13. Synopsis of the Contents

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13. SYNOPSIS OF THE CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

I. Genealogy from Adam to Noah, with the names of the sons and daughters of the early patriarchs.

II. Genealogy from Cain to Lamech; the names of Cain's cities, short accounts of Jubal and Tubal, and the song of Lamech.

III. The Flood and the covenant with Noah, mainly in the words of Genesis, but with the addition of two important speeches of God.

IV. The descendants of Shem, Ham and Japhet, and the territories occupied by them. The genealogy continued to Abraham. In this occur accounts of the first appearing of the rainbow, the prophecy of Milcah, and the beginning of divination.

V. The review and census of the descendants of Noah.

VI. The Tower of Babel begun. Abraham's rescue from the fire.

VII. Destruction of the Tower, and dispersion of the builders.

VIII. The genealogy from Abraham to the going down into Egypt. The names of Job's children.

IX. The oppression in Egypt. Amram refuses to separate from his wife. Miriam's vision. The birth of Moses.

X. The plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea. Israel in the desert.

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XI. The giving of the Law. The Decalogue.

XII. The Golden Calf.

XIII. The Tabernacle, and the institution of certain Feasts.

XIV. The numbering of the people.

XV. The spies.

XVI. Korah.

XVII. Aaron's Rod.

XVIII. Balaam.

XIX. The farewell and death of Moses.

XX. Joshua succeeds him. The spies sent to Jericho. Withdrawal of the manna, pillar of cloud, and fountain.

XXI. Joshua warned of his end: his prayer: he writes the Law upon stones and builds an altar.

XXII. The altar built by the tribes beyond Jordan. The sanctuary at Shiloh.

XXIII. Joshua's last speech, with the story of Abraham's vision and of the giving of the Law.

XXIV. His farewell and death.

XXV. Kenaz (Cenez) elected ruler by lot. Detection by the lot of sinners among the tribes. Their confessions: account of the Amorite idols.

XXVI. God directs the disposal of the accursed objects: the sinners are burned.

The commands of God are carried out: account of the twelve precious stones.

XXVII. Kenaz's victory, single-handed, over the Amorites.

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XXVIII. His last days: the speech of Phinehas: vision and death of Kenaz.

XXIX. Zebul succeeds: an inheritance given to the daughters of Kenaz: a sacred treasury founded: death of Zebul.

XXX. Israel oppressed by Sisera. Deborah's speech.

XXXI. The stars fight against Sisera: his death.

XXXII. Deborah's hymn, with the description of the sacrifice of Isaac and the giving of the Law.

XXXIII. Last words and death of Deborah.

XXXIV. Aod, the wizard of Midian, seduces Israel by his sorceries.

XXXV. The call of Gideon.

XXXVI. He defeats Midian: his sin and death.

XXXVII. Abimelech succeeds. [Gap in the text.] Parable of the trees. Death of Abimelech. [Gap in the text.]

XXXVIII. Jair apostatizes and is destroyed by fire.

XXXIX. Israel oppressed by Ammon. Jephthah is persuaded to help. His negotiations with Getal, King of Ammon: his vow: God's anger.

XL. Seila, Jephthah's daughter: her readiness to die: her lamentation and death. Death of Jephthah.

XLI. The Judges Abdon (Addo) and Elon.

XLII. Manoah and his wife Eluma. Samson promised.

XLIII. Birth, exploits and death of Samson.

XLIV. Micah and his mother Dedila. The idols described. God's anger.

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XLV. The Levite Bethac at Nob. The Benjamite outrage.

XLVI. Israel attacks Benjamin and is thrice defeated. Prayer of Phinehas.

XLVII. Parable of the Lion, spoken by God in answer to Phinehas. Benjamin is defeated: names of the surviving chiefs. Death of Micah.

XLVIII. Departure of Phinehas from among men. Wives are found for the Benjamites. Conclusion of the period of the Judges.

XLIX. Israel is at a loss for a ruler. Lots are cast in vain. Advice of Nethez. The lot falls on Elkanah, who refuses to be ruler. God promises Samuel.

L. Peninnah's reproaches to Hannah: Hannah's prayer.

LI. Birth of Samuel: hymn of Hannah.

LII. Sin of Hophni and Phinehas. Eli rebukes them, their refusal to repent.

LIII. Call of Samuel: Eli's submission to God's will.

LIV. The ark captured by the Philistines: Saul brings the news. Death of Eli and of his daughter-in-law.

LV. Grief of Samuel. The ark and Dagon: the Philistines plagued: they take counsel as to the return of the ark: it is sent back.

LVI. The people ask for a king, prematurely. Saul comes to Samuel.

LVII. Samuel presents him to the people and he is made king.

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LVIII. He is sent against Amalek, and spares Agag. Agag is slain, after begetting a son who is to be Saul's slayer.

LIX. Samuel anoints David: David's psalm: the lion and the bear.

LX. Saul oppressed by an evil spirit: David's song.

LXI. David's first victory, over Midian. Goliath defies Israel: David slays him (story of Orpah and Ruth).

LXII. Saul's envy of David. David's parting with Jonathan: their farewell speeches and covenant.

LXIII. The priests of Nob slain: God's sentence against Doeg. Death of Samuel.

LXIV. Saul expels the sorcerers to make a name for himself: God's anger. The Philistines invade: Saul goes to Sedecla, the witch of Endor. Appearance and speech of Samuel.

LXV. Defeat of Saul: he summons the Amalekite (Edab, son of Agag) to kill him. The text ends abruptly in the midst of a message from Saul to David.

There is more than one plausible way of dividing the book into episodes. The simplest is this--

1. Adam to the descent into Egypt, cc. I.-VIII.

2. Moses, IX.-XIX.

3. Joshua, XX.-XXIV.

4. The judges, XXV.-XLVIII.

. Samuel, Saul and David, XLIV-LXV.

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A more elaborate subdivision would be-

Adam to Lamech, I.-II.
Noah and his descendants, III.-V.
Abraham to the death of Joseph, VI.-VIII.
The life of Moses, IX.-XIX.
Joshua, XX.-XXIV.
The Judges, the chief figures being--

Kenaz, XXV.-XXVIII.
Zebul, XXIX.
Deborah, XXX.-XXXIII.
Aod, XXXIV.
Gideon, XXXV.-XXXVI.
Jair, XXXVIII.
Jephthah, XXXIX.-XL.
Abdon, Elon, XLI.
Samson, XLII.-XLIII.

The events of the last chapters of the Book of Judges, XLIV.-XLVIII.
Life of Samuel, to the return of the ark, XLIX.-LV.
Saul's career, LVI.-LXV., David entering upon the scene in LIX.

A third and more artificial method of division (which is followed to some extent by the MS. R) is into portions corresponding to the Biblical books, viz.--

Genesis, I.-VIII.
Exodus, IX.-XIII.
Leviticus, part of XIII.
Numbers, XIV.-XVIII.
Deuteronomy, XIX.
Joshua, XX.-XXIV.
Judges, XXV.-XLVIII.
1 Samuel, XLIX.-LXV.

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The space allotted to the period of the Judges emerges as the striking feature. It is rather greater than that given to the Pentateuch and Joshua, and more than double the share of 1 Samuel. And of it almost a third part is devoted to the doings of a person practically unknown to the Bible, namely, Kenaz.