1. Their office. It was not generally to try legal cases between man and man, or between tribe and tribe. It might be regarded as a military dictatorship blended with a religious authority. The judge was a union of the warrior and the religious reformer.
2. Their appointment; not by election, nor the votes of the people. The Orientals have never chosen their rulers by suffrage. The judges were men whom the people recognized as called of God to their office (Judg. 2. 16; 3. 9; 6. 11-13).
3. Their authority rested not on law, nor on armies, but on the personal elements of integrity and leadership in the men, and on the general belief in their inspiration. They spoke to the people with the authority of a messenger from God. They arose in some hour of great need, and after the immediate danger was over held their power until the end of their lives.
4. The extent of their rule was generally local, over a few tribes in one section. Deborah ruled in the north (Judg. 5. 14-18); Jephthah governed the east of the Jordan only (Judg. 11. 29). Often more than one judge was ruling at the same time; probably Samson and Eli were contemporaneous. Gideon and Samuel alone ruled all the twelve tribes.
III. THE OPPRESSIONS AND DELIVERERS. During these three centuries the influences already named brought Israel many times under the domination of foreign power. The story was always the same, forsaking God, following idols, subjection, reformation, victory, and temporary prosperity. We notice the seven oppressions. Some of these were undoubtedly contemporaneous.
1. The Mesopotamian Oppression. (Judg. 3. 7-11.) Probably this was over the southern portion, and the invaders came by the east and around the Dead Sea, as earlier invaders from the same land had come (Gen. 14. 1-7). The deliverer was Othniel, the first judge, and the only judge of the tribe of Judah.
2. The Moabite Oppression. (Judg. 3. 12-30.) Over the eastern and central section, including Ephraim (verse 27); deliverer, Ehud, the second judge; battle fought at the ford of the river Jordan (verse 28).
3. The Early Philistine Oppression. (Judg. 3. 31.) Over the south-west, on the frontier of Judah; deliverer, Shamgar.
4. The Canaanite Oppression. (Judg. 4.) Over the northern tribes; deliverer, Deborah, the woman judge; battle at Mount Tabor.
5. The Midianite Oppression. (Judg. 6. 1-6.) Over the northern center, especially Manasseh-east; the most severe of all; deliverer, Gideon, the greatest of the judges (Judg. 6. 11, 12); battle, on Mount Gilboa (Judg. 7), followed by other victories (Judg. 8).