What Does “Judge” Mean in the Bible?

Office or title

In the Bible, the judges were leaders God sent to save and guide Israel, before there were kings.

It can mean

Examples: Deborah, Gideon, Samson, and Samuel.
Today: a judge decides cases in court. In the Book of Judges it is something else.

Judges 2:16; Judges 4:4

Judges 2:16

And the Lord raised up judges, to deliver them from the hands of those that oppressed them: but they would not hearken to them,

Judges 4:4

And there was at that time Debbora a prophetess the wife of Lapidoth, who judged the people,

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

Source: Judges 2:16-18; Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “Judges”