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| Ottavio Vannini, "Jael and Sisera" |
To see which parts are read as Haphtarah in the annual synagogue cycle, click here
A full list of the Judges follows at the end of the summary.
1:1-4 Yehudah and Shim'on make war against the Beney Kena'an and the Beney Perez, under their leader Adoni-Bezek, slaughtering 10,000 at a place named Bezek.
1:8 claims that Yehudah conquered Yeru-Shala'im and torched it.
1:10 slaughter of the Anakim of Chevron (Kiryat Arba);
1:11 then Kiryat Sepher (Devir) under Atni-El ben Kenaz, Kalev's younger brother.
1:17: Yehudah and Shim'on conquer Tsephat (Chormah);
1:18 then Azah;
1:22 then the Beney Yoseph take Beit-El (Luz).
1:27 ff Menasheh, Ephrayim, Zevulun, Asher, Naphtali are less successful.
1:34 Dan forced out by the Emorim (though we don't learn where they go until chapter 18).
2:1 The angel of Bochim prohibits treaties with the natives and orders the destruction of all shrines (which is what the rest of the book is really all about).
2:8 Yehoshu'a dies and is buried on Mount Ephrayim (which will be the central location of every story that follows, until the last one).
2:9 Ba'al and Asherah immediately restored!
3:1 ff lists the nations of Kena'an.
3:8 conquest of Kena'an by Kushan-Rishatayim king of Aram Naharayim (Mesopotamia).
3:9 1st Moshi'a (מושיע), Atni-El ben Kenaz, Kalev's younger brother (see 1:11).
3:12 conquest by Eglon of Mo-Av.
3:15 2nd Moshi'a, Ehud ben Gera.
3:31 3rd Moshi'a Shamgar ben Anat saves Yisra-El from the Pelishtim.
4:2 Yavin of Kena'an rules; his chief of staff is Siys-Ra.
4:4 4th Moshi'a Devorah (with some help from Barak and Ya-El).
4:11 Chever the Kenite;
4:17 whose wife Ya-El kills Siys-Ra.
5: The Song of Devorah.
6:1 conquest by Midyan and Amalek.
6:11 the first SHOPHET (Judge), Gid'on, and a long conversation with an angel that is paralleled in Muhammad's first encounter with Jibril.
6:24 Gid'on (aka Yeruv-Va'al) builds an altar and makes sacrifice; then cuts down the Asherah and gets in trouble.
6:28 preparation for war with Midyan and Amalek.
7:1 the army is gathered at Mount Gil'ad. The cowards are sent home, the army then reduced to 300 by sending home men who don't know how to drink from a stream in the approved manner.
7:10 ff reconnoitering with Phurah; followed by success in battle.
8:1 Ephrayim tries to start a civil war, angry that it wasn't called to the battle (it was, it refused). Gid'on calms them and pursues the fleeing Midyanite kings, Zevach and Tsalmun'a
8:5: at Sukot, then in 8:8 at Penu-El, he asks for food for his men, is refused, and issues threats;
8:10 but first Zevach and Tsalmun'a, now at Karkor;
8:15 back to Sukot, and Penu-El (8:17), for vengeance.
8:22 Gid'on turns down the kingship in favour of a kind of Sanhedrin, but also takes cash for himself instead (ear-rings in fact) and uses it to make an ephod, which of course becomes an object of idol-worship.
8:28 his son Avi-Melech.
8:32 Gid'on dies.
9:1 Avi-Melech in Shechem, raising the means to murder all his rivals and become king (long before Sha'ul!).
9:7 Yotam recites a parable of the trees, which by verse 20 becomes a rallying-cry to overthrow Avi-Melech.
9:21 Yotam flees in fear to Be'er.
9:23 ff Avi-Melech is attacked by the men of Shechem, led by Ga'al ben Eved, but defeats them, supported by Zevul.
9:41 Avi-Melech now at Arumah;
9:48 and does the Golden Bough trick on Mount Tsalmon.
9:50 Avi-Melech takes Tabets.
9:53 Avi-Melech killed by a woman with a clay pot.
10:1 Another Moshi'a, Tola ben Pu'ah, the son of Dodo, a man of Yisaschar; he dwelt in Shamir, on Mount Ephrayim.
10:3 23 years later he dies and next comes another Shophet, Ya'ir ha Gil'adi, for 22 years.
10:6 "Conquest" by Pelishtim and Beney Amon.
10:7 until the end of the chapter: lots of sermonising.
11:1 Yiphtach the Gil'adi kicked out as a mamzer.
11:4 invasion by the Beney Amon.
11:5 Yiphtach called back to lead the defense.
11:11 Yiphtach made ROSH U KATSIV, which is neither Moshi'a nor Shophet nor king (but see 12:7).
11:18 the war involves Mo-Av, Edom, et al.
11:31 Yiphtach's vow.
11:33 Victory.
11:34 the "Iphigenia" sacrifice.
11:4 invasion by the Beney Amon.
11:5 Yiphtach called back to lead the defense.
11:11 Yiphtach made ROSH U KATSIV, which is neither Moshi'a nor Shophet nor king (but see 12:7).
11:18 the war involves Mo-Av, Edom, et al.
11:31 Yiphtach's vow.
11:33 Victory.
11:34 the "Iphigenia" sacrifice.
12:1 Ephrayim complains that Yiphtach went to war without them and threatens revenge (compare 8:1).
12:4 war between Gil'ad and Ephrayim.
12:6 shibbolet and sibolet (see also Psalm 69).
12:7 death of Yiphtach the Judge.
12:8 next Shophet Ivtsan of Beit-Lachem.
12:11 next Eylon of Zevulun.
12:13 next Avdon ben Hillel a Pir'atoni.
12:4 war between Gil'ad and Ephrayim.
12:6 shibbolet and sibolet (see also Psalm 69).
12:7 death of Yiphtach the Judge.
12:8 next Shophet Ivtsan of Beit-Lachem.
12:11 next Eylon of Zevulun.
12:13 next Avdon ben Hillel a Pir'atoni.
13:1 forty years of rule by the Pelishtim.
13:2 annunciation and Nazirut of Shimshon (Samson).
13:24 Shimshon born.
13:2 annunciation and Nazirut of Shimshon (Samson).
13:24 Shimshon born.
14:1 Shimshon in Timna.
14:5 the lion.
14:8 the riddle of the honey.
14:5 the lion.
14:8 the riddle of the honey.
15:1 Shimshon "divorced".
15:4 the foxes.
15:8 the first binding of Shimshon.
15:15 the ass' jawbone.
15:20 Shimshon described as a Shophet.
15:4 the foxes.
15:8 the first binding of Shimshon.
15:15 the ass' jawbone.
15:20 Shimshon described as a Shophet.
17:1 Miychah (Miycha-Yehu of Mount Ephrayim).
17:2-4 his mother's money.
17:5 the ephod and the shrine.
17:7 The Levite.
17:2-4 his mother's money.
17:5 the ephod and the shrine.
17:7 The Levite.
18:1 The Danites seek new territory.
18:2 ff they come to Miychah's shrine.
18:7 they conquer La'ish.
18:13 they ruin Miychah and steal his ephod and his priest.
18:22 Miychah pursues them; but then turns coward.
18:24 the completion of the conquest of La'ish.
18:30 Yehonatan ben Gershom, of the tribe of Menasheh, is appointed as the priestly dynasty to Dan.
18:2 ff they come to Miychah's shrine.
18:7 they conquer La'ish.
18:13 they ruin Miychah and steal his ephod and his priest.
18:22 Miychah pursues them; but then turns coward.
18:24 the completion of the conquest of La'ish.
18:30 Yehonatan ben Gershom, of the tribe of Menasheh, is appointed as the priestly dynasty to Dan.
19:1 Tale of a Levite of Mount Ephrayim and his estranged wife.
19:2 Events in Beit Lechem.
19:10 He finally leaves for Yevus, but doesn't stop.
19:12 Arrives in Giv'ah.
19:16 The old man.
19:21 Party at the old man's house interrupted, much like Lot's sojourn in Sedom.
19:24 He offers his women to them as an alternative to killing the man; they accept.
19:29 Home now, he cuts her up into 12 pieces and sends one to each of the tribes.
19:2 Events in Beit Lechem.
19:10 He finally leaves for Yevus, but doesn't stop.
19:12 Arrives in Giv'ah.
19:16 The old man.
19:21 Party at the old man's house interrupted, much like Lot's sojourn in Sedom.
19:24 He offers his women to them as an alternative to killing the man; they accept.
19:29 Home now, he cuts her up into 12 pieces and sends one to each of the tribes.
20:1 the whole nation gathers at Ha Mitspeh, mustering for war.
20:3 the issue with the man in the previous chapter is the reason; which he now explains in full.
20:10 decision to attack Giv'ah, and demand they hand over the sons of Veliya'al;
20:14 the rest of the tribe of Bin-Yamin do not support this and prepare to defend the sons, 400,000 v 26,000 B-Y + however many of Giv'ah.
20:16 700 left-handed Beney Yamin.
20:21 the Beney Yamin win the first battle;
20:25 and the 2nd.
20:28 Pinchas ben El-Azar ben Aharon leads the tribes against Giv'ah;
20:30 and wins;
20:40 and burns Giv'ah to the ground.
20:45 the survivors flee to Rimmon Rock.
21 A very strange tale, theoretically about the threatened vanishing of the tribe of Bin-Yamin, but actually an attempted Judaisation (by the Redactor) of the ancient and very naughty wine-harvest rites.
The Judges of Yisra-El
Most of them came about because of some foreign enemy against whom the people needed a leader in an epoch with no king; in the list below, where it applies, the name of the enemy is given first.
20:3 the issue with the man in the previous chapter is the reason; which he now explains in full.
20:10 decision to attack Giv'ah, and demand they hand over the sons of Veliya'al;
20:14 the rest of the tribe of Bin-Yamin do not support this and prepare to defend the sons, 400,000 v 26,000 B-Y + however many of Giv'ah.
20:16 700 left-handed Beney Yamin.
20:21 the Beney Yamin win the first battle;
20:25 and the 2nd.
20:28 Pinchas ben El-Azar ben Aharon leads the tribes against Giv'ah;
20:30 and wins;
20:40 and burns Giv'ah to the ground.
20:45 the survivors flee to Rimmon Rock.
21 A very strange tale, theoretically about the threatened vanishing of the tribe of Bin-Yamin, but actually an attempted Judaisation (by the Redactor) of the ancient and very naughty wine-harvest rites.
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| Tissot, "Gideon chooses the three hundred" |
The Judges of Yisra-El
Most of them came about because of some foreign enemy against whom the people needed a leader in an epoch with no king; in the list below, where it applies, the name of the enemy is given first.
b) Judges 3: 12, Eglon, no time period given; saved by Ehud ben Gera, then 80 years.
c) Judges 3:31, Shamgar ben Anat fought off the Pelishtim; no time period given.
d) Judges 4:2, Yavin, 20 years; Devorah and Barak; 40 years.
e) Judges 7:1, Midyan, 7 years; Gid’on, aka Yeruv-Va'al, the first to be named as a Shophet (Judge); then 40 years (8:28).
f) Judges 9:1 (and 22), Avi-Melech ben Gid’on, 3 years; cursed by Yotam.
g) Judges 9:26, still Avi-Melech but now also Ga'al ben Eved and quite unclear whether Zevul is good or bad, but no one in this saga is named as a Judge.
h) Judges 10:1, no conqueror, just the Judge: Tol’a ben Pu’ah, 23 years.
i) Judges 10:3, Ya’ir ha Gil'adi, 22 years.
j) Judges 10:10, Pelishtim and Beney Amon, 18 years; no saviour (they did it themselves).
k) Judges 11:1, Yiphtach; 6 years; unclear whether he is a conqueror or a judge or both; his title is "Rosh u Katsiv".
l) Judges 12:8, Ivtsan of Beit-Lachem; no conqueror. 7 years.
m) Judges 12:11, Elon ha Zevuloni, 10 years; no conqueror.
n) Judges 12:13, Avdon ben Hilel, the Pir'atoni; 8 years- no conqueror.
o) Judges 13:1, Pelishtim, 40 years; Shimshon, 20 years (described as a Shophet in 15:20).
p) Judges 17:1, Miychah (Danite legend; not really connected).
q) Judges 18:1, an unnamed Levite and a tale of gang-rape and civil war; no Judge named in this one and no external enemy.
r) Judges 18:30, Yehonatan ben Gershom, the son of Menasheh, is appointed to found the priestly dynasty of Dan. Does that make him a Shophet?
s) Judges 20:28, Pinchas ben El-Azar ben Aharon leads the tribes against Giv'ah. Does that make him a Shophet?
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