The Structure and Function of the Prologue of Judges

Yohannes Sahile has proposed an insightful new solution to the problem of the Prologue’s structure. He argues for a single prologue that has four flashback units embedded within the main narrative. The purpose of this structure, he argues, is to contrast the faithfulness and success of an earlier generation (Joshua’s) with the disobedience and failure of a later generation (post-Joshua). In three cases, wayyiqtol-initiated clauses appear at the beginning of the flashback unit. This is potentially problematic, since normally wayyiqtol indicates pure sequence. But Sahile offers a plausible explanation in each case, arguing there are contextual indicators that signal the flashback. Though this proposal is novel, it deserves consideration by the scholarly guild.

Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., PhD
Chair and Senior Professor of Old Testament Studies,
Dallas Theological Seminary

1. Abstract
2. Acknowledgments
3. Abbreviations
4. Chapter 1
1. Introduction
2. 1. Need for Study
   2. 1. Issues
   3. Survey of Scholarship
   4. 1. Scope of the Prologue
      2. Organization of the Prologue
   5. Thesis
   6. Method
   7. Overview
5. Chapter 2
1. Structure of the Prologue
2. 1. Exposition: Israel at the Beginning of the Test (1:1–2)
   2. Complication: Israel in the Middle of the Test (1:3–36)
   3. 1. Simeon
      2. Judah
      3. House of Joseph
      4. Summary
   4. Change: Warning for Israel’s Failure (2:1–10)
   5. Unraveling: Israel’s Failure and Its Consequence (2:11–3:4)
   6. 1. Structure of 2:11–21
      2. The New Generation (2:11–14a)
      3. The New and Subsequent Generations (2:14b–19)
      4. The New Generation (2:20–21)
   7. Ending: Israel at the End of the Test (3:5–6)
6. Chapter 3
1. Flashback in the Prologue
2. 1. Temporally Overlaid Wayyiqtol Clauses in Biblical Hebrew
   2. 1. Clarification of Terms
      2. Survey of Scholarship
      3. Identifying Temporally Overlaid Wayyiqtol Clauses
      4. Examples of Temporally Overlaid Wayyiqtol Clauses
   3. Flashbacks in Judges 1:1–3:6
   4. 1. Evaluation of Judah’s Success (Judg 1:8–16, 20)
      2. Comparison between Two Generations (Judg 2:6–10)
      3. Comment on the Period of Testing (Judg 2:23–3:4)
      4. Summary
7. Chapter 4
1. Function of the Prologue – Part One
2. 1. Joshua as a Prequel to Judges
   2. 1. Joshua 21:43–24:33
      2. Joshua 22
   3. Judges as Sequel to Joshua
   4. 1. Success of a Judahite Family
      2. Failure of the Tribes
      3. Summary
8. Chapter 5
1. Function of the Prologue – Part Two
2. 1. The Prologue versus the Central Section
   2. 1. Chronological Relationship
      2. Logical Relationship
      3. Summary
3. The Prologue versus the Epilogue
1. The Epilogue as a Unit
2. Allusion to Joshua 22
3. Summary
9. Chapter 6
1. Conclusion and Implication
10. Appendix 1
1. A Translation and a Syntactical Analysis of Judges 1:1–3:6
2. 1. Wayyiqtol Clauses
   2. Non-Wayyiqtol Clauses
   3. Exposition (1:1–2)
   4. Complication 1:3–36
   5. 1. The Tribe of Simeon (v. 3)
      2. Judah (with Simeon) (vv. 4–7)
      3. Flashback (vv. 8–16)
      4. Judah with Simeon (vv. 17–19)
      5. Flashback (v. 20)
      6. The Tribe of Benjamin (v. 21)
      7. The Tribes of Joseph (vv. 22–29)
      8. The Tribe of Zebulun (v. 30)
      9. The Tribe of Asher (vv. 31–32)
      10. The Tribe of Naphtali (v. 33)
      11. The Tribe of Dan (vv. 34–36)
   6. Change (2:1–5)
   7. Flashback (2:6–10)
   8. Unraveling (2:11–21)
   9. Comment on the Period of Testing (2:22–3:4)
   10. 1. Author’s Intrusion (2:22)
       2. Flashback (2:23–3:4)
   11. Ending (3:5–6)
11. Appendix 2
1. Examples of Temporally Overlaid wayyiqtol Clauses
2. 1. Genesis 12:1
   2. Joshua 4:12
   3. 1 Samuel 17:13
   4. 1 Kings 13:12
   5. Jonah 4:5 (JPS)
   6. Genesis 5:6
12. Appendix 3
1. Outline of the Book of Joshua
13. Bibliography