The Book of Judges stands in stark contrast to Joshua. In Joshua, an obedient people conquered the land through trust in the power of God. In Judges, however, a disobedient and idolatrous people are defeated time and time again because of their rebellion against God.

Judges can be easily divided into a prologue, a main section and an epilogue. The main body (3:6-16:31) has seven distinct cycles of sin to salvation; Israel set aside God's law and in its place substituted "what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). The recurring result of abandonment from God's law is corruption from within and oppression from without. During the nearly four centuries spanned by this book, God raises up military champions to throw off the yoke of bondage and to restore the nation to pure worship. But all too soon the "sin cycle" begins again as the nation's spiritual temperature grows steadily colder.

The Hebrew title is Shophetim, meaning "judges," "rulers," "deliverers," or "saviors." Shophet not only carries the idea of maintaining justice and settling disputes, but it is also used to mean "liberating" and "delivering." First the judges deliver the people; then they rule and administer the justice. The Septuagint used the Greek equivalent of this word, Kritai, "Judges." The LatinVulgate called it Liber Judicum, the "Book of Judges." This book could also be appropriately titled the "Book of Failure."