BOOK OF, a canonical book of the Old Testament, containing the
history of the Israelitish judges, of whom we have been speaking in the
preceding article. The author is not known. It is probable the work did
not come from any single hand, being rather a collection of several
little histories, which at first were separate, but were afterward
collected by Ezra or Samuel into a single volume; and, in all
likelihood, were taken from the ancient journals, annals, or memoirs,
composed by the several judges. The antiquity of this book is
unquestionable, as it must have been written before the time of David,
since the description, Judges i, 21, was no longer true of Jerusalem
after he had taken possession of it, and had introduced a third class of
inhabitants of the tribe of Judah. Eichorn acknowledges that it does not
bear the marks of subsequent interpolation. Dr. Patrick is of opinion
that the five last chapters are a distinct history, in which the author
gives an account of several memorable transactions, which occurred in or
about the time of the judges; whose history he would not interrupt by
intermixing these matters with it, and therefore reserved them to be
related by themselves in the second part, or appendix.
history of the Israelitish judges, of whom we have been speaking in the
preceding article. The author is not known. It is probable the work did
not come from any single hand, being rather a collection of several
little histories, which at first were separate, but were afterward
collected by Ezra or Samuel into a single volume; and, in all
likelihood, were taken from the ancient journals, annals, or memoirs,
composed by the several judges. The antiquity of this book is
unquestionable, as it must have been written before the time of David,
since the description, Judges i, 21, was no longer true of Jerusalem
after he had taken possession of it, and had introduced a third class of
inhabitants of the tribe of Judah. Eichorn acknowledges that it does not
bear the marks of subsequent interpolation. Dr. Patrick is of opinion
that the five last chapters are a distinct history, in which the author
gives an account of several memorable transactions, which occurred in or
about the time of the judges; whose history he would not interrupt by
intermixing these matters with it, and therefore reserved them to be
related by themselves in the second part, or appendix.