122 



The history of Gideon, liowever, affords another evidence 

 in favour of our hypotht-sis, concerning llie tlu'ee first periods 

 and the first avengers of Israel. We find, first, that Midian 

 made war against the children of Israel and subjugated part 

 of the tribes, (for the expression (c. 6. v. 2.) " the caves which 

 are in the mountains,'' seems to mean " now visible there," 

 and, of course, that it was those tribes who inhabited the 

 vicinity of the mountainous parts that were principally sub- 

 jugated,*) which is not related of the former servitudes; 

 therefore, they must have been distinct, viz. only of tribute 

 and service. And, secondly, (c. 8. 22.) the people, grateful 

 for the ability and valour which had saved them, call on their 

 avenger to rule over them,-f- and to transmit the power to his 

 descendants, which certainly implies, that in the case of the 

 preceding Judges, no such power was possessed or exercised, 

 in consequence of their deliverance, or that, in other words, 

 they only enjoyed the reputation and honour due to their ex- 

 ploits, without exercising the duties of judicature and au- 

 thority, and consequently, that the duration of the three first 



reposes 



• It should seem, also, those caTes were, perhaps, the same that, during the reign of 

 Saul, afforded an asylum to the Israelites, in his first war against the Philistines. (Saml. 

 13.6.) 



t The excessive and unusual severity of this oppression was, probably, a primary 

 cause of the singular gratitude of the people. Besides, the providence of Heaven had 

 been more remarkablj/ displayed in their late miraculous deliverance ; and perhaps, too, 

 ^he experience of the evils of civil dlssentlon and anarchy, which had been so strongly 

 :x«mpli6ed in the course of the war, contributed not a little to their consent and proposal. 



