For other matters relating to some of the processes of law, see Oath ; Officer, Thial; Witness, etc.
Judges, Book of, the third in the list of the histor- ical compositions of the O. T. (counting the Pentateuch as one), or the seventh of the separate books. In tlie following account we freely avail ourselves of the arti- cles in the dictionaries of Kitto, Smith, and Fairbairn.
I. Title and Order. — In the original Hebrew, as well as in all the translations, this book bears the name of Judges (C^ipSViIJ, Sept. Kpira/, Vulgate liber Jiidicitm), and this name has obviously been given to it because chiefly relating the transactions connected with the de- liverance and government of Israel by the men who bear this title in the Hebrew polity. The period of his- tory contained in this book, however, reaches from Josh- ua to Eli, and is thus more extensive than the time of the judges. A considerable portion of it also makes no mention of them, though belonging to their time. The Book of Kuth was originally a part of this book, but about the middle of the 5th century after Christ it was placed in the Hebrew copies immediatel}' after the Song of Solomon. In the Sept. it has preserved its original position, but as a separate book. The chronological re- lation of these books corresponds with the order in w^hich they are arranged, namely, after the Book cf Joshua. Sec below, § vi. ,
II. Contents. — The book may most properly be divided into three parts, the middle one of which alone is in strictly chronological order.
1. T/ie Introduction (ch. i-iii, G), containing prelimi- nary information on certain points requisite to be known, or else general statements which give a key to the course of the history properly so called, and to the writer's mode of presenting it. The first chapter is chiefly geo- graphical, containing a statement of what the several tribes had done or failed to do ; the second chapter, to- gether with the opening verses of the third, are predom- inanth' moral and reflective; or, otherwise, the first gives the political relations of Israel to the Canaanites, and the second gives the religious relation of Israel to the Lord. This part may therefore be subdivided into two sections, as follows :
(I. Chap, i-ii, 5, which may be considered as a first in- troduction, giving a summary of the results of the war carried on against the Canaanites l)y the several tribes on the west of Jordan after Joshua's death, and forming a continuation of .Tosh. xii. It is placed first, as in the most natural position. It tells us that the people did not obey the command to expel tlie people of the land, and contains the reproof of them by a prophet.
b. ('hajiter ii, G-iii, G. This is a second introduction, standing in nearer relation to the following history. It informs us that the people fell into idolatry after the death of Joshua and his generation, and that they were punished for it by being unable to drive out the rem- nant of the inhabitants of the land, and by falling under the hand of oppressors. A parenthesis occurs (ii, 16-19)
IV.— Y Y Y
of the highest importance, as giving a key to the follow- ing portion. It is a summary view of the history : the people fall into idolatry; they are then oppressed by a foreign power; upon their repentance they are deliver- ed by a judge, after whose death they relapse into idol- atry.
2. Body of the History (chap, iii, 7-xvi). The words " And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of tlie Lord," which had already been used in ch. ii, 11, are em- ployed to introduce the history of the thirteen judges comprised in this book. An account of six of these thir- teen is given at greater or less length. . The account of the remaining seven is very short, and merely attached to the longer narratives. These narratives are as fol- lows: (1) The deliverance of Israel by Othnicl, iii, 7-11. (2) The history of Ehud and (in 31) tliat (if Sliamgar, iii, 12-31. (3) The dehverance by Dcljorah and Barak, ch. iv.-v. (4) The whole passage in vi-x, 5. The his- tory of Gideon and his son Abimelech is contained in chap, vi-ix, and followed by the notice of Tola (x, 1, 2) and Jair (x, 3, 5). This is the only case in which the history of a judge is continued by that of his children. But the exception is one Avhieh illustrates the lesson taught by the whole book. Gideon's sin in making the ephod is punished by the destruction of his family by Abimelech, with the help of the men of Shechem, who, in their turn, become the instruments of each other's punishment. In addition to this, the short reign of Abimelech would seem to be recorded as being, an unau- thorized anticipation of the kingly government of later times. (5) Ch. x, 6-xii. The history of Jephthah (x, G-xii, 7), to which is added the mention of Ibzan (xii, 8-10), Elon (11, 12), Abdon (13-15). (6) The history of Samson, consisting of twelve exploits, and forming three groups connected with his love of three Philistine women, chap, xiil-xvi. We maj' observe in general on this portion of the book that it is almost entirely a his- tory of the wars of deliverance : there are no sacerdotal allusions in it ; the tribe of Judah is not alluded to after the time of Othniel; and the greater part of the judges belong to the northern half of the kingdom.