JUDGE

Judge. Judge
(Heb. shophet, pl. shophetim), properly a magistrate or ruler, rather than one who judges in the sense of trying a cause. This is the name given to those rulers who presided over the affairs of the Israelites during the interval between the death of Joshua and the accession of Saul (Judg. 2:18), a period of general anarchy and confusion. “The office of judges or regents was held during life, but it was not hereditary, neither could they appoint their successors. Their authority was limited by the law alone, and in doubtful cases they were directed to consult the divine King through the priest by Urim and Thummim (Num. 27:21). Their authority extended only over those tribes by whom they had been elected or acknowledged. There was no income attached to their office, and they bore no external marks of dignity. The only cases of direct divine appointment are those of Gideon and Samson, and the latter stood in the peculiar position of having been from before his birth ordained ‘to begin to deliver Israel.’ Deborah was called to deliver Israel, but was already a judge. Samuel was called by the Lord to be a prophet but not a judge, which ensued from the high gifts the people recognized as dwelling in him; and as to Eli, the office of judge seems to have devolved naturally or rather ex officio upon him.” Of five of the judges, Tola (Judg. 10:1), Jair (3), Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon (12:8-15), we have no record at all beyond the bare fact that they were judges. Sacred history is not the history of individuals but of the kingdom of God in its onward progress.

In Ex. 2:14 Moses is so styled. This fact may indicate that while for revenue purposes the “taskmasters” were over the people, they were yet, just as at a later time when under the Romans, governed by their own rulers.

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JUDGE. → Appointed by the Persians Ezr 7:25 → Kings and other rulers as 2Sa 8:15; 15:2; 1Ki 3:16-28; 10:9; 2Ki 8:1-6; Ps 72:1-4; Mt 27:11-26; Ac 23:34,35; 24; 25:11,12 → Priests and Levites as De 17:9; 2Ch 19:8; Eze 44:23,24; Mt 26:57-62 → Women as, Deborah Jud 4:4 → Held circuit courts 1Sa 7:16 → See COURTS → See JUSTICE → See WITNESS → CHARACTER OF, AND PRECEPTS RELATING TO Ex 18:21,22; 22:9,28; Le 19:15; De 1:12-17; 16:18-20; 17:8-11; 19:16-19; 25:1-3; 1Sa 2:25; 8:3; 1Ki 3:9; 2Ch 19:5-10; Ps 58:1,2; 72:1,2,4,12-14; 82:2-4; Pr 24:23; Isa 5:22,23; 28:5,6; Eze 44:24; Da 9:12; Mic 7:3; Zep 3:3; Joh 7:24
* See JUSTICE
* See COURTS

→ CORRUPT, INSTANCES OF
* Eli's sons 1Sa 2:12-17,22-25
* Samuel's sons 1Sa 8:1-5
* The judges of Jezreel 1Ki 21:8-13
* Pilate Mt 27:24; Mr 15:15; with 15:19-24
* Felix Ac 24:26,27

→ GOD AS
* See GOD, JUDGE

→ JUDGES (OUTSTANDING LEADERS) OF ISRAEL
* During the time when the land was ruled by judges Jud 2:16-19; Ac 13:20

1. Othniel Jud 3:9-11 2. Ehud Jud 3:15-30 3. Shamgar Jud 3:31 4. Deborah Jud 4; 5 5. Gideon Jud 6:11-40; 7; 8 6. Abimelech Jud 9:1-54 7. Tola Jud 10:1,2 8. Jair Jud 10:3-5 9. Jephthah Jud 11; 12:1-7 → 10. Ibzan Jud 12:8-10 → 11. Elon Jud 12:11,12 → 12. Abdon Jud 12:13,14 → 13. Samson Jud 13; 14; 15; 16
* Eli led Israel 1Sa 4:18
* Samuel as the leader (judge) 1Sa 7:6,15-17
* The sons of Samuel 1Sa 8:1-5

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judge. Judge, n. on who presides in a court, an umpire

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Judge (jŭj), n. [[OE. juge, OF. & F. juge, fr. OF. jugier, F. juger, to judge. See Judge, v. i.]] 1. 1. (Law) A public officer who is invested with authority to hear and determine litigated causes, and to administer justice between parties in courts held for that purpose.
The parts of a judge in hearing are four: to direct the evidence; to moderate length, repetition, or impertinency of speech; to recapitulate, select, and collate the material points of that which hath been said; and to give the rule or sentence. Bacon. 2. 2. One who has skill, knowledge, or experience, sufficient to decide on the merits of a question, or on the quality or value of anything; one who discerns properties or relations with skill and readiness; a connoisseur; an expert; a critic.
A man who is no judge of law may be a good judge of poetry, or eloquence, or of the merits of a painting. Dryden. 3. 3. A person appointed to decide in a trial of skill, speed, etc., between two or more parties; an umpire; as, a judge in a horse race.
4. 4. (Jewish Hist.) One of the supreme magistrates, with both civil and military powers, who governed Israel for more than four hundred years.
5. 5. pl. The title of the seventh book of the Old Testament; the Book of Judges.
Judge Advocate (Mil. & Nav.), a person appointed to act as prosecutor at a court-martial; he acts as the representative of the government, as the responsible adviser of the court, and also, to a certain extent, as counsel for the accused, when he has no other counsel. — Judge-Advocate General, in the United States, the title of two officers, one attached to the War Department and having the rank of brigadier general, the other attached to the Navy Department and having the rank of colonel of marines or captain in the navy. The first is chief of the Bureau of Military Justice of the army, the other performs a similar duty for the navy. In England, the designation of a member of the ministry who is the legal adviser of the secretary of state for war, and supreme judge of the proceedings of courts-martial. Syn. — Judge, Umpire, Arbitrator, Referee. A judge, in the legal sense, is a magistrate appointed to determine questions of law. An umpire is a person selected to decide between two or more who contend for a prize. An arbitrator is one chosen to allot to two contestants their portion of a claim, usually on grounds of equity and common sense. A referee is one to whom a case is referred for final adjustment. Arbitrations and references are sometimes voluntary, sometimes appointed by a court.