Chap. V Properties Required in Judges, and the Manner of Their Election
The Law of God required these properties in Judges: 1. Wisdom. 2. Understanding. 3. Integrity. 4. Courage. Deut. 1. 13. Others are reckoned, Exod. 18. 21. namely, 5. The fear of God. 6. Love of Truth. 7. Hating of coveteousness: to these may be added the eighth, namely, having no respect of persons, Deut. 1. 17. These two last especially, the Heathens required in their Judges: whence the Thebans548 painted Justice without hands, and without eyes, to intimate that Judges should receive no gifts, nor be swayed with sight of persons.
The Jews549 added many more. 1. That they should be free from all blemish of body. 2. That they should be skilled in the seventy Languages, to the intent that they might not need an Interpreter in the hearing of Causes. 3. That they should not be far stricken in years; which likewise was required by the Romans in their Judges, as appeareth by that common adage, Sexagenarius de ponte. 4. That they should be no Eunuchs, because such commonly were cruel. 5. That they should be Fathers of children, which they thought was a special motive to mercy. 6. That they should be skilful in Magick, without the knowledge of which, they were not able to judge of Magicians.
That there might be a sufficient supply of able men to succeed in the room of the Judges dying, there sate550 three benches of others beneath, whom they called551 Talmidi Chacamim, Scholars of the wise men: out of these they made their Election, and two of these always accompanied the condemned person to the place of execution.
Their Inauguration of Judges was two fold: At first, by imposition of hands upon the head of the party, after the example of Moses laying hands on Joshua: this imposition of hands was not held lawful,552 except it were in the presence of five or three Judges at the least. Afterwards, it was by saying a certain verse553 Lo, thou art associated, and power is given thee to judge of penalties. Hence is that saying of Galatinus out of the Talmud, Institutio Judicum, aut manu fiebat, aut nomine tantum.
Observe here, that Samuc, which I render associated, doth not alwayes signifie a man licensed to the discharge of some publik office by the imposition of hands; for here it is applied to those who were not admitted by imposition of hands. Now the reason why these words Semica, and Semicuth, are generally by all Expositors, Jews and Christians, translated the imposition of hands, is, because this solemn kind of licensing, termed Semica, or Semicuth, was in old time used only towards two sorts of men in their admission, towards Rabbies and towards Judges; which kind of permission, because it was not performed towards either of them without this ceremony of imposing hands: hence these two words have been translated the imposition of hands; whereas properly they signifie nothing else, but an association, an approximation, or conjoyning of one into the same corporation or company, of which he that doth associate and give admission is a member.
Notes
548 Plut. de Iside.
549 Moses Kotsen. in Sanhedrim.
550 Moses Kotsen. ibid.
551 תלמידי חכמים Discipuli sapientum.
552 Petr. Galatin. lib. 4. cap. 5.
553 הרי את סמוך ויש לך רשות לדון אפילו דיני קנסות Maimon. in Sanhedrin, c. 4.