Judges 1:1-4 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites and I likewise will go with you into your lot. So Simeon went with him. And Judah went up and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. 

Judges 1:5 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek and they fought against him and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.(Exodus 34:11).

Genesis 15:19-21.

Judges 1:6 But Adonibezek fled and they pursued after him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. And Adonibezek said,

Judges 1:7 Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table.(over time he tricked these kings into coming over for a meal and then did these things; they were probably subservient kings to him that he regarded as being a threat, so it was a severe reminder to them not to mess with him). As I have done, so God has requited me.(?). And they brought him to Jerusalem and there he died.

Judges 1:13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

Judges 1:16 And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees.(the ancient city of Jericho.{Joshua 6:1} was a city of palm trees {Deuteronomy 34:3} and was the city where all the walls fell down:.Joshua 6:1-27; why did such a thing happen to the people of Jericho?.Luke 13:1-5).with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the south of Arad and they went and dwelt among the people.

Judges 1:36 And the coast of the Amorites.(Genesis 15:16).was from the going up to Akrabbim.(ascent or mountain pass at the south of the Dead Sea, which formed the border of Palestine and was also the border of the Amorites:.Numbers 34:4), from the rock and upward.

Judges 2:1 And an angel of God.(angels acting on God's behalf, can act as though they were God)).came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers and I said, I will never break my covenant.(agreement).with you.(Hebrews 13:5 "...for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.").

Judges 2:2-4 And you shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land.(Revelation 18:4). You shall throw down their altars. But you have not obeyed my voice. Why have you done this? Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you, but they shall be as thorns in your sides and their gods shall be a snare unto you. And it came to pass, when the angel of God spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept.

Judges 2:7 And the people served God all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works God had done that he did for Israel.

Judges 2:8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of God, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

Judges 2:9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim on the north side of the hill Gaash. 

Judges 2:10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the true God, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

Judges 2:11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of God and served Baalim.

Judges 2:12 And they forsook the God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt and followed other Gods, of the Gods of the people that were round about them and bowed themselves unto them and provoked the Lord to anger.

Judges 2:13 And they forsook God and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

Judges 2:14,15 And the anger of God was hot against Israel and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of God was against them for evil, as God had said and as God  had sworn unto them and they were greatly distressed.

Judges 2:16 Nevertheless God raised up judges which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

Judges 2:17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods and bowed themselves unto them.(what Gods were these?). They turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked when they were obeying the commandments of God and instead walked in their own waya

They just had no heart to be of the true God and that's how it was allowed to be.(gave them over), so the lesson of history would be there for other. (1Corinthians 10:11; John 20:31), that of, God's very nature needs to be in one or he or she just could never be aligned, just would never even want to be aligned with spiritual things of God.

Judges 2:18 And when God raised them up judges, then God was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge, for it repented God because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

God wanted it to be different for them, better for them, but their minds were on their selfishnesses and God never overrides anyone.

Judges 2:19 But it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and to bow down unto them. They ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.

Judges 2:19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead.(*), that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other Gods.(Gods are what one's attention is on, money, glory, fame, adoration and such selfish things).to serve them and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.

Jeremiah 44:16,17.

We see it today; a parent dies, leaves wealth for the kids, they go wild and all the more so when there is a lot of money they stand to inherit. Poor upbringing of children along with dumb ass parents and dumb ass schools leads to this. These poorly trained (Proverbs 22:6) and programmed by society types need someone over them to keep them on a sane path if the parents have failed to properly nurture the child.

Judges 2:20-23 And the anger of God was hot against Israel and he said, Because this people have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers.(and which they agreed to:.Exodus 24:3).and have not hearkened unto my voice, I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died; That through them I may prove.Israel, whether they will keep the ways of God to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it or not. Therefore God left those nations, without driving them out hastily, neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Judges 3:1-3 Now these are the nations which God left, to prove.(original for word 'prove' is 'test', that is God does test us so we can see how deep our character goes, that is, is it as good as we may think it is; an example of this is in the life of Job).Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war.(Psalms 144:1), at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; Namely, five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. 

Judges 3:4 And they were to prove.Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of God, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

Judges 3:5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites and Amorites and Perizzites and Hivites and Jebusites.(these and more of the '...ites').

Judges 3:6 And they took their daughters to be their wives and gave their daughters to their sons and served their gods.(lots of them). 

Judges 3:7 And the children of Israel.did evil in the sight of God, forgetting their God and served Baalim and the groves.

Judges 3:8 Therefore the anger of God was again hot against Israel and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia.(map).and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

Judges 3:9 And when the children of Israel cried unto God, God raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel.(Othniel was the first judge of 4 in the period of judges; he reigned 40 years, then Ehud {verse 15} became the next judge in Israel).the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

Judges 3:10 And the Spirit of God came upon him and he judged Israel and went out to war. And God delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.(name means 'twice-wicked Cushan'; a king of Mesopotamia defeated by the first of the judges, Othniel the son-in-law of Caleb).

Judges 3:11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Judges 3:12-14 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of God and God strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of God. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek and went and smote Israel and possessed the city of palm trees.(the city was Jericho). So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

Judges 3:15 But when the children of Israel cried unto God, the God raised them up a deliverer, Ehud.(the second of 4 judges in Israel).the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

Judges 3:16-26 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab and Eglon was a very fat man. And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal and said, I have a secret errand unto thee O king, who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. And Ehud came unto him and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly. And the haft also went in after the blade and the fat closed upon the blade so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly and the dirt.(stomach and intestinal matter).came out. Then Ehud went forth through the porch and shut the doors of the parlour upon him and locked them. When he was gone out, his servants came and when they saw that the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, Surely he covers his feet.(pooping).in his summer chamber. And they tarried till they were ashamed and behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor. Therefore they took a key and opened them and behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the Earth. And Ehud escaped while they tarried and passed beyond the quarries and escaped unto Seirath. 

Judges 3:27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount and he before them.

Judges 3:28-30 And he said unto them, Follow after me. For the God has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him and took the fords.(a passageway).of Jordan toward Moab and suffered not a man to pass over. And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty.(robust).and all men of valor.(courage and boldness as in battle; bravery).and there escaped not a man. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore.(80).years.

Judges 3:31 And after him was Shamgar.(after Othniel the judge was Shamgar).the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad and he also delivered Israel.

Judges 4:1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of God.(time and time again they were like this), when Ehud was dead.

Judges 4:2 And God sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

Judge 4:3 And the children of Israel cried unto God, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

Judges 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

Judges 4:5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Judges 4:6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali and said unto him, Has not the God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

Judges 4:7-9 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army.(this was Jabin II), with his chariots and his multitude and I will deliver him into your hand. And Barak said unto her, If you will go with me, then I will go, but if you will not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with you; notwithstanding the journey that you take shall not be for you honour, for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Judges 4:10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet and Deborah went up with him.

Judges 4:11-14 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses had severed himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim which is by Kedesh. And they showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. And Sisera gathered together all his chariots even nine hundred chariots of iron and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth.(a city in Naphtali west of the lake Merom {El Huleh}, from which the Jordan river passes in an undivided stream).of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. And Deborah said unto Barak, Up, for this is the day in which God has delivered Sisera into your hand. Is not our God gone out before you? So Barak went down from mount Tabor and ten thousand men with him.

Judges 4:15,16 And God discomfited Sisera and all his chariots and all his host with the edge of the sword before Barak, so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued after the chariots and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword and there was not a man left.

One often doesn't see where and how God will help, until the individual takes action.

Judges 4:17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

Judges 4:23,24 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. And the hand of the children of Israel prospered and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

Judges 5:1-5 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, Praise you the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O you kings; give ear, O you princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. Lord, when you went out of Seir.(Genesis 36:8,9), when you marched out of the field of Edom, the Earth trembled and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

Judges 5:6-9 The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied and the travelers walked through byways. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose; that I arose a mother in Israel. They chose new Gods. Then was war in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless you the Lord. 

Judges 5:10-30 Speak, you that ride on white asses, you that sit in judgment and walk by the way. They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel. Then shall the people of God go down to the gates. Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song. Arise, Barak and lead thy captivity captive, you son of Abinoam. Then he made him that remained have dominion over the nobles among the people. God enabled me to have dominion over the mighty. Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek. After thee Benjamin, among thy people, out of Machir came down governors and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, even Issachar and also Barak. He was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. Why abide you among the sheepfolds to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Gilead abode beyond Jordan and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore and abode in his breaches. Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no gain of money. They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, you have trodden down strength. Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones. Curse you Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse you bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. He asked water and she gave him milk.(original is 'soured milk', what we call today, buttermilk); she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. She put her hand to the nail and her right hand to the workmen's hammer and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head after she had pierced and stricken through his temples. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down. At her feet he bowed, he fell where he bowed and there he fell down dead. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots? Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself, Have they not sped? Have they not divided the prey, to every man a damsel or two and to Sisera a prey of divers colors, a prey of divers colors of needlework, of divers colors of needlework on both sides, fit for the necks of them that take the spoil?

Judges 5:31 So let all your enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the sun when it goes forth in its might. And the land had rest forty years.

Judges 6:1,2 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them dens in the mountains and caves and strong holds.(fortified.areas they had).

Judges 6:3 And so it was, when Israel had sown.(seeds for crops), that the Midianites came up and the Amalekites and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 

Judges 6:4-7 And they encamped against them and destroyed the increase of the Earth.(their crops), till you come unto Gaza and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents and they came as grasshoppers for multitude, for both they and their camels were without number and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites,

Judges 6:8-10 That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all that oppressed you and drave them out from before you and gave you their land; And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God, fear not the gods of the Amorites.(Genesis 15:16), in whose land you dwell, but you have not obeyed my voice.

They feared them and showed it by acting in ways that allowed themselves to be more fully subjugated. That's what happens when one doesn't have the true God in his or her heart:.Deuteronomy 5:29.

Judges 6:11,12 And there came an angel of the Lord and sat under an oak tree which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite.(Judges 8:29). And his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the.Midianites.(an oppressive.dominant and the ruling Arabian tribe, descended from Midian and were nomads like the Amalekites, a wacky tribe who would come and forcibly steal, often even destroying those who grew the crops they stole. The peninsula of Sinai {Exodus 34:29-32} was the pasture area used for the Midianites. It was to one of their caravans that earlier, Joseph was sold:.Genesis 37:28,36. The next notice of them is in connection with Moses' flight from Egypt:.Exodus 2:15-23. Here in Midian, Moses became the servant and afterwards the son-in-law of Reuel, the priest). And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and said unto him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valour.

Judges 6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Judges 6:14-21 And the Lord looked upon him and said, Go in this thy might and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.(verses 11,12 just above). Have not I sent you? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh.(speaking of that area).and I am the least in my father's house. And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with you and you shall smite the Midianites as one man. And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in your sight then show me a sign that it's actually you talking with me.(how does God talk to us and why would anyone be unsure of it? And specifically here in Gideon's case, see verse 13 just above). Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee and bring forth my present and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until you come again. And Gideon went in and made ready a kid and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour, the flesh he put in a basket and he put the broth in a pot and brought it out unto him under the oak and presented it. And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and lay them upon this rock and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes and there rose up fire out of the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.

Judges 6:22,23 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face. And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto you. Fear not. You shall not die.

Judges 6:25 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father has and cut down the grove that is by it.

Judges 6:27-28 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had said unto him. And so it was, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day and so he did it by night. And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down and the grove was cut down that was by it and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.(built out of what was left after they destroyed the altar of Baal).

Judges 6:29-31 And they said one to another, Who has done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son that he may die, because he hath cast down the altar of Baal and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it. And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning. If he.(Baal).be a God, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.(Baal isn't saying anything; where is he?).

Judges 6:32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal.(also known as Gideon:.Judges 7:1), saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he has thrown down his altar.

Judges 6:34 But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he blew a trumpet and Abiezer was gathered after him.

Judges 6:36 And Gideon said unto God, If you will save Israel by mine hand, as you have said;

Judges 6:37,38 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor and if the dew be on the fleece only and it be dry upon all the Earth beside, then shall I know that you will save Israel by mine hand as you have said. And it was so. For he rose up early on the morrow and thrust the fleece together and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. 

Judges 6:39,40 And Gideon said unto God, Let not your anger be hot against me and I will speak but this once. Let me prove, I pray you, but this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only upon the fleece and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night, for it was dry upon the fleece only and there was dew on all the ground.

....continues to Chapter 7