12 judges

12 leaders were called judges in the book of Judges. Their work included more than the work of judges who made decisions about laws. They were military leaders who fought against Israel’s enemies. God used them to rescue his people from being treated badly. These leaders served in different areas of Israel and among different tribes after Joshua died. They didn’t lead all 12 tribes at once. These 12 leaders were Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon and Samson. Other leaders like Samuel also served as judges in this way.