Judges – Juttah

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. 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. The following is a list of judges, whose history is given under their respective names:-- First servitude, to Mesopotamia -- 8 years. First judge: Othniel. 40 years. Second servitude, to Moab -- 18 years. Second judge: Ehud; 80 years. Third judge: Shamgar. --- Third servitude, to Jabin and Sisera-- 20 years. Fourth judge: Deborah and Barak. 40 years. Fourth servitude, to Midian-- 7 years. Fifth judge: Gideon; 40 years. Sixth judge: Abimelech; 3 years. Seventh judge: Tola; 23 years. Eighth judge: Jair. 22 years. Fifth servitude, to Ammon-- 18 years. Ninth judge: Jephthah; 6 years. Tenth judge: Ibzan; 7 years. Eleventh judge: Elon; 10 years. Twelfth judge: Abdon. 8 years. Sixth servitude, to the Philistines-- 40 years. Thirteenth judge: Samson 20 years. Fourteenth judge: Eli; 40 years. Fifteenth judge: Samuel. More than likely some of these ruled simultaneously. On the chronology of the judges, see the following article.

Judges, Book Of

of which the book or Ruth formed originally a part, contains a history from Joshua to Samson. The book may be divided into two parts:--

1. Chs. 1-16. We may observe in general on this portion of the book that it is almost entirely a history of the wars of deliverance.

2. Chs. 17-21. This part has no formal connection with the preceding, and is often called an appendix. The period to which the narrative relates is simply marked by the expression, "when there was no king in Israel." ch. (Judges 19:1; 18:1) It records -- (a) The conquest of Laish by a portion of the tribe of Dan, and the establishment there of the idolatrous worship of Jehovah already instituted by Micah in Mount Ephraim. (b) The almost total extinction of the tribe of Benjamin. Chs. 17-21 are inserted both as an illustration of the sin of Israel during the time of the judges and as presenting a contrast with the better order prevailing in the time of the kings. The time commonly assigned to the period contained in this book is 299 years. The dates given in the last article amount to 410 years, without the 40 years of Eli; but in (1 Kings 6:1) the whole period from the exodus to the building of the temple is stated as 480 years. But probably some of the judges were contemporary, so that their total period is 299 years instead of 410. Mr. Smith in his Old Testament history gives the following approximate dates: Periods...Years -- Ending about B.C.:

3. From the exodus to the passage of Jordan...40 -- 1451.

4. To the death of Joshua and the surviving elders...[40] -- 1411.

5. Judgeship of Othniel...40 -- 1371. 4,5. Judgeship of Ehud (Shamgar included)...80 -- 1291.

6. Judgeship of Deborah and Barak...40 -- 1251.

7. Judgeship of Gideon...40 -- 1211. 8,9. Abimelech to Abdon, total...[80] -- 1131.

8. Oppression of the Philistines, contemporary with the judgeships of Eli, Samson (and Samuel?)...40 -- 1091.

9. Reign of Saul (including perhaps Samuel)...40 -- 1051.

10. Reign of David...40 -- 1011. Total...480. On the whole, it seems safer to give up the attempt to ascertain the chronology exactly.

Judgment Hall

The word praetorium is so translated five times in the Authorized Version of the New Testament, and in those five passages it denotes two different places.

1. In (John 18:28,33; 19:9) it is the residence which Pilate occupied when he visited Jerusalem. The site of Pilate’s praetorium in Jerusalem has given rise to much dispute, some supposing it to be the palace of King Herod, others the tower of Antonia; but it was probably the latter, which was then and long afterward the citadel of Jerusalem.

2. In (Acts 23:35) Herod’s judgment hall or praetorium in Caesarea was doubtless a part of that magnificent range of buildings the erection of which by King Herod is described in Josephus. The word "palace," or "Caesar’s court." in the Authorized Version of (Philemon 1:13) is a translation of the same word praetorium. It may here have denoted the quarter of that detachment of the praetorian guards which was in immediate attendance upon the emperor, and had barracks in Mount Palatine at Rome.

Judith

(Jewess , or praised).

1. The daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and wife of Esau. (Genesis 26:34) (B.C. 1797.)

2. The heroine of the apocryphal book which bears her name, who appears as an ideal type of piety, Judith 8:6, beauty, ch. 11:21, courage and chastity. ch. 16:22 ff.

Judith, The Book Of

one of the books of the Apocrypha, belongs to the earliest specimens of historical fiction. As to its authorship it belongs to the Maccabean period, B.C. 175-135, which it reflects not only in its general spirit, but even in its smaller traits.

Julia

(feminine of Julius), a Christian woman at Rome, probably the wife of Philologus, in connection with whom she is saluted by St. Paul. (Romans 16:15) (A.D. 55.)

Julius

(soft-haired), the centurion of "Augustus’ band," to whose charge St. Paul was delivered when he was sent prisoner from Caesarea to Rome. (Acts 27:1,3) (A.D. 60.)

Junia

(belonging to Juno), a Christian at Rome, mentioned by St. Paul as one of his kinsfolk and fellow prisoners, of note among the apostles, and in Christ before St. Paul. (Romans 16:7) (A.D. 55).

Junias

Revised Version for JUNIA above. It is the more literal form.

Juniper

(1 Kings 19:4,5; Job 30:4; Psalms 120:4) a sort of broom, Genista monosperma, G. raetam of Forskal, answering to the Arabic rethem . It is very abundant in the desert of Sinai, and affords shade and protection, in both heat and storm, to travellers. The rethem is a leguminous plant, and bears a white flower. It is found also in Spain. It is an erect shrub, with no main trunk, but many wand-like, slender branches, and is sometimes twelve feet high. Its use is very great in stopping the sand. --ED.)

Jupiter

(a father that helps), the Greek Zeus. The Olympian Zeus was the national god of the Hellenic race, as well as the supreme ruler of the heathen world, and as such formed the true opposite to Jehovah. Jupiter or Zeus is mentioned in two passages of the New Testament, on the occasion of St. Paul’s visit to Lystra, (Acts 14:12,13) where the expression "Jupiter, which was before their city," means that his temple was outside the city. Also in (Acts 19:35)

Jushabhesed

(whose love is returned), son of Zerubbabel. (1 Chronicles 3:20)

Justus

(just).

1. A surname of Joseph, called Barsabas. (Acts 1:23) (A.D. 30.)

2. A Christian at Corinth, with whom St. Paul lodged. (Acts 18:7) (A.D. 49.) (Given in the Revised Version as TITUS JUSTUS JUSTUS; and it is possible that he may be the same person as Titus the companion of Paul.)

3. A surname of Jesus, a friend of St. Paul. (Colossians 4:11) (A.D. 57.)

Juttah

(stretched out), a city in the mountain region of Judah, in the neighborhood of Maon and Carmel. (Joshua 15:55) The place is now known as Yutta .