Judges

Judges is one of the harshest books in the Bible and one of the most realistic. It describes a repeating cycle: the people drift away, suffer oppression, cry for help, receive a deliverer — a "judge" — and live in peace until it all starts again. Through it pass Deborah, the only woman to judge Israel; Gideon, who asks for signs because he is afraid; Jephthah, with a tragic vow; and Samson, strong on the outside and fragile within. None is presented as a flawless hero. The line that closes the book explains the mood: "in those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did that which was right in his own eyes". It sets up the books of Samuel and the monarchy.