We are told that Tola, the son of Dodo, lived in the mountains of Ephraim. He judged Israel 23 years.

     Jair, a Gileadite, judged Israel 22 years. He had 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys. They also had 30 towns.

     Jephthah, also a Gileadite, judged Israel six years. Jephthah promised the Lord if He would give him victory over Israel’s enemy, he would make a burnt offering of whatever came out of the doors of his house to meet him after his return from the battle. Perhaps Jephthah had a pet lamb or calf. Those would have been acceptable offerings. Imagine Jephthah’s horror, though, when his only child – his beloved daughter – came out to meet him.

     Ibzan, who lived in Bethlehem, followed Jephthah as Israel’s judge for seven years. He had 30 sons. He gave 30 daughters in marriage, and he brought in 30 women from elsewhere for his sons.

     Elon, the next judge, led Israel for ten years. He was of the tribe of Zebulun.

     Abdon judged Israel eight years. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons, who rode on 70 young donkeys. He was buried in the land of the tribe of Ephraim.

     Samson judged Israel for 20 years. The Lord provided unusual strength for this man. As long as his hair was not cut, he performed amazing deeds. Once he tore a lion apart with his bare hands.

     Samson allowed himself to be distracted by beautiful women. One time he fell in love and married a woman of the Philistines, Israel’s enemy. Thirty young men were among the guests at one of the wedding feasts. They got angry with Samson and his wife because they could not solve a riddle that Samson had posed. Samson’s wife nagged him until he revealed the answer to her which she gave to the 30 young men. She was disloyal to Samson. He was humiliated.

     Another time Samson found another beautiful Philistine woman, Delilah. She tricked him into telling her the secret of his great strength. She cut his hair while he slept then called in the enemy who put out Samson’s eyes. Then they bound him with bronze fetters and placed him in prison as a grinder.

     After Solomon’s hair had grown long again, he was brought out of the prison to perform for the Philistines. About 3,000 men and women had come to the temple of their idol god to sacrifice and to watch Samson. Samson prayed to the Lord that he would have strength to take vengeance on the Philistines by pushing the temple supports and bringing down the temple and killing the huge crowd and himself. Samson killed more in his death than he had done in his life.