Judges, Ruth

Mark J. Boda,George Schwab, Tremper Longman III,David E. Garland

• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9780310531784
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

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Text and Exposition

I. THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL—PART ONE (1:1–2:5)

OVERVIEW

Judges 1:1–2:5 represents the first of two introductions at the outset of the book of Judges. While the second introduction (2:6–3:6) orients the reader to the cyclical accounts of the judge-deliverer figures, which constitute the core of the book (3:7–16:31), this first introduction transitions the reader from the book of Joshua (Polzin, 146–48) by drawing on proleptic material from that book (Younger, “Configuring”; Wong, Strategy, 47–77) and prepares the reader for both the central core of 2:6–16:31 and the grand finale of the book in chs. 17–21 (see Webb, 118–19; Schneider, 1; Wong, Strategy, 27–46, 143–90). Both this introduction (1:1–2:5) and the central core (2:6–16:31) move geographically from south to north and progressively from success to failure.

In both this introduction (1:1–2:5) and the conclusion to the book (chs. 17–21), tribal identity is emphasized. Not surprisingly, the two tribes whose behavior is attacked in chs. 17–21—Benjamin and Dan—are the two identified as the greatest failures in the south and north in the anticonquest of 1:1–31. One particular tribe, Judah, is identified as the one that will lead the other tribes in battle (Amit, Judges, 146–47). One finds in both 1:1–2:5 and chs. 17–21 the same question in the nation’s inquiry of Yahweh regarding battle:

The Israelites asked [š ʾl] the LORD, “Who [mî] will be the first [batt^eḥillâ] to go up [ʿlh] and fight [lḥm, Niphal] for us [lānû] against the Canaanites?” (1:1)

The Israelites went up to Bethel and inquired [š ʾl] of God. They said, “Who [mî] of us [lānû] shall go [ʿlh] first [batt^eḥillâ] to fight [milḥāmâ] against the Benjamites?” (20:18a)

And the answer in both cases is Judah.

The Lord answered [ʾmr], “Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands.” (1:2)

The LORD replied [ʾmr], “Judah shall go first.” (20:18b)

By highlighting the tribe of Judah, this first introduction prepares the way for the fundamental concern of the book of Judges as a whole, that is, the ultimate failure of the generation that followed Joshua and the leadership of their judges. The problem lies with the people’s doing what is right in their own eyes because of the lack of royal leadership in the land. The proposed solution to the problem of the Canaanites and the temptation of their false worship is subtly linked to a royal hope. Certainly the second introduction and its related section will introduce an early solution to Israel’s dilemma, but the progressive failure of people and leadership during the generations after Joshua will only highlight the need for divinely anointed and appointed royal leadership.

While the account in ch. 1 does echo the style of royal military annals in the ancient Near East (Younger, “Judges 1 in its Near Eastern Literary Context”; cf. idem, Ancient Conquest Accounts: A Study in Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical History Writing [JSOTSup 98; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1990], 198), one should not overlook two interlinked trajectories in Judges 1, the first in terms of geography as the description moves from south to north and the second in terms of conquest as the description moves from initial Judahite success to increasing northern failure to possess the land (Amit, Judges, 150–51; Wong, Strategy, 150; cf. Younger, “Judges 1 in its Near Eastern Literary Context”; idem, “Configuring”). This arrangement is strikingly similar to the geographic progress of the central section of the book (2:6–16:31), revealing the role of this chapter in preparing the way for that part of the book as well (Dumbrell, 25; Brettler, Judges, 110; Wong, Strategy, 154) by subtly indicting the northern tribes for the lack of conquest.

The structure of 1:1–2:5 (note use of the verb ʿlh, “go up,” at the key junctures 1:4, 22; 2:1; cf. Webb, 103; O’Connell, 12, n. 2; McCann, 28) suggests that Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin constitute the southern tribes and that the Joseph tribes (Manasseh, Ephraim), Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan constitute the northern tribes, called Israel in v.28. Judges 1:3–21 displays the structure of successful conquest by the dominant tribe (Judah, vv.3–19a), with whom Yahweh presences himself (v.19a). This success is followed, however, by ultimate failure by that dominant tribe (v.19b) and complete failure by another tribe (Benjamin, v.21; cf. Webb, 92).

With v.22 the account shifts to the successful conquest by the dominant northern tribes (Joseph), with whom Yahweh presences himself, followed by the ultimate failure of those dominant tribes (vv.27–29) and complete failure by the other tribes (vv.30–36). One should not miss how ch. 1 gives “the impression of a process by which the people are gradually swept up into a situation of coexistence with the inhabitants of the land” (Amit, Judges, 151). This process, which will restrict Israel largely to the central highlands, not only “explains much of the nation’s subsequent history,” but it also “fits the archaeological record” (Matthews, Judges and Ruth, 46). This first introduction concludes with the indictment by the “angel of the LORD” for Israel’s failure to complete the conquest (2:1–5).

A. Inquiring of Yahweh (1:1–3)

1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”

2The LORD answered, “Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands.”

3Then the men of Judah said to the Simeonites their brothers, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites went with them.

COMMENTARY

1–2 The chapter begins by noting the death of the great leader of the people in conquering the land. This opening statement suggests that a leadership crisis lies at the heart of this book, especially when read in the light of Joshua 1, where, after the death of the great leader (Moses), a new leader was already in place (Joshua; cf. Schneider, 2; Matthews, Judges and Ruth, 28).

While passages such as Joshua 21:43–45 emphasize the successes in the conquest and the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel, passages such as Joshua 13 (see v.1) suggest that the conquest was far from complete by the end of Joshua’s life. It is interesting how these two perspectives are intertwined in Joshua 23:1–5, which claims that Yahweh “had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them” when Joshua was “old and well advanced in years” (v.1), even as Joshua admits that there are remaining nations (v.4) that “the LORD your God himself will drive . . . out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you” (v.5).

The narrator merely informs the reader that the Israelites made inquiry (š ʾl) of Yahweh without specifying through what means, whether priest (Urim and Thummim, cf. Nu 27:21) or prophet (inquiry of Yahweh, cf. Jer 47:1–7; Schneider, 4). The tribes are searching for direction for their first military campaign after the death of Joshua. With the loss of their military leader, it appears they are looking for leadership; however, this leadership is linked not to an individual, but rather to an entire tribe—that of Judah. This tribe will be the answer to Israel’s inquiry again at the end of the book of Judges in their battle against Gibeah and Benjamin (Jdg 20:18; cf. Wong, Strategy, 32–35). There, however, Judah will suffer defeat, typical of those times, but that also serves as a reminder of Judah’s vulnerability.

3 What is interesting is that Judah does not immediately respond to the divine instruction. Instead, Judah invites Simeon to join in on the expedition, pledging support for Simeon’s future campaign (see the background for natural affinity of these two full brothers in Ge 29:33, 35; cf. Block, 88). Judah does follow through on his promise to Simeon (see v.17); however, Judah’s deal with Simeon suggests compromise on Judah’s part (see Klein, The Triumph of Irony, 23; Matthews, Judges and Ruth, 38). Additionally, it presages the ultimate fate of Simeon, spelling disaster for Simeon as a tribe. Over time Simeon, both the tribe and its territory, would be amalgamated into the tribe of Judah, a reality presaged in the absence of Simeon’s name in the lists of tribes in Deuteronomy 33 and Judges 5 and the relatively small size of Simeon compared to the other tribes in Numbers 26. This development is also presaged by the prophecy of Simeon’s distribution (along with Levi) among the rest of the tribes in Genesis 49:5–7 (cf. Block, 88). The statement in Joshua 19:1 that Simeon’s “inheritance lay within the territory of Judah” also reflects an awareness of its ultimate amalgamation into Judah.

NOTES

1

(yaʿ^aleh . . . l^ehillāḥem, “go up and fight”). The combination here of “go up” (

, ʿlh) and “fi...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Contributors
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Judges
• Introduction
• I. THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL—PART ONE (1:1–2:5)
• II. THE JUDGE-DELIVERERS OF ISRAEL (2:6–16:31)
• III. THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL—PART TWO (17:1–21:25)
• Ruth
• Introduction
• A: GENERATIONS OF ELIMELECH (1:1–5)
• B: NAOMI IS BEREFT OF SONS, SO EACH WIDOW MUST RETURN HOME (1:6–14)
• C: RUTH’S DECLARATION OF INTENT/NAOMI’S SILENCE (1:15–19a)
• D: IS THIS NAOMI? (1:19b–22)
• E: RUTH COLLECTS BARLEY IN BOAZ’S FIELD (2:1–7)
• F: BOAZ’S AND RUTH’S FIRST MEETING (2:8–13)
• G: BOAZ’S PROVISION WITH A SECRET COMMAND (2:14–17)
• H: RUTH REPORTS THE GOOD NEWS TO NAOMI (2:18–23)
• G
• F
• E
• D
• C
• B
• A