Bible 110 Old Testament
Deuteronomic History
Judges & Ruth
A . Deuteronomists allowed the old stories to stand pretty much as they were.
Special cycle – sin-repentance-salvation-appears often. Incomplete conquest: the people in the land were not all driven out. This means that as Israel settled in
Canaan, the other people and their gods were there also. A major point in the
Deuteronomic history is the rebellion of the people after they had settled into the land.
B. 1200-1000BC period of adaptation, adjustment, consolation
Israelites defeated enemies (esp. Philistines) by means of a league or amphictyony.
JUDGES
C . Outline of Judges
History of judges
 Literary conjunction 2:6-10
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Theological analysis 2:11-3:6
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Defection or rebellion of Israel 2:11-13
 Divine retribution 2:14-3:6
Othneil, son of Kenaz 3:7-11
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Ehud the Benjamite 3:12-30
 Oppression of Moab 3:12-14
 Plot of Ehud 3:15-30
Shamgar, the son of Anath 3:31
 Deborah and Barak 4:1-5:31
 Prose narrative 4:1-24
 Deuteronomic introduction 4:1-3
 Summons of Barak by Deborah 4:4-9
 Battle near Mt. Tabor 4:10, 12-16
 Flight and fate of Sisera 4:11, 17-24
Song of Deborah 5:1-31
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Bible 110 Old Testament
Gideon 6:1-8:32
 Midianite oppression 6:1-6
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Prophetic censure 6:7-10
Call of Gideon 6:11-24
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Destruction of altar of Baal 6:25-32
Midianite invasion 6:33-35
Divine sign 6:36-40
Reduction of Gideon’s army 7:1-8
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Encouragement of an oracle 7:9-14
Rout of Midianites 7:15-23
Capture of Oreb and Zeeb 7:24-25
Ephraimite altercation 8:1-3
Pursuit into Trans-Jordan 1a8:4-21
Gideon’s refusal to be king 8:22-23
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Ephod of Gideon 8:24-47
Obituary of Gideon 8:28-32
Abimelech 8:33-9:57
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Introduction 8:33-35
Abimelech’s rise to power 9:1-6
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Fable of Jotham and interpretation 9:7-21
Internal discord at Shechem 9:22-25
Insurrection at Gaal 9:26-41
Destruction of Shechem 9:42-49
 Death of Abimelech 9:50-57
Minor judges: Tola and Jair 10:1-5
 Jephthah 10:6-12:7
 Introduction 10:6-16
 Investment as Israel’s leader 10:17-11:1
 Unsuccessful diplomacy 11:12-28
 Defeat of Ammonites 11:29-33
 Fulfillment of Jephthah’s vow 11:34-40
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Bible 110 Old Testament
 His strife with Ephraimites 12:1-7
Minor judges: Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon 12:8-15
Samson 13:1-16:31
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Samson’s birth 13:1-25
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Annunciation 13:1-7
Reappearance of messenger 13:8-20
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Interpretation of omen 13:21-23
 His birth and boyhood 13:24-25
Samson’s exploits with the Philistines 14:1-16:31
First marriage 14:1-4
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Rending of the lion 14:5-9
Marriage festival and Samson’s riddle 14:10-18
Break-up of the marriage 14:19-20
Firing of the Philistine’s wheat field 15:1-8
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Judahites surrender Samson 15:9-13
Slaughter of Philistines 15:14-15
Three supplementary notices 15:16-20
Exploits at Gaza 16:1-3
Samson and Delilah
– 4 trials 16:4-22
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Festival of Dagon 16:23-27
Samson’s revenge and death 16:28-31
Two concluding appendices 17:1-21:25
First appendix: Danite migration 17:1-18:31
Image of Micah 17:1-6
Micah’s installation of the Levite 17:7-13
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Reconnaissance of Danite spies 18:1-10
Relocation of Danites at Laish 18:11-31
Second appendix: the outrage at Gibeah 19:1-30
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Violent death of Levite’s concubine 19:1-30
 Reconciliation of Levite and his concubine 19:1-9
 Arrival at Gibeah 19:10-15
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 Hospitatlity of the old man 19:16-21
 Assault of Gibeahites 19:22-26
 Levite’s call for revenge 19:27-30
Bible 110 Old Testament
War with Benjamin 20:1-25
 Inquest of the crimes 20:1-7
 Assembly’s verdict 20:8-13
 Muster of the troops 20:14-18
 First battle 20:19-23
 Second battle 20:24-28
 Benjaminite’s defeat 20:29-36a
 Supplementary account 20:36b-46
 Refugees at Rimmon 20:47-48
 Plan for Benjaminite survival 21:1-25
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National concern 21:1-7
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Expedition against Jabesh-Gilead 21:8-12
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Israel-Benjaminite reconciliation 21:13-15
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Plan to secure wives for Benaminite survivors 21:16-
25
RUTH
Purports to take place during the time of judges 1:1
Marvelous short story; subject is the care and oversight of God
Perhaps the story is a polemic against the narrowness of Nehemiah and Ezra in ethnic matters. It also manages to show something of the Moabite background of David.
In the country of Moab 1:1-18
 A Bethlehamite family in a sojourn of sorrow 1:1-5
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A separation marked by unselfishness 1:6-14
 A demonstration of utmost devotion 1:15-18
At the village of Bethlehem – Judah 1:19-22
 Harsh reaction to Naomi’s suffering 1:19-21
Harvest resources for a new beginning 1:22
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Bible 110 Old Testament
In the harvest field of Boaz 2:1-23
 Initial meeting of Ruth and Boaz 2:1-7
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Extra provisions for a special person 2:8-16
Excited response of a mother and her daughter 2:17-23
At the threshing floor 3:1-18
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Naomi’s aggressive strategy 3:1-5
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Ruth’s bold act 3:6-13
Boaz’s magnanimous response 3:14-18
In the court of the Village Gate 4:1-12
 Boaz assumes the role of the kinsman-redeemer 4:1-6
 Elders attest the marriage of Boaz and Ruth 4:7-12
In the new home 4:13-17
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A son born to Boaz and Ruth 4:13
A festival of joy shared with Naomi 4:14-17
Epilogue: a genealogical table on the ancestry of David 4:18-22
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