A SERIES OF WORKS FROM THE SACRED SCRIPTURES PRESENTED V THE JUDGES EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND Notes BY RICHARD G. MOULTON, M.A. (CAMB.), PH.D. (PENN.) New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., LTD. 1896 All rights reserved COPYRIGHT, 1896, 1896 BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Norwood Press INTRODUCTION THIS third volume of Bible history is devoted to the Great Transition in the history of the People of Israel. Hitherto this people of the invisible Jehovah have stood out from the other nations of the world as a nation with an invisible `king. Henceforward they will be found assimilated in the form of their government to other peoples; in theory God is still their ruler, but the visible representatives of Jehovah are no longer men raised up by a spiritual call, but 'kings' succeeding by natural descent. The intervening period then presents the Chosen Nation in its efforts towards Secular Government. I have called this volume 'The Judges': in the title of this office we have the history in embryo. It is the most general of biblical terms for a ruler, and may be applied to government of different types. As the judges are raised up from time to time by the Divine authority, the name reflects the office of the prophets. On the other hand, the function for which the judges are required is the more or less complete union of the nation for purposes of national defence; and this was the basis of the popular demand for kings: "We will have a king over us; that we also |