Biblical judges

Biblical judges (Hebrew: shoftim שופטים) were chief magistrates of the Hebrews in the ancients' sense (against the principle of separation of powers), distinct from modern, merely judicial judges. While judge is the closest literal translation of the Hebrew term used in the Bible, the position is more one of unelected non-hereditary leadership than that of legal pronouncement, once in office comparable to a king (but not anointed). In the Biblical context of the Book of Judges, the term designates those who act as deliverers. The word, however, means more than this: it refers to leaders who took charge of the affairs of the tribes in case of war (like a war king amongst the Germanic tribes, for example), and who assumed leadership of their respective tribes in the succeeding times of peace. In accordance with the needs of the time, their functions were primarily martial and judicial.
See more at Wikipedia.org...