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Bible Dictionaries
Judges
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
or Moses was the nation's judge after Israel left Egypt. At Jethro's suggestion, just before the giving of the Sinaitic law (Exodus 18; Deuteronomy 1:9, etc.), he appointed captains, rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, namely, the recognized heads of tribes or of chief houses in them, to judge at all seasons small matters, reserving the great ones for himself to decide, upon the principles which he should learn from God. These would number 78,600. But the elders (chosen from the elders who headed Israel in seeking freedom, and from the officers, the reluctant instruments of Egyptian tyranny: Exodus 3:16; Exodus 5:6, etc.), appointed Numbers 11:16, etc., were only seventy (the same number as had gone up with Moses unto the Lord in the mountain, Exodus 24), endued by God with the Spirit as Moses' council. This council fell into desuetude under the judges and kings; but after the monarchy the Sanhedrin was modeled on this prototype.
Regard to locality modified the genealogical principle of selection upon Israel's entrance into Canaan (Deuteronomy 16:18). The Levites, as the ultimate sources under God of jurisprudence, taught the people the law, to enable the judges and those judged to understand the right principle of decisions (Deuteronomy 17:8-13). The "judges" are mentioned Joshua 24:1. Their sacro-sanctity is marked by their bearing the designation "gods," as exercising some of God's delegated power: Psalms 82:1; Psalms 82:6; Exodus 21:6, Hebrew "gods" for "'judges," God being the source of all justice. The qualifications of a judge are given (Exodus 18:21), "able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness"; "not wresting judgment, not respecting persons, neither taking a gift" (so universal a practice with Eastern judges), Deuteronomy 16:19; "not respecting the person of the poor, nor honouring the person of the mighty" (Leviticus 19:15); "not afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God's" (Deuteronomy 1:17).
Especially compare Jehoshaphat's charge to his judges (2 Chronicles 19:6-7). Judging was the only royal function, under the theocracy, which was committed to man, and being moreover in the hands of the people's natural leaders it held a very high place in popular estimation. The place of judgment was the open space before the gate, the place of public resort (Psalms 69:12; Proverbs 8:15). The higher order of judges were called "princes," the lower "elders" (Judges 8:14; Exodus 2:14; representing the Hebrew nasiy' , sar , nadiyb , nagid ; nasiy' expressing "high birth", nadiyb "princely qualities", nagid "prominent station", sar "active official authority). In Judges 8:14 the elders of Succoth are 77, i.e. 70, the number of Jacob's family with which Succoth was connected (Genesis 33:17; Genesis 46:27), with the sacred seven added (Exodus 24:9).
The custody, in the sanctuary, of the standard weights and measures made an appeal to the priesthood in disputes a necessity; and in final appeals the high priest, as chief legal authority, decided difficult cases before the time of the kings (Deuteronomy 17:8; Deuteronomy 17:12). The Hebrew shophetim , "judges", correspond to the suffetes, the chief magistrates of Phoenician colonies. None of the nation's deliverers called "judges" (Judges 2:16-19; Acts 13:20) were of a priest's family; Eli was not a deliverer or saviour (Obadiah 1:21; Judges 3:9; Judges 3:15). Their main office was to judge or rule righteously ("feed" or tend, 1 Chronicles 17:6) in deciding cases (Judges 4:5; Judges 10:2; 1 Samuel 7:15; 1 Samuel 8:3), this function of the priesthood being in abeyance after the time of Joshua; their delivering Israel was an act of Jehovah's "righteousness" or faithfulness to His covenant, consequent upon the people's penitently turning to Him (Judges 5:11; Isaiah 45:8).
These extraordinary judges, raised by God, the temporal as well as spiritual King of Israel, as His vicegerents, between Joshua and the kings were 13: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah and Barak, Gideon, Abimelech (an usurper), Tola, Jair Jephtha, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon (Bedan 1 Samuel 12:11), Samson. (On the dates see CHRONOLOGY.) "Saving" Israel is applied to them frequently (Judges 3:9 margin, Judges 31; Judges 6:15; Judges 7:7; Judges 11:1, margin); the Lord "raised them up" (Judges 2:16) at intervals, as need required, by causing His Spirit to come upon them (Judges 3:10; Judges 6:34; Judges 11:29; Judges 13:25); Barak was called by a prophetess, Deborah (Judges 4); His providence overruled the people's choice in Jephthah's case. The judges ruled more continuously from Gideon's time; his sons are regarded as his natural successors (Judges 9:1-3); so Samuel's sons (1 Samuel 8:1; 1 Samuel 7:15), he ruled until his death; so too Eli (Judges 4:18).
Afterward, the king was expected to hear causes in person, and therefore should write and read continually a copy of the law (2 Samuel 15:1-4; Deuteronomy 17:18-19). David probably delegated some of the judicial office to the 6,000 Levites, and especially Chenaniah and his sons (1 Chronicles 23:4; 1 Chronicles 26:29). Solomon was most famed for his judgments (1 Kings 3:9; 1 Kings 3:16; Psalms 72:1-4; 1 Kings 2:5-6; 1 Kings 2:33-34; 1 Kings 2:46).
Two examples of forms of procedure occur: a civil case (Ruth 4:2), in which Boaz calls in ten elders to witness the redemption by him of the kinsman's right from the one whose claim was first, and whom he summoned to appear"in the gate," the usual place of judgment; and a criminal one (1 Kings 21:8-14), where the eiders and nobles judge, on the testimony of witnesses, in the presence of the people. So in the case of the manslayer (Joshua 20:4-6; Deuteronomy 19:12; Numbers 35:24-25). Fees were not allowed judges (1 Samuel 12:3), but were regarded as bribery. Professed advocates were unknown in early times; but voluntary pleading for the defenseless was esteemed meritorious (Job 16:21; Proverbs 31:9; Isaiah 1:17).
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Fausset, Andrew R. Entry for 'Judges'. Fausset's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/fbd/j/judges.html. 1949.
