In Judges 1, we read of the tribes of Israel resuming the conquest of Canaan after the death of their leader, Joshua. We saw things seeming to work out well on the surface, with Israel taking possession of some of the lands. But as we looked closer, we saw Israel’s disobedience and failure to trust in God’s promise to deliver, resulting in their failed conquest and God’s curse that they will not drive out the inhabitants of the land.

The narrative restarts, and we have a second introduction to Judges. The focus shifts from Israel’s military campaign, to the state of their relationship with God and the cyclical pattern that recurs throughout the book of Judges. The text ends just before the introduction of the first three judges.