Difference between revisions of "Judges"

<p> '''Judges.''' The judges were temporary and special deliverers, sent by God to deliver the [[Israelites]] from their oppressors; not supreme magistrates, succeeding to the authority of Moses and Joshua. Their power only extended over portions of the country, and some of them were contemporaneous. </p> <p> Their first work was that of deliverers and leaders in war; they then administered justice to the people, and their authority supplied the want of a regular government. Even while the administration of Samuel gave something like a settled government to the south, there was scope for the irregular exploits of Samson on the borders of the Philistines; and Samuel, at last, established his authority as judge and prophet, but still as the servant of '''Jehovah''' , only to see it so abused by his sons as to exhaust the patience of the people, who at length demanded a ''king'' , after the pattern of the surrounding nations. </p> <p> The following is a list of judges, whose history is given under their respective names: - </p> <p> First servitude, to Mesopotamia - 8 years. </p> <p> ''First judge:'' Othniel. 40 years. - </p> <p> Second servitude, to [[Moab]] - 18 years. </p> <p> ''Second judge:'' Ehud; 80 years. </p> <p> ''Third judge:'' Shamgar. - </p> <p> Third servitude, to [[Jabin]] and [[Sisera]] - 20 years. </p> <p> ''Fourth judge:'' Deborah and Barak. 40 years. - </p> <p> Fourth servitude, to [[Midian]] - 7 years. </p> <p> ''Fifth judge:'' Gideon; 40 years. </p> <p> ''Sixth judge:'' Abimelech; 3 years. </p> <p> ''Seventh judge:'' Tola; 23 years. </p> <p> ''Eighth judge:'' Jair. 22 years. - </p> <p> Fifth servitude, to [[Ammon]] - 18 years. </p> <p> ''Ninth judge:'' Jephthah; 6 years. </p> <p> ''Tenth judge:'' Ibzan; 7 years. </p> <p> ''Eleventh judge:'' Elon; 10 years. </p> <p> ''Twelfth judge:'' Abdon. 8 years. - </p> <p> Sixth servitude, to the [[Philistines]] - 40 years. </p> <p> ''Thirteenth judge:'' Samson 20 years. </p> <p> ''Fourteenth judge:'' Eli; 40 years. </p> <p> ''Fifteenth judge:'' Samuel. </p> <p> More than likely some of these ruled simultaneously. On the chronology of the judges, ''see '' '''Judges, The Book of''' ''.'' . </p>