2 Chronicles 19:5

and he set judges Cp. 2 Chronicles 19:11 "also the Levites shall be officers"; and Deuteronomy 16:18 "judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates."

In the earliest days justice was administered in Israel, as among the Bedouin of to-day, probably by all heads of families and (in difficult cases) by the one head who was distinguished above the rest for impartiality and for knowledge of tribal custom. In later days when Israel was settled in Canaan the "elders of the cities" and the "elders of the priests" exercised the same functions.

Jehoshaphat's measures were twofold, (1) to establish judges throughout the cities of Judah, (2) to establish (in accordance with Deuteronomy 17:8 ff.) a kind of court of appeal in Jerusalem itself.

As to the first measure no doubt the work consisted in removing evil judges and confirming the good in their office, rather than in appointing judges for the first time. The second measure, however, was probably altogether new; David (2 Samuel 14:4 ff; 2 Samuel 15:3) and Solomon (1 Kings 3:16) had kept judgment in their own hands. The prominent position assigned to the priests as judges is in accordance with Deuteronomy 17:9; Deuteronomy 19:17.