Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1. The Gideon Account (6-8) -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Structure of the Gideon Stories -- 3. The Transgression, the Midianite Oppression and the Lament (6:1-6) -- 4. The Prophet's Rebuke (6:7-10) -- 5. Gideon's Appointment as Deliverer (6:11-24) -- 6. Gideon Destroys the Altar of the Baal (6:25-32) -- 7. Deployment for Battle, and Gideon's Hesitancy (6:33-40) -- 8. Screening of Gideon's Army (7:1-8) -- 9. Gideon Receives Encouragement through the Midianite's Dream (7:9-15) -- 10. Gideon's Battle in the Midianite Camp (7:16-22) -- a. Gideon's instructions to his soldiers before the battle (7:16-18) -- b. The attack on Midian (7:19-22) -- 11. Gideon's Pursuit of the Midianites, his Clashes with the Ephraimites, the Men of Succoth and of Penuel, and the Execution of the Kings (7:23-8:21) -- a. The pursuit and the clash between the Ephraimites and Gideon (7:23-8:3) -- b. The continued pursuit and Gideon's clash with the men of Succoth and of Penuel (8:4-17) -- c. Gideon's clashes with the men of Succoth and of Penuel (8:5-9, 13-17) -- d. Gideon pursues and defeats the Midianites (8:4, 10-12) -- e. Gideon executes the Midianite kings (8:18-21) -- 12. Gideon's Refusal of Kingship and the Setting Up of the Ephod in Ophrah (8:22-28) -- 13. Gideon's Death (8:29-32) -- 14. After Gideon's Death (8:33-35) -- 15. The Structure and the Meaning of the Gideon Account -- 16. The Structure of the Book of Judges and Its Meaning -- 2. The Abimelech Account (9) -- 1. The Structure of the Abimelech Account -- 2. Abimelech's Accession to Kingship (9:1-6) -- 3. The Jotham Fable (9:7-21) -- 4. The Dispute between Abimelech and the Citizens of Shechem (vv. 22-57) -- a. Theological introduction (vv. 22-24) -- b. The betrayal of Abimelech by the citizens of Shechem and their preference of Gaal son of Ebed (vv. 25-29).

c. Zebul's support of Abimelech and the deployment against Gaal (vv. 30-34) -- d. Zebul deceives Gaal (vv. 35-38) -- e. The war between Gaal and Abimelech, Abimelech's victory (vv. 39-41) -- f. Abimelech's war against Shechem (vv. 42-49) -- g. Abimelech's conquest of Thebez, his defeat by a woman, and the disintegration of his kingdom (vv. 50-55) -- h. Theological conclusion (vv. 56-57) -- 5. The Meaning of the Abimelech Account -- 3. The Jephthah Account (10:6-12:7) -- 1. Transgression, Punishment and Lament (10:6-18) -- 2. Jephthah's Background (11:1-3) -- 3. Jephthah's Appointment (11:4-11) -- 4. Jephthah's Negotiations with the Ammonite King (11:12-28) -- 5. Jephthah's War against Ammon and his Vow (11:29-40) -- 6. Jephthah's Confrontation with the Ephraimites (12:1-7) -- 7. The Meaning of the Jephthah Account -- Epilogue: Ideology in the Historical Context -- Bibliography -- Index of Biblical References.