Judges 2 - Introduction

PART II

Ch. Judges 2:6 to Judges 16:31. The History of Israel under the Judges

Ch. Judges 2:6 to Judges 3:6. Introduction

By way of general introduction to the Book of Judges proper, the section Judges 2:6 to Judges 3:6 takes a survey of the period from the death of Joshua to the death of Samson. It starts with a reference to the close of the preceding era, Judges 2:6-10; and then goes on to indicate the religious significance of the period which follows, Judges 2:11 to Judges 3:6. It is not, however, a simple uniform composition of one writer. The history is interpreted from more than one point of view, especially that dominant feature of the age of the Judges Israel's wars with the native races. First (a) comes the theory of the Deuteronomic author, expressed in his characteristic phraseology (see Introduction § 2 A (a)), Judges 2:7; Judges 2:10-12; Judges 2:14-16; Judges 2:18-19: no sooner had Joshua and his contemporaries passed away (Judges 2:7; Judges 2:10), than the Israelites began to neglect their national God, and go after other godsamong the peoples round about them(Judges 2:11); as a punishment they were sold into the handof their enemies (Judges 2:14); then they cried to the Lord for help, and He raised upa deliverer or judge (Judges 2:16), but the deliverance was only followed by a fresh relapse (Judges 2:18). Apostasy, subjugation, the appeal to Jehovah, the deliverance, repeated again and again, such was the dark outline of the history, to be filled in by the narratives which follow, Judges 3:7 ff. Then (b) in Judges 2:20-22 we have a different view; Israel's sin lay in worshipping the gods of Canaan(Judges 2:13); the nations in the midstof Israel were not driven out (Judges 2:20); they were spared in order to testIsrael's moral strength (Judges 2:22); and Israel did not stand the test (Judges 3:5-6). Again (c) Jehovah left the nations in order to teachIsrael the art of war (Judges 3:1-3); there is no question here of moral reasons for the survival of the native population. It will be noticed further that Judges 2:13 is a repetition of Judges 2:12; Judges 2:18 f. of Judges 2:16; Judges 2:20 a of 14a; Judges 2:23 -neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua" can hardly come from the author of Judges 2:21, which speaks of Joshua's death; the two lists of nations in Judges 3:3 and Judges 2:5 are inconsistent (see notes). It is clear, then, that the introduction in its present form is the work of several hands. The oldest element is no doubt the nucleus of Judges 3:1-3 (the nations left to teach Israel war); this forms a link with Judges 1:1 to Judges 2:5 and belongs to the same historical standpoint; it may be attributed to J. In Judges 2:6; Judges 2:8-9 we have an extract from E (Joshua 24:28-30), to which source may be assigned Judges 2:13; Judges 2:20, Judges 3:5-6. The handiwork of D has already been traced in Judges 2:7; Judges 2:10; Judges 2:12; Judges 2:14; Judges 2:18. The remaining verses, Judges 2:17; Judges 2:23, the larger part of Judges 3:1-3; Judges 3:4, are editorial expansions and adaptations of various dates. There is some difference of opinion among critics as to the sources of several details, and the analysis is not everywhere certain; but the main distinctions are evident. Apparently a writer of the school of E formed a collection of stories and furnished it with a preface before the Deuteronomic author took up the Book and composed his introduction; see pp. xviii xx.