Ch. 1 is a capsule summary of Josh 14–19. Both passages are arranged by tribe:
| Judges | Joshua | |
|---|---|---|
| Judah and Simeon | 1.3–20 | 15; 19.1–9 |
| Benjamin | 1.21 | 18.11–28 |
| Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) | 1.22–29 | 16–17 |
| Zebulun | 1.30 | 19.10–16 |
| Asher | 1.31–32 | 19.24–31 |
| Naphtali | 1.33 | 19.32–39 |
| Dan | 1.34–36 | 19.40–48 |
The chronology of these passages is confusing. On the one hand, Judges 1 starts after the death of Joshua (v. 1); on the other hand, the two passages report many of the same events. But since both passages are arranged by tribe, and not by chronological order, it would seem that Josh 14–19 reports some events after Joshua's death, and Judg 1 reports some events before. For example, the conquest of Hormah was way back in Num 21.1–3, and the conquest of Jerusalem was apparently not until 2 Sam 5.6–7.
At any rate, this is the basic idea: when the land was divided up and allotted to the various tribes, some of the allotted land had not yet been conquered. It was up to each tribe to finish the job of conquering its inheritance. Only Judah completely succeeded (according to this passage—but see Josh 15.63). At the opposite extreme was Dan, who failed to conquer any of their inheritance and migrated from the south to the northernmost tip of Canaan (Josh 19.47; Judg 17–18).
Ch. 2 It's not totally clear when verses 1–5 take place. If we take it together with verses 6–9, then it was back when Joshua was still alive. If we take it together with chapter 1, then it was after the various tribes failed to fully conquer their inheritances. The point is that God had commanded Israel to exterminate the Canaanites, but instead Israel put some into forced labor and evidently made covenants with them (e.g., with Gibeon in Josh 9; see also Josh 11.19).
2.10—3.6 introduces the rest of the book, setting up a pattern of disobedience to God, oppression by foreign nations, and salvation under a judge.
Here is a list of Israel's judges:
| Othniel | 3.7–11 |
| Ehud | 3.12–30 |
| Shamgar | 3.31 |
| Deborah | 4–5 |
| Gideon (Jerub-Baal) | 6–8 |
| Abimelech his son | 9 |
| Tola | 10.1–2 |
| Jair | 10.3–5 |
| Jephthah | 10.6—12.7 |
| Ibzan | 12.8–10 |
| Elon | 12.11–12 |
| Abdon | 12.13–15 |
| Samson | 13–16 |
| Samuel | 1 Sam 1–7 |
Chs. 17—18 This is the first of two very strange stories. This one is about the migration of the tribe of Dan, previously recorded in Josh 19.47 (Laish and Leshem are apparently the same city). In 19.31, it says that they worshipped idols “all the time the house of God was in Shiloh”—that is, at least from Josh 18 to 1 Sam 4.
Chs. 19—21 Again, even though this story comes at the end of the book, it takes place early (20.27–28). Perhaps this story was told to discredit Benjamin, the tribe of King Saul.
What is the point of these stories? Not only do they not talk about judges, they don't come chronologically at the end of the book. They seem to be intended to show how chaotic Israel was. Four times we are reminded, “In those days Israel had no king,” and twice, “everyone did as he saw fit.” Indeed, these are the last words the books leaves with us as a summary of that period.