Judges

The word “Judges” means a book of the Old Testament that tells the story of Israel's early leaders, called judges. In plain terms, a biblical book, not to be confused with the plural of "judge" in everyday use.

Here is “Judges” used in a sentence: “The Book of Judges describes a period before Israel had kings.”

“Judges” is a name.

“Judges” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Judges tells the story of Israel after Joshua's death, before it had kings. It describes a repeating cycle: the people turn away from God, fall under an enemy's power, cry out for help, and are rescued by a leader called a judge. It covers figures like Deborah, Gideon, and Samson.

The 'judges' were not courtroom judges but military and spiritual leaders raised up to rescue Israel in times of crisis. Famous ones include Deborah, the only female judge; Gideon, who defeated a large army with a small band; and Samson, known for his great strength. There were around a dozen in all.

Judges is the seventh book of the Old Testament. It comes right after Joshua and before Ruth, in the section known as the historical books. It bridges the period between Israel's settlement of the promised land and the rise of its first kings, Saul and David.