What is the primary focus described for the book of Judges?

• A. The Conquest of Canaan
• B. The Exodus from Egypt
• C. The Oppression of Israel
• D. The Restoration of Israel

Answer: (C)

Judges centers on a repeating pattern in Israel’s history: the people turn away from the Lord, God allows them to experience oppression under surrounding nations, they cry out for help, and God raises up a deliverer (a judge) to lead them to victory and relief. This cycle of sin, servitude, repentance, and salvation is the main thread that runs through the book, making the oppression of Israel the central focus. The other events described in neighboring books aren’t the book’s primary aim here—the conquest of Canaan is the story told in Joshua, the Exodus from Egypt belongs to the earlier narrative of leaving Egypt, and the Restoration of Israel refers to post-exilic rebuilding found in Ezra and Nehemiah. So, the book’s heart is Israel’s oppression under oppressors and God’s response through the judges who deliver them.