Author’s preface
Author’s preface
Few periods in Israel’s eventful history are as important as the period of the judges. During these centuries the nation took the wrong turning that led to her downfall and near-destruction. The apostasy of the later generations has its origin in the early years of the settlement, and there is a clear line between the time when the nation first went after Baal and the dark age when the Jerusalem Temple itself was defiled with all the trappings of the Baal worship, not excluding cultic prostitutes (2 Kgs 23:4–7). There is much in Judges to sadden the heart of the reader; perhaps no book in the Bible witnesses so clearly to our human frailty. But there are also unmistakable signs of the divine compassion and long-suffering. It may be that the modern reader of Judges will hear the warning voice of the Spirit, ‘This is not the way, walk ye not in it.’ Or, as the lives of these lesser-saviours are considered, there may be a realization of the need in modern times of a greater Saviour, of unblemished life, who is able to effect a perfect deliverance, not only in time but for eternity.
I am conscious of the limitations of this commentary especially when the need for brevity has led to an over-simplification of some of the problems, but I trust that the advanced student will not be misled, even if discussion of some technical points has had to be curtailed. An endeavour has been made to set the history and religion of the period in the wider sweep of the biblical revelation. Many students shrink from the very immensity of the Old Testament, including as it does 39 books, covering over 1500 years and involving so many other nations besides Israel. But there are rich rewards waiting those who make the effort to grasp the detail of the historical revelation. Books that were treasured before will shine with a new lustre and the Bible itself will come alive in a new way. Incidentally, Judges is one of the books where the use of a good Bible atlas is essential.
I am deeply grateful to Professor D. J. Wiseman for a number of helpful suggestions which I have incorporated into the text, and to the publishers for their encouragement and assistance throughout. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the continued encouragement and help of my wife, not least in the typing of the manuscript.
Arthur E. Cundall