Judges Chapter 1 Summary
The incomplete victories of Judah, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Discussion Questions for Judges, Chapter 1
- Has a community you were a part of ever experienced a crisis of leadership like in verse 1? Explain what happened. How does this inform your reading of this chapter?
- Which tribes are more successful and which tribes fail more in this chapter? Why do you think this was the case?
- Look over chapters 15–17 of Joshua. What are some similarities and differences with this part of Judges? How does reading the passages together give us a better understanding?
- How would you describe how Judges 1 fits into the broader context of the story of scripture?
- How does Judges 1 show God’s beginning to fulfill his promises to his people? Give examples of other Biblical passages.
- What are some failings of the tribes in this chapter? How is their sin a warning for us today?
- How do we see people working together in this chapter? How does this relate to unity or disunity elsewhere in Israel’s history? How can this instruct us today?
- How do we see God miraculously working in this chapter? What are some situations in our own lives where this can give us hope?
- Look over some of the chapters in the rest of the book of Judges. Compare and contrast with this chapter. How does this chapter set the stage for what follows?
- Describe how this chapter and the book of Judges fit together with the books preceding and following it in the Old Testament. How does this give us a better picture of what is going on in this book?
Key Words/Phrase
Partial victory, (vv. 19, 21, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33). 2, 7.
Characters
God, Judah, Simeon, Adoni-bezek, Caleb, Achsah, Othniel.
Strong Verse(s)
2, 7.