4. The argument of the book.
Now, the book contains a history of the Israelite people, both Ecclesiastical and Civil, from the times of Joshua unto the times of Eli, under thirteen Judges: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah the Prophetess together with Barak, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. Therefore, depicted are the states, alterations, victories, slaughters, oppressions, liberations, judgments of the free people and their liberty. Portrayed are various cases, the nature of the common people, mutable and inclined to the worst things, the astonishing struggle of true religion with superstition, the deadly catastrophe of popular and anarchic license.