Asbury's Top Ten: Fun Facts about the Book of Judges

Dr. Lawson Stone, Professor of Old Testiment Studies, has been with Asbury Theological Seminary for over 20 years. (Asbury alumnus, 1982)

Top Ten Fun Facts about the Book of Judges

10. Ehud (Judg 3) was left-handed because his parents, in order to train him for a warrior's life, tied up his right hand to force him to be ambidextrous

9. Abimelech is killed by a woman who, fleeing for her life from an attacking army tosses an upper millstone into her purse which later she chucks down on Abimelech (Judg 9:50-53)

8. Gideon was actually disqualified by God from fighting in the battle against Midian (compare Judg. 7:3 and 7:10)

7. The reference to camels in Judges 6:5 is possibly the earliest evidence for the military use of camels in history

6. Ehud made a very special sword to kill Eglon, but lost it…inside the king's body (Judg 3:22)

5. Shamgar (Judg 3:31) who killed 600 Philistines, probably was not an Israelite

4. After stabbing king Eglon, Ehud escaped from the king's locked chamber by passing through the sewerage access

3. Gideon's name, translated literally, means "Chopper"

2. Samson probably killed the lion by ripping it open by the hindquarters, which is where the bees made the honey (yuck!!)

1. The threesome that defeats the Canaanites in the Deborah story have names that mean "Honeybee," "Thunderbolt," and "Mountain Goat" (Deborah, Baraq, Jael)