3:7 16:31)
- epilogue (chs. 17-21)

The prologue (1:1 - 3:6) has two parts, and each part serves a different purpose.
They are not chronologically related, nor does either offer a strict chronological scheme of the time as a whole. The first part sets the stage historically for the narratives that follow. It describes Israel’s occupation of the promised land- from their initial success to their large scale failure and divine rebuke.
The second part (2:6- 3:6) indicates the basic perspective on the period from the time of Joshua to the rise of the monarchy, a time that is characterized by the re-occurring cycles previously stated. The author (unknown) summarizes and explains the Lord’s dealings with his rebellious people and introduces some of the basic vocabulary and formulas he will use in the later narratives: “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” and “handed them over to”, also “sold them”.
The main body of the book (3:7-16:31), which gives the actual accounts of the re-occurring cycles (mentioned above), has its own unique design. Each cycle has a similar beginning(“the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord”) and a recognizable conclusion ( “ The land had peace…years” or “ led Israel…years”). He first of these cycles provides the form for each successive story of oppression and
deliverance.