JUDGING

of the Deuteronoralc redactor, it gives a wonderful insight into the conditions of the times.

Chs. 6-8, which combine two accounts of the history of Gideon, have a strong historical basis; they contain much ancient matter, but even in their original forms there were assuredly some portions which cannot be regarded as historical, e.g. 6™-.

Ch. 9, the story of Abimelech, is one of the oldest portions of the book, and contains for the most part genuine history; it gives an instructive glimpse of the relations between Canaanites and Israelites now brought side by side; 'the Canaanite town Shechem, subject to Jerubbaal of Ophrah; his half-Canaanite son Abimelech, who naturally belongs to his mother's people; the suc-cessful appeal to blood, which is "thicker than water," by which he becomes king of Shechem, ruling over the neighbouring Israelites also; the interloper Gaal, and his kinsmen, who settle in Shechem and instigate in-surrection against Abimelech by skilfully appealing to the pride of the Shechemite aristocracy — all help us better than anything else in the book to realize the situation in this period' (Moore).

The section 10°-" contains a few historical notes, but is mostly Deuteronomic. The Jephthah story (ll'-12'), again, contains a great deal that is of high value historically; the narrative does not all come from one source, and the Deuteronomist's hand is, as usual, to be discerned here and there, but that it contains 'genuine historical traits' (Kuenen) is universally acknowledged.

Chs. 13-16, which recount the adventures of Samson, must be regarded as having a character of their own; if these adventures have any basis in fact, they have been so overlaid with legendary matter that it would be precarious to pronounce vrith any degree of certainty any part of them in their present form to be historical.

Chs. 17. 18 are among the most valuable, historically, in the book; they give a most instructive picture of the . social and religious state of the people during the period of the Judges, and bear every mark of truthfulness.

Chs. 19-21. Of these chapters, 19 is not unlike the rest of the book in character; it is distinctly 'old-world,' and must be pronounced as, in the main, genuinely historical; 21"-" has likewise a truly antique ring, but the remainder of this section is devoid of historical reality. W. 0. E. Oestebley.

JUDGING (Ethical). — The subject of ethical judging meets us frequently in the NT. 1. It is the right and duty of a moral being to judge of the goodness or badness of actions and qualities; and Christianity, by exalting the moral standard and quickening the conscience, makes ethical judgments more obligatory than before. In cases where our judgments are impersonal there is no difficulty as to the exercise of this right. As possessed of a conscience, a man is called upon to view the world in the discriminating light of the moral law (Ro 2'"-, 2 Co 4^). As possessed of a Christian conscience, a Christian man must test everything by the law of Christ (Ph li» RVm, 1 Th 5"). 'He that is spiritual judgeth all things' (I Co 2is).

2. So far all is clear. But when we pass to the sphere" of judgments regarding persons, the case is not so simple. It might seem at first almost as if in the NT all judgment of persons were forbidden. There is our Lord's emphatic 'Judge not' (Mt 7'). There is St. Paul's demand, 'Why dost thou judge thy brother?' (Ro 14"'), his injunction, 'Let us not therefore judge one another' (v."), his bold claim that he that is spiritual ia judged of no man (1 Co 2"). There is the assertion of St. James that the man who judges his brother is making himself a judge of the law (Ja 4"), i.e. the royal law of love (cf. 2»). But it is impossible to Judge of actions and qualities without passing on to judge the persons who perform them or in whom they inhere. If an action ia sinful, the person who commits it is sinful; indeed, the moral

JUDGMENT-SEAT

quality of an action springs from its association with a moral personaUty. In condemning anything as wrong, we necessarily condemn the person who has been guilty of it. And when we look more closely at the teaching of the NT, we find that it is not judgment of others that is forbidden, but unfair judgment — a judgment that is biassed or superficial or narrow or censorious and un-touched with charity. 'Judge not,' said Jesus, 'that ye be not judged'; and the context shows that His meaning was, ' Do not judge others without first judging yourself.' 'Let us not judge one another,' says St. Paul; but it is in the course of a plea for Uberty in non-essentials and charity in all things. 'He that is spiritual,' he says again, 'is judged of no man'; but his meaning is that the natural man is incompetent to judge the spiritual man in regard to spiritual things. And when St. James couples judging our brother with speak-ing against him, and represents both as infringements of the royal law, it seems evident that he refers to a kind of judging that is not charitable or even just, but is inspired by malice or springs from a carping habit. Ethical judgment of personal worth was a function freely exercised by Jesus Christ {e.g. Mt 16^3 23"»||, Mk IQZ', Lk 13»2, Jn 1" 6™), and it is the privilege and duty of a Christian man. But if our judgments are to be pure reflexions of the mind of Christ, and not the verdicts of ignorance, prejudice, or selfishness, the following NT rules must be observed. We must (1) let our judgments begin with ourselves (Mt 7™- 1|, Ro 2'); (2) not judge by appearances (Jn 7^; cf. 8«); (3) respect the liberty of our brother's conscience (Ro 14, 1 Co 102»); (4) not seek to usurp the office of the final Judge (1 Co 46, Ro I411'); (S) beware of the censorious spirit (Ja 4"). J. C. Lambert.

JUDGMENT. — Biblical eschatology centres about the Judgment to which all humanity is to be subjected at the end of this ' age.' As the introduction to the Messianic Age, it was expected to occur at a definite time in the future, and would take place in the heavens, to which all humanity, whether living or dead, would be raised from Sheol. The judge was sometimes said to be God (He 12^"), sometimes His representative, the Christ, assisted by the angels (Ro 2^\ Mt 13m-!« »'-« "-»» 2431-46; cf. Eth. Enoch 48). In Lk 22™, I Co &, Christians are also said to be judges. At the Judgment, sentences would be pronounced determining the eternal states of individuals, both men and angels. Those who had done wrong would be doomed to punishment, and those who had accepted Jesus as Christ, either explicitly, as in the case of the Christians, or implicitly, as in the case of Abraham, would be acquitted and admitted to heaven. The question as to the basis of this acquittal gave rise to the great discussion between St. Paul and the Jewish Christians, and was developed in the doctrine of justifica-tion by faith.

By its very nature the thought of judgment is eschato-logical, and can be traced from the conception of the Day of Jehovah of the ancient Hebrews. While the Scripture writers sometimes conceived of disease and misery as the result of sin, such suffering was not identi-fied by them with the penalties inflicted at the Judg-ment. These were strictly eschatological, and included non-participation in the resurrection of the body, and suffering in hell. (See Abyss, Day oe the Lobd, Book OP Life, Gehenna.)

For 'judgment' in the sense of justice see art. Justice. Shaileb Mathews.

JUDGMENT -HALL. — See Prsjtobium.

JUDGMENT -SEAT.— The usual word employed for this in the NT is Uma (Mt 27", Jn 19", Ac 18"- '"'• 25». 10. 17^ Ro 14'», 2 Co 5"), properly a 'tribune.' In the NT the word is used of the official seat (tribunal) of the Roman judge. The word Icrit^rlon used in Ja 2" occurs also in 1 Co 6'- ', where it is translated in RVm by ' tribunal.' See, further, art. Qabbatha.

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