Deborah
Category: Prophetic leadership & courage in battle
Could avoid: Remain silent as a woman in a male-led society.
“Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.” (Judges 4:4)
Cross-Refs: 2 Kings 22:14; Joel 2:28.
Chose: Judged Israel and commanded Barak to go to war.
“She sent for Barak… ‘Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands.’” (Judges 4:6, 14)
Cross-Refs: Hebrews 11:32; Psalm 68:11.
Endured: Risk of battle, responsibility to lead in a dark age.
“Village life in Israel ceased… until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel.” (Judges 5:7)
Cross-Refs: Isaiah 3:10–11; Micah 6:4.
Why: Zeal for God’s honour and justice.
“March on, my soul; be strong!” (Judges 5:21)
Cross-Refs: Exodus 15:2; Philippians 4:13.
Result: Victory over Sisera, 40 years of peace.
“On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.” (Judges 4:23)
Cross-Refs: Judges 5:31; Psalm 46:9.
Barak
Category: Obedience with reluctant courage
Could avoid: Refuse to fight against Sisera’s army.
“Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.’” (Judges 4:8)
Cross-Refs: Exodus 4:13–14; Hebrews 11:32.
Chose: Fought with Deborah at his side.
“At Barak’s advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army.” (Judges 4:15)
Cross-Refs: Psalm 18:39; Isaiah 41:10.
Endured: Facing overwhelming odds.
“Sisera summoned… nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.” (Judges 4:13)
Cross-Refs: Joshua 11:4; Psalm 20:7.
Why: Learned to rely on God’s power, not human strength.
“The LORD routed Sisera.” (Judges 4:15)
Cross-Refs: 2 Samuel 22:30; Zechariah 4:6.
Result: Israel delivered from Canaanite oppression.
“And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.” (Judges 4:24)
Cross-Refs: Judges 5:31; Hebrews 11:34.
Gideon
Category: Weakness turned to strength through faith
Could avoid: Stay hidden from the Midianites.
“Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.” (Judges 6:11)
Cross-Refs: John 20:19; Hebrews 11:32–34.
Chose: Obeyed God’s call to deliver Israel.
“The LORD turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel.’” (Judges 6:14)
Cross-Refs: Exodus 3:10; 2 Corinthians 12:9.
Endured: Fear, doubts, exhausting battles.
“Faint, yet pursuing.” (Judges 8:4, KJV)
Cross-Refs: Hebrews 12:3; Galatians 6:9.
Why: Trusted God’s promise of victory with only 300 men.
“With the three hundred men… I will save you.” (Judges 7:7)
Cross-Refs: 2 Chronicles 14:11; 1 Corinthians 1:27.
Result: Midian defeated, land at peace 40 years.
“Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again.” (Judges 8:28)
Cross-Refs: Judges 3:11; Psalm 44:3.
Jephthah
Category: Endurance through rejection and costly vow
Could avoid: Remain in exile after rejection by brothers.
“You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said. So Jephthah fled.” (Judges 11:2–3)
Cross-Refs: Psalm 118:22; John 1:11.
Chose: Accepted leadership when elders sought him.
“The Spirit of the LORD came on Jephthah… and the LORD gave them into his hands.” (Judges 11:29, 32)
Cross-Refs: Hebrews 11:32; 1 Samuel 12:11.
Endured: Stigma of illegitimacy, battles, his rash vow.
“When Jephthah returned… who should come out to meet him but his daughter.” (Judges 11:34)
Cross-Refs: Ecclesiastes 5:2; Matthew 5:37.
Why: Believed God could use him despite rejection.
“If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me…” (Judges 11:9)
Cross-Refs: 1 Corinthians 1:27–28; James 2:5.
Result: Israel delivered from Ammonites, though at great personal cost.
“Thus Israel subdued Ammon.” (Judges 11:33)
Cross-Refs: Hebrews 11:34; Romans 8:28.
Samson
Category: Flawed endurance & final faith in God’s strength
Could avoid: Live comfortably, compromise with Philistines.
“Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.” (Judges 14:1)
Cross-Refs: 1 John 2:16; James 1:14–15.
Chose: Confronted Philistines as God’s judge (though imperfectly).
“The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him.” (Judges 14:6)
Cross-Refs: Hebrews 11:32; 1 Samuel 11:6.
Endured: Betrayal by Delilah, captivity, blindness.
“The Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza.” (Judges 16:21)
Cross-Refs: Micah 7:8; Lamentations 3:52–54.
Why: In the end, turned back to God.
“Then Samson prayed to the LORD, ‘Sovereign LORD, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more.’” (Judges 16:28)
Cross-Refs: Jonah 2:1–2; Hebrews 11:34.
Result: Defeated more Philistines in death than in life.
“Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.” (Judges 16:30)
Cross-Refs: John 12:24; Romans 8:37.