Description
Author Maurice Beale. 538 pages soft cover. Published by the author.
The book carries the reader through the Biblical record of the almost 350 years from Joshua’s death to the death of Samuel – the last of Israel’s God-appointed judges. The Book of Judges is complex, having four parts: Prologue, Introduction, History Section and Epilogue. Each of these has distinctive and sometimes bizarre features. While all the better-known stories are discussed – like those about Deborah and Barak, and Gideon – this book includes work the author has not found elsewhere. Here are some topics Bible students should find particularly helpful:
The unique, and easily-overlooked structure of the Judges Prologue;
the special challenge of Jephthah and his daughter;
the unusual record of Samson;
the disturbing stories in the Epilogue, and more.
There is also a seven-chapter, detailed treatment of the chronology of Judges, including a two-page summary table of the period connecting Moses through Samuel and Saul, to King David. At the back of the book there are thirteen appendices addressing a variety of matters relating to the main text, as well as a multi-page index of Bible citations and allusions in the book.
A review of the book by Mark Sheppard is included in the January 2021 issue of The Christadelphian.
BOOK REVIEW
Many have enjoyed Brother Maurice Beale’s book Joshua, published by The Christadelphian in 1990, an excellent exposition of the book of Joshua. Those who value that earlier work will welcome the publication in 2020 of a new volume by Brother Beale titled From Joshua to Samuel – An Exposition of the Book of Judges. This book offers more than just a detailed analysis of the text of Judges. Its lengthy title reflects the broad canvas painted by the author as he covers the period from the days of Joshua to the establishment of the kingdom under Saul and David.
This is a meaty work in six parts. The 63 chapters in Parts one to four expound the text of Judges. Part five discusses the chronology of Judges as well as the timing of the events described in Ruth and the chronology of 1 Samuel. This section includes thought-provoking analysis of several enigmatic passages such as 1 Samuel 13:1, 1 Kings 6:1 and Acts 13:19-22 in which the author suggests solutions to the ages of Samuel and Saul and the length of Saul’s reign. Part 6 is a suite of 13 appendices which offer further thoughts and details on certain matters raised in the body of the work. The book also includes an index of scriptural passages referred to in the work.
The treatment of the text of Judges is fairly exhaustive, although in a few places such as Judges 5:28-31 the commentary is scant. In part this may be because the author acknowledges his debt to (and commends) Brother Harry Whittaker’s book Judges and Ruth. Not every aspect of the record is amenable to a single simple explanation Judges 6:26 is one such passage. In these cases, Brother Beale outlines several possible interpretations for readers to consider.
More than 70 pages are devoted to each of the major Judges in the record, Gideon, Jephthah and Samson. Each of these sections could have been published as a separate book. These men intrigue many Bible readers and Brother Maurice tackles the challenges associated with them. Many readers will enjoy considering his approach to Jephthah and his vow and his comments on the contradictions in Samson’s life. Brother Maurice makes an interesting suggestion about Delilah and it is a pity that he has not provided more evidence for his view in this regard.
The two sad and tawdry tales with which Judges concludes are dealt in a sensitive way. Attention is given to their historical context and how this is reflected elsewhere in Judges. Although these chapters in Judges are so confronting, the author shows that there are many lessons for modern disciples which we do well to heed.
While the book is rich in detailed exegesis, the style is conversational and readable. The author draws many thoughtful and sensitive exhortations from the text and suggests lessons that might be applied in our personal and ecclesial life. Those familiar with his earlier work on Joshua will recall that this also was a feature of that book.
At 522 pages some may regard the book as too long. Whether that is so is a value judgment. It probably is irrelevant, however, because it is likely that most will use the book as a reference work to be consulted in relation to specific incidents or characters in Judges. Those who read the work either in full or parts will appreciate the diligent and reverent work of Brother Beale in his compilation of this comprehensive commentary on an exciting and much-loved book.
Geoff Henstock
This review was first published in the Testimony, January 2022