Judges

by David J.H. Beldman

Judges is a book for our time. It forces readers to come face to face with the way that faith speaks into the situations we encounter and read about in our newsfeeds. Warfare, authoritarianism, sexual exploitation, tribalism—these are a few of the repercussions from not having our social order oriented toward God.  In this commentary David Beldman expounds the story of God and Israel that unfolds in the book of Judges, highlighting the vital message it speaks to contemporary Christians who strive to live lives of integrity and undivided loyalty to Jesus under the constant pressure of the idols of twenty-first-century culture.

296 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2020

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you looking for a good commentary on the book of Judges? I recommend this work and found the insights from the author to be very helpful in interpreting the book of Judges. I think if you are going to be a Bible expositor teaching through the book of Judges you need to have this book as a work you consult.
After an introduction tot he book of Judges of about 55 pages the main portion of the book is commentary on the passages within the book of Judges (pages 57 through 229). There is also a third section in the book titled "theological reflection" that look at the book of Judges and Biblical theology (how it connects with previous passges and later passages, both Old Testament and New Testament). There's also discussion here on the book of Judges in relations to Systematic Theology and "Judges for Today" that talks about the issue of violence and treatment of women in the book of Judges.
The book as a commentary is very good. There were things the author talked about and discussed that I didn’t see in other commentaries. The book is most helpful with the difficult passages in the book of Judges, such as the story of Jephthah, the story of the Levite and the Concubine and the chapter where the Benjamintes when to kidnap women for marriages. The author’s attention to detail with exegesis and also context and his consciousness of literary devices is extremely helpful for readers trying to discern what is going on with these passages.
Having said that, I do think the book went on longer than it need to; the commentary was good and even the discussion about biblical theology and the book of Judges but I felt it started losing steam when it talked about the book of Judges in relations to systematic theology and especially the discussion about political theology. I think it went on too long when as a commentary it is already so good. With that said I must say I do found this book extremely helpful for me as I taught through the book of Judges for family devotions and also selected passages when I taught with my church.

[Christina Bohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beldman approached the book of Judges thematically/theologically, which, in an area saturated by historical-critical methods, was refreshing. The commentary was very readable and thought-provoking. It was clear that Beldman relied heavily on Butler and Block - two great Judges scholars. I was disappointed at times in the treatment of texts concerning women. This was, in my opinion, one of the biggest weaknesses of the commentary (where's Trible's contributions?).

At times, some of Beldman's reformed theology was clear. Compared to other commentaries in this series, the theological analysis was reserved for the end of the book. By that point, the theological analysis felt disconnected from the narrative, and it did not offer much more than had already been discussed in the textual analysis. I would recommend this book for the commentary (not the theological reflection at the end), and suggest it be read alongside some other Judges scholars.

[Jeremy Childs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief but effective commentary which focuses primarily on narrative analysis and theology of the book. Conservative on historicity, and takes a mostly negative view of the judges, which I find more convincing. The Theological Reflection section at the back of the book is really well done, I didn’t expect to see Bavinck cited in a commentary on Judges. I used this and Younger (NIVAC) as my primary conversation partners for a sermon series covering all 21 chapters of Judges and was well served.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This commentary is part of a larger series of commentaries that combines exegetical and theological interpretation, with the exegetical serving the theological. In this commentary on the Book of Judges, David Beldman, writing as a Christian and with Jesus as a lens, seeks to bring to light the complicated but rich stories that both offend and inspire. Judges is often neglected by preachers because of the violence that fills its pages, as well as the way women are portrayed. He addresses these concerns, while highlighting the complexity of the stories. As for its message for today, he points to the way in which it addresses modern idolatry and autonomy. This is seen in the constant refrain in the book, which declares that “everyone did what is right in his/her own eyes.” So, he writes near the end of the book that “Judges stands as a testimony that genuine human freedom that leads to flourishing exists within boundaries and in genuine relationship with God.” (p. 293).