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Bible Commentaries
Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary Poor Man's Commentary
Partial Conquests; Israel Fails to Drive Out Canaanites.Chapter 2
Angel Rebukes Israel; Cycle of Sin Begins.Chapter 3
Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar Deliver Israel.Chapter 4
Deborah and Barak Defeat Sisera.Chapter 5
Deborah and Barak's Victory Song.Chapter 6
Gideon Called to Deliver Israel from Midian.Chapter 7
Gideon Defeats Midianites with 300 Men.Chapter 8
Gideon's Pursuit of Kings; Israel's Temporary Peace.Chapter 9
Abimelech's Rise and Fall as King.Chapter 10
Tola and Jair Judge Israel; Israel Oppressed.Chapter 11
Jephthah's Vow and Victory Over Ammon.Chapter 12
Jephthah's Conflict with Ephraim; Ibzan, Elon, Abdon.Chapter 13
Samson's Birth Announced by an Angel.Chapter 14
Samson's Marriage; His Riddle and Revenge.Chapter 15
Samson's Vengeance on the Philistines.Chapter 16
Samson and Delilah; Samson's Death.Chapter 17
Micah's Idolatry and Hired Levite.Chapter 18
Danites Steal Micah's Idol and Priest.Chapter 19
Levite's Concubine Abused and Murdered.Chapter 20
Israel's War Against Benjamin Over the Crime.Chapter 21
Wives Provided for the Surviving Benjamites.
- Judges
by Robert Hawker
JUDGES
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
IT is not very certain who was the immediate Penman of this book. Some writers have supposed that it was Samuel. However this cannot be depended upon. The subject itself contained in it is much more interesting for us to regard. And the object intended from the records here presented to the church, seems to be directed to those two grand purposes; namely, to show how unsuitably God's people conducted themselves to the privileges they enjoyed; and yet, in the midst of their unworthiness, how gracious the Lord manifested himself towards them.
The book of the Judges comprises in point of time a period of about 300 years; commencing from about 1400 years before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to about 1100 years; and recording the annals of 14 Judges, from Othniel to Eli included.
There is much of gospel shadows and types, both as to persons, and things, in the several parts of the Book of the Judges. The Holy Ghost was graciously pleased to cause many striking allusions to the great events of salvation, to be represented during the period of the church, which this book refers to. And several of the persons, whose history forms a part in this scripture, were eminent types and servants of the Lord Jesus. The Apostle to the He brews makes special mention of several of them, and with the most honourable testimony, as very illustrious patterns of faith; such as Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah. Hebrews 11:32 .
I shall not detain the Reader with any further preliminary observations on the Book of Judges. But I must request him before he enters upon the perusal of it, that he will bend the knee of prayer, and join my spirit in a fervent supplication to the mercy-seat of our God in Christ, that the minds of both Writer and Reader may be under the teachings of God the Holy Ghost, to behold in every period and age of the church, how the Lord hath been carrying on the great purposes and counsels of his own will, and gradually preparing the minds of the faithful for that glorious era, when his people should not be under the commonwealth of Judges, but a King should reign in righteousness, and execute judgment, and justice in the earth: in whose days Judah should be saved, and Israel dwell safely. And this is the name whereby he should be called, the Lord our Righteousness.
Reader! may our souls rejoice together, that our God in mercy hath caused us to see this day. We may truly take up the language of the Prophet, and make application of his sweet words to our own circumstances, and say, as he did, The Lord is our Judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our King. Isaiah 33:22 .
