PROLOGUE — Looking Back Across 21 Chapters
From the incomplete conquest after Joshua’s death to the near-annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin, we’ve walked through the entire book of Judges together. How much do you remember of the twelve judges’ cycle, and its repeated downward spiral? Twenty questions, arranged in order of difficulty.
PART 1: The Basics (Easy)
Q1. What is the famous refrain of Judges?
① Be strong and of good courage ② In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes ③ The LORD is my shepherd ④ As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD
Q2. Who was Israel’s first judge?
① Ehud ② Deborah ③ Othniel ④ Gideon
Q3. Which left-handed judge secretly assassinated King Eglon of Moab?
① Shamgar ② Ehud ③ Jephthah ④ Samson
Q4. Which judge killed six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad?
① Shamgar ② Abdon ③ Ibzan ④ Elon
Q5. What was the secret of Samson’s strength?
① A special weapon ② His uncut hair (his Nazarite vow) ③ A magic ring ④ An angel’s blessing
PART 2: A Bit Deeper (Medium)
Q6. Who killed the commander Sisera with a tent peg?
① Deborah ② Jael ③ Achsah ④ Delilah
Q7. To how many men did God ultimately reduce Gideon’s army of 32,000?
① 10,000 ② 3,000 ③ 300 ④ 30
Q8. Which object made by Gideon became a snare of idolatry for all of Israel?
① An altar ② An ephod ③ An ark ④ A staff
Q9. What resulted from Jephthah’s vow, conditioned on victory over Ammon?
① Nothing happened ② He had to offer his only daughter as a burnt offering ③ He became king ④ He became wealthy
Q10. What was the pronunciation test word used to distinguish Ephraimites from Gileadites?
① Hallelujah ② Shibboleth ③ Amen ④ Hosanna
PART 3: The Details (Hard)
Q11. What did Abimelech do in order to become king?
① Killed his father ② Massacred seventy of his brothers ③ Fled into exile ④ Took his own life
Q12. In Jotham’s parable, which tree alone accepted the offer to be king?
① The olive tree ② The fig tree ③ The vine ④ The bramble
Q13. What was Samson’s riddle at his wedding feast related to?
① A fox ② A lion and honey ③ A donkey’s jawbone ④ A rope
Q14. How many times total did Delilah attempt to discover the secret of Samson’s strength?
① Twice ② Three times ③ Four times ④ Five times
Q15. Which tribe took the stolen idol and priest from Micah’s private shrine?
① Benjamin ② Judah ③ Dan ④ Ephraim
PART 4: Theological Insight (Advanced)
Q16. In Judges 2, what is the theological reason God gives for not completely driving out the Canaanite nations?
① Israel was too strong to need it ② To test Israel ③ Because of a lack of divine power ④ It was a mistake
Q17. In Judges 10, even after God says “I will deliver you no more,” what emotion is God described as feeling once the people repent?
① He rejoiced ② His soul was grieved ③ He remained silent ④ He laughed loudly
Q18. The angel of the LORD’s revelation of his name as “secret” (or “wonderful”) to Samson’s parents connects to the messianic prophecy of which Old Testament prophetic book?
① Jeremiah ② Ezekiel ③ Isaiah 9 ④ Daniel
Q19. What can the horrific events of Judges 19–21 (the Levite’s concubine, the civil war with Benjamin) ultimately be read as foreshadowing?
① The complete success of the judges system ② The need for a monarchy ③ The abolition of the priesthood ④ The extinction of the tribe of Levi
Q20. What trend does the cyclical structure of Judges (sin–punishment–crying out–deliverance–peace–relapse) show over time?
① It gradually improves ② It remains exactly the same ③ It gradually worsens ④ It suddenly disappears
ANSWER KEY
1.② In those days there was no king in Israel… / 2.③ Othniel (ch. 3) / 3.② Ehud (ch. 3) / 4.① Shamgar (ch. 3) / 5.② His uncut hair / 6.② Jael (ch. 4) / 7.③ 300 (ch. 7) / 8.② An ephod (ch. 8) / 9.② He had to offer his only daughter as a burnt offering (ch. 11) / 10.② Shibboleth (ch. 12) / 11.② Massacred seventy of his brothers (ch. 9) / 12.④ The bramble (ch. 9) / 13.② A lion and honey (ch. 14) / 14.② Three times (he tells the truth on the fourth attempt, ch. 16) / 15.③ Dan (ch. 18) / 16.② To test Israel (ch. 2) / 17.② His soul was grieved (ch. 10) / 18.③ Isaiah 9 (ch. 13) / 19.② The need for a monarchy / 20.③ It gradually worsens (already stated explicitly in ch. 2)
SCORING GUIDE
18–20 correct: You sound like you personally met all twelve judges! You’ve perfectly grasped even the theological depth of Judges.
13–17 correct: Excellent! You remember the cyclical structure and the major figures well.
8–12 correct: A good start. Skim back through the series once more and it’ll all sharpen up.
7 or fewer: That’s alright! Judges has a large cast and a complicated flow. Take your time reading through it again.
CLOSING REFLECTION
What runs through the whole of Judges is a record of repeated failure, but also God’s patient faithfulness in raising up a deliverer again and again, right in the middle of that failure. The book’s final line, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes,” ultimately leads into the next story — Israel asking for a king.
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