Judges by David Gunn (Blackwell Bible Commentaries: Blackwell Publishers) (Paperback) The commentary is constructed around the biblical book's main constituent stories and characters. The first chapter deals with the entry into the land and includes the cameo stories of Adoni-bezek who lost thumbs and big toes, Achsah who asked for water, and Othniel the first "judge" (Judg 1:1–3:11); the second chapter is on Ehud's assassination of Ehud (Judg 3:12–31); the third chapter covers Deborah and Barak defeating Sisera, and Jael putting a spike through his head (Judges 4–5); the fourth chapter discusses Gideon testing God and defeating the Ammonites (Judges 6–8), and the next its sequel, Abimelech's abortive kingship (Judges 9); the sixth chapter examines Jephthah, his vow, and his daughter's sacrifice (Judges 10–12); the seventh chapter deals with Samson the Nazirite, from annunciation to self-immolation, and, of course, his Timnite bride, the prostitute of Gaza, and Delilah (Judges 13–16); the eighth chapter treats Micah, his Levite, and the rampaging Danites (Judges 17–18); and the ninth chapter closes with a story of rape writ large, the Levite's woman and the Benjamite war (Judges 19–21).

Judges by David Gunn (Blackwell Bible Commentaries: Blackwell Publishers) (Paperback) The commentary is constructed around the biblical book's main constituent stories and characters. The first chapter deals with the entry into the land and includes the cameo stories of Adoni-bezek who lost thumbs and big toes, Achsah who asked for water, and Othniel the first "judge" (Judg 1:1–3:11); the second chapter is on Ehud's assassination of Ehud (Judg 3:12–31); the third chapter covers Deborah and Barak defeating Sisera, and Jael putting a spike through his head (Judges 4–5); the fourth chapter discusses Gideon testing God and defeating the Ammonites (Judges 6–8), and the next its sequel, Abimelech's abortive kingship (Judges 9); the sixth chapter examines Jephthah, his vow, and his daughter's sacrifice (Judges 10–12); the seventh chapter deals with Samson the Nazirite, from annunciation to self-immolation, and, of course, his Timnite bride, the prostitute of Gaza, and Delilah (Judges 13–16); the eighth chapter treats Micah, his Levite, and the rampaging Danites (Judges 17–18); and the ninth chapter closes with a story of rape writ large, the Levite's woman and the Benjamite war (Judges 19–21).

Each chapter begins with an abstract of the story (the "argument;" as older commentaries called it) and a summary of the discussion. (Names are given as commonly found in English, usually Protestant, sources, with Catholic alternatives where these differ.) A reader desiring a brief overview of responses to Judges over the centuries is invited to read through these summaries. Two main sections follow: "Ancient and Medieval" and "Early Modern and Modern." The former runs from Josephus and Pseudo-Philo, includes the clas­sical texts of rabbinic Judaism, the Christian Fathers of Late Antiquity, and sources from the Middle Ages. It concludes with the fifteenth century and the onset of printing. The latter starts with the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation, and continues through the Enlightenment up to the present day. Given its extent, this section is often broken up into topics, often main characters – for example, in the third chapter, "Deborah," "Barak, Sisera, and Sisera's mother," "Jael" – or main talking points – in the seventh chapter, "Typology," "Edifying history," "Foxes and fire," "Captivity and death," among others. By and large each section or subsection proceeds chronologically from earlier to later sources, and often the chapter ends with a "Recent reception" subsection focusing mainly on scholarly reception over the past century. This last review will seem cursory (to say the least), given conventional commen­taries, but it does attempt to give the reader interested in the state of Judges scholarship today some guidelines.

The illustrations offer a small sample of the visual art of Judges, with pref­erence given to works originally designed for reproduction, such as print suites or Bible illustrations, and to published engravings of paintings rather than photographs of the original, since these are what most people saw before the late nineteenth century. Because of limitations of space, most of the plates are composites of pictures, many of them cropped or providing detail only and much reduced, so providing only a flavor of the real thing. The folio engrav­ings of Gerard Hoet and Caspar Luyken, for example, are magnificent, far beyond what can be conveyed here.

The Bibliography at the end of the book is subdivided into Ancient and Medieval, Early Modern and Modern, and Graphical sources. It is followed by a complete list of illustrations. Also included in the end matter are a short glos­sary of terms, events, and interpretive methods perhaps unfamiliar to some readers, and a set of brief biographies (where information was available). Anindex of names includes both primary and secondary-source authors, and an index of main subjects concludes the book.

A few idiosyncrasies need to be mentioned. First concerns the reference system. In the main text, the date supplied for a source is the original (as best could be determined). Details in square brackets are those of the edition used, when it is reasonably certain that its content does not differ significantly from the original. In the bibliography, however, a date in square brackets is the original, and the principal date is that of the edition used. Second concerns the reference materials. There are many secondary sources discussing topics covered here. That they are not mentioned does not mean that they are unavailable. But I have chosen to focus on primary sources, and the bibliography reflects this choice. Third, where possible, life-spans are supplied when (deceased) authors and artists are first mentioned, as well as dates of their works. Likewise a few words describing the person are offered. In larger chapters, where a reader may be consulting only one section, this information is sometimes repeated. The result may appear (and be) inconsis­tent as well as redundant to some readers, but it is intended to be helpful to others.

The Micah Story: A Morality Tale in the Book of Judges by E. Aydeet Mueller (Studies in Biblical Literature, 34L Peter Lang) The author of the Micah story was probably active in the wake of the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.E. Calling into question recent understandings that highlight the Micah story in the book of Judges as a piece of political polemic, this book ascribes the text to a morality teacher standing firmly in the deuteronomic tradition. Idolatrous, immoral, fearful, and alienated from God, the protagonists do what is emphatically forbidden in the book of DeuteronomyThe moral of the Micah story: do not act like the protagonists, return to God, practice covenant loyalty, and remember that God never breaks the covenant with the people.

Author Summary: This study has shown that Judges 17:1‑18:31 is a masterfully written morality tale framed by an author who stands in the deuteronomic tradition. The discussion of past scholarship on the Micah story in CHAPTER ONE has shown that questions about formation and authorship on the one hand, and issues of polemics, kingship, and covenantal behavior on the other hand are not settled. There is considerable agreement among earlier source and form critics that the author incorporated two or three narratives which he inherited from tradition. Yet, they disagree about the nature, authorship, and the date of origin of such materials.

It is plausible that the final author preserved and updated earlier narratives. As a morality teacher, he was concerned that the tradition be passed on to future generations so that God's torah (instruction, law) would continue to inform and nurture the people. The fact that scholars have been unable to identify such source materials in the Micah story with any degree of certainty attests to the genius of the final storyteller.

The question of whether the author of the Micah story stands in the deuteronomic tradition is not settled either. As many scholars argue that there is no deuteronomic influence as find that there is. Until Weinfeld (1967), there was virtual consensus that there was no deuteronomic influence in the Micah story. Since then an increasing body of scholars has been pointing to verbal and ideological parallels between the Micah story and Deuteronomy (Boling, Veijola, Polzin, Wilson, O'Connell, Yee).

Scholars who argue that the Micah story serves a polemical function tend to see the polemic as political, serving the agendas of one king or another. There is no agreement on the time and place of origin of such polemics. Proposed dates span several hundred years, between the tenth century B.C.E. (King Jeroboam I) and the seventh century B.C.E. (King Josiah).

The examination in CHAPTER TWO supports the widely held view that Judges 17:1‑18:31 is a polemical story, but it shows that the polemic serves a moral rather than a political purpose. The author is a devoted morality teacher who levels a subtle yet relentless polemic against various forms of covenantal misconduct, most notably idolatrous worship. Throughout the story, he targets the use of various idols.

Covenantal misbehavior is a major issue in the Micah story. Idolatry in the sanctuaries is matched by other forms of covenant violations in the family and tribal community: dishonoring of a parent, taking YHWH's name in vain, coveting, stealing, lying, and committing genocide. Without exception, the protagonists are portrayed as idolatrous, immoral, fearful, and alienated from God.

There is much to suggest that the Micah story serves the interests of an author standing in the deuteronomic tradition. An examination of the Micah story in relation to the covenant stipulations in the Decalogue (Dent 5:6‑21; Exod 20:2­17), exhortations to sole allegiance to YHWH, prohibitions, regulations about worship, Levites, and kings, and two sermons against idolatry suggests that deuteronomic concerns directly influenced the Micah author. In sum, the Micah story plays out a scenario that is emphatically forbidden in Deuteronomy.

In my judgment, certain parallels between the Micah story and the book of Jeremiah point to an author who was active in the wake of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (587 B.C.E.) and who was familiar with Jeremiah's prophecy. The king who fell short of upholding appropriate covenantal behavior among the people may have been one censured by Jeremiah for dispersing the people into captivity 597‑587 B.C.E.

The investigation in CHAPTER THREE indicates that most scholars regard Judges 17:6 and 18:1a as references to the advantages of monarchy. A few scholars caution that rather than pointing to a future monarchy, these references are critical of the cultic and social chaos that characterized the era of the judges (Talmon), or of goals that remained unattained (Klein). Among those who view Judges 17:6 and 18:1a as promonarchic, some emphasize that the statements envision a law‑abiding king who promotes covenantal loyalty among the people (Davis, Satterthwaite, O'Connell).

In the Micah story, the protagonists follow their own instincts, not what is pleasing to YHWH. The necessary leadership exhorting them to proper covenantal behavior is lacking. In Judges 17:6 the author perceives the people and the king as distant from God. "Everyone," literally "every man"  is said to have acted as he/she pleases. Apparently, the king is no king, for he is as negligent of covenant loyalty as the people for whom he is expected to set an example. The author is critical of the king because he fails to be a law­observing monarch like David or Josiah.

Clearly, covenantal misbehavior is a major theme in the book of Judges as a whole. In the stories preceding the Micah story, Israelite leaders are increasingly given to either ignoring or forgetting God's commandments. The covenantal misdeeds culminate in the atrocities committed by the Levite and the "sons of Israel" in the final story. As in the Micah story, idolatry is especially emphasized among those covenantal offenses depicted in Judges., In Judges 2:6‑16:31, the people repeatedly do what is evil in the eyes of YHWH by serving the Baals and other gods, with the result that the land is oppressed by a foreign power. Then the people cry to God for help, and God provides a deliverer who frees them from oppression. In the Micah story, the protagonists do not turn to God for help; God does not intervene; and the land remains in captivity (18:30).

A modern reader may conclude with Wilson that the author of the Micah story portrays Micah, his mother, the Levite, and the Danites "...as representatives of a people for whom idols are appropriate and acceptable confederates of Yahweh,"' which supports the author's earlier position of Judges 2:19 that "Israel is incorrigibly, unshakeably idolatrous."2 My research on the Micah story also suggests that the author depicts such human shortcomings but that he advances one step further. The Micah author teaches covenant morality at a time of oppression because he considers Israel capable of engaging in repentance and making choices that differ from those taken by the protagonists in the story. He challenges his readers to ponder their own actions and encourages them to do what the protagonists fail to do: turn to God for help, and repent from idolatry or any other forms of covenantal misconduct. Last but not least, he provides the readers with new hope: "...those days..." (17:6), mentioned in the story, ended with the captivity of the land (18:30); but the future holds God's promise of deliverance.

The didactic aspect of the Micah story and other narratives in Judges has largely gone unnoticed. Thus, further work needs to be done on the question of how other stories in Judges may serve the interests of a morality teacher. Perhaps it will be discovered that some of these other narratives are intended primarily as exhortations to covenant behavior, in addition to being entertaining and relating what happened in Israel's past. There is enough reason to claim that in the wider context of Judges and the deuteronomic tradition (Deut‑2 Kgs), the author of the Micah story emerges as one among a group of outstanding teachers of covenant loyalty.

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