the compilation to the reign of Saul, the separate contents of the book being known even earlier ; but it must be confessed that this conclusion is uncertain, and that there is much to be said in favour of a much later date. The Book of Judges has always been contained in the canon, It is referred to in Acts xiii. 20, and Heb. xi. 32.
Note.-The chronology indica.ted in Judges xi. 26 hns not been tnken into account for the reasons given in the note on that passage ; that in 1 Kings vi. 1 becnuse it is generally given up by critics and commenta'llors as an interpolation, nnd is unsupported by the Book of Chronicles and by Josephus; and that of the A. V. of Acts xiii. 20 because the truo rend- ing, " happily restored by Lachmann from the oldest MSS., A. B. C., nnd supported by the Latin, Coptic, Armenian, and Sahidic Versions, and by Chrysostom" (Bp. Wordsworth ii.;, l. c.), gives quite a different sense : "he divided their land to the111 by lot in about 450 years" -from the time, i. e., when he made the promise to Abraham. •
LITERATURE OF THE BOOK. CoMll!ENTARIES ON THE BOOK OF JUDGES, AND OTHER NvTICEB, RosE?s"lftlLLEB's 'Scholia,' in Latin (1835), are very useful both for the Hebrew scholar, and generally for exegesis, and historical and other illustrations. He speaks very highly of the Commentary of Sebastian Schmidt. DE WETTE's I Introduction to the Old Testament' (English translation, 1858) contains some valuable remarks, but must be used with caution. He refers to the commentaries of Schnurrer, Bonfrerr, 1 Le Clerc, Maurer, and others. BERTBEAU, in the ' Kurtzgefasstes Exegetisches Hand• buch ' (1845 ), is, as al ways, very able, very learned, and exhibits much critical acumen. The commentary of KEIL and DELITZSCH (English translation, 1865) is useful, and orthodox, but deficient in critical discernment. It frequently differs from Bertheau. It ha~ the advantage of acquaintance with the discoveries of the most recent travel- lers. HENGSTENBEllG (' Dissertation on the Pentateuch ') may also be consulted, PooLE'3 Synopsis gives the views of the earlier commentators. Of English commentators it me.y suffice to mention Bishop Patrick, Bishop Wordsworth, and the' Speaker's Com- mentary.' Bishop Wordsworth's list of the chief commentators among the Fathers conto.ins the names of Origen, Theodoret, Augustine, Procopius, Isidore, and Bede ; and among the Jewish commentators those of Kimchi, Aben Ezra, and Jarchi. Of other books most nseful in helping to understand the scenes where the dramatic action of the Judgee took place, may be mentioned especially Stanley's 'Sine.i and Palestine;' also Robinson's' Biblical Researches,' and the geographical articles in the ' Dictionary of the Bible; ' Van de Velde's map, and especially the new 'Great Map of W estem Palestine ' by the Palestine Exploration Committee, from the recent survey, on the scale of an inch to a mile. For historical purposes Josephus's 'Jewish_ ~nti- quitiee' should be studied throughout, though he does not throw much add1honul light upon the narrative. Stanley's 'Lectures on the Jewish Church' contribute mt~ch vivid and picturesque description of the personR and scenes, and give great reality :wd fulness to the narrative. The historical articles in the ' Dictionary of the Bible may also be consulted with advantage. Bishop Lowth, on Hebrew poetry, has some striking remarks on the song of Deborah, and Milton's 'Samson Agonistes,' besides its beauty as a poem, is a really good commentary on the history of Samson. For. the very difficult chronology of the times of the Judges the reader may consult, besides the above-named commentaries, Jackson's 'Chronological Antiquities,' and Hale's ' Analysis of Chronology ; ' and, for the system adopted in this commentary, Lepsius's ' Letters on Egypt and Ethiopia,' Wilkinson's 'Manners and Customs of the Egyp- tians,' and the present writers chapter on I The Discordance between Genenlo_gy and Cilfonolr•gy of Judges,' in his work 011 the genealogiea of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE BOOK OF JUDGES. -- EXPOSITION. 28; l Sam. xxii. 13, 15, xxili 2, 4; xxviii. CHAPTER I. 6, and many other places). Such inquiries Ver. 1.-After the death of Joshua. The were made (1) by Urim and Thummim, (2) events narrated in chs. i. and ii. 1-9 all by the word of the Lord through a prophet occurred before the death of Joshua, as ap- (1 Sam. ix. 9), or (3) simply by prayer, pears by eh. ii. 8, 9, and by s. comparison (Gen. xxv. 22), and improperly of false gods of Josh. xiv. 6-15 and xv. 13-20. The (2 Kings i. 2, 16}, of teraphim, and semi- words, and it came to pass after the death of idolatrous priests (eh. xviii. 5, 14). Joshua, must therefore be understood (if Ver. 5.-Bezek. The site of it is un• the text is incorrupt) as the heading of the known ; it is thought to be a different place whole book, just as the Book of Joshua has from the Bezek of 1 Sam. xi. 8. Adoni- for its heading, "Now after the death of bezek means the lord of Bezek. He was the Moses the servant of the Lord it came to conqueror of seventy petty kings. pass."' Asked the Lord. The same phrase Ver. 6.-Cut off his thumbs, &c. These as eh. xviii. 5 ; xx. 18, where it is rendered cruel mutilations, like the still more cruel asked counsel of. So also Numb. xxvii. 21. one of putting out the eyes (eh. xvi. 21 ; where a special direction is given to Joshua Numb. xvi. 14 ; 1 Sam. xi. 2; 2 Kings to make such inquiries as that mentioned in xxv. 7), were intended to cripple the warrior tl1is verse before Eleazar the priest, through in his speed, and to incapacitate him from the judgment of Urim and Thummim (cf. the use of the bow, or sword, or spear, while 1 Sam. xxiii. 10, 12). A still more common yet sparing his life, either in mercy, or for rendering of the Hebrew phrase in the A. V. the purpose of retaining his services for the is " to inquire of God " (see, e. g. eh. x:.x. 27, conqueror.