OUTLINE OF JUDGES

JUDGES - named for principal characters - judges or deliverers

1. Prevailing conditions after Joshua (1:1--3:6)
   
   1. Unfinished conquest of Canaan by Israel (1:1--2:5)
      
   2. Religious-political cycles (2:6--3:6)
      
      1. Idolatry
         
      2. Wrath of God
         
      3. Repentance
         
      4. Deliverance
   
   
2. Opressing nations and the deliverers (3:7--16:31)
   
   1. Mesopotamia (Cushan-rishathaim) -- Othniel (3:7-11)
      
   2. Moabites (Eglon) -- Ehud (3:12-30)
      
   3. Philistines -- Shamgar (3:31)
      
   4. Canaan (Jabin) -- Deborah and Barak (4:1--5:31)
      
   5. Midianites (6:1--10:5)
      
      1. Gideon (Jerubbaal) (6:1--8:35)
         
      2. Abimelech the Tyrant (not a judge) (9:1-57)
         
      3. Tola and Jair (10:1-5)
      
      
   6. Ammonites (10:6--12:15)
      
      1. Jephthah (10:6--12:7)
         
      2. Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon (12:8-15)
      
      
   7. Philistines -- Samson (13:1--16:31)
   
   
3. Appendix: the conditions in the days of Judges (17:1--21:25)
   
   1. Micah and his idolatry (17:1-13)
      
   2. Migration of the Danites (18:1-31)
      
   3. The atrocity at Gibeah (19:1-30)
      
   4. Civil war and Peace (20:1--21:25)

RUTH - named for principal character

1. Ruth Chooses (1:1-22)
   
   1. Migration and sojourn in Moab (1:1-5)
      
   2. Decision to return with Naomi to Judah (1:6-18)
      
   3. The mournful homecoming to Bethlehem (1:19-22)
   
   
2. Ruth labors (2:1-23)
   
3. Ruth waits (3:1-18)
   
4. Ruth rewarded (4:1-22)
   
   1. Completed redemption (4:1-17)
      
   2. Significant genealogy (4:18-22)