1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? |
2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. |
3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him. |
4 And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. |
5 And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites. |
6 But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. |
7 And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died. |
8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. |
9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley. |
10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. |
11 And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher: |
12 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. |
13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. |
14 And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou? |
15 And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs. |
16 And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people. |
17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah. |
18 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof. |
19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. |
20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak. |
21 And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day. |
22 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them. |
23 And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.) |
24 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy. |
25 And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family. |
26 And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day. |
27 Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. |
28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out. |
29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. |
30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries. |
31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob: |
32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out. |
33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributaries unto them. |
34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley: |
35 But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries. |
36 And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward. |
1 The conquests made by Judah and Simeon, Jdg 1:1-20.
Benjamin failed, Jdg 1:21.
The house of Joseph took Bethel, Jdg 1:22-26.
But Manasseh did not drive out the Canaanites, Jdg 1:27-28.
Nor Ephraim, Jdg 1:29.
Nor Zebulun, Jdg 1:30.
Nor Asher, Jdg 1:31-32.
Nor Naphtali, Jdg 1:33.
Nor Dan, Jdg 1:34-36.
1:1 After the death - Not long after it; for Othniel, the first judge, lived in Joshua's time. Asked the Lord - Being assembled together at Shiloh, they enquired of the high - priest by the Urim and the Thummim. Against the Canaanites first - Finding their people multiply exceedingly, and consequently the necessity of enlarging their quarters, they renew the war. They do not enquire who shall be captain general to all the tribes; but what tribe shall first undertake the expedition, that by their success the other tribes may be encouraged to make the like attempt upon the Canaanites in their several lots.
1:2 Judah - The tribe of Judah is chosen for the first enterprise, because they were both most populous, and so most needing enlargement; and withal most valiant, and therefore most likely to succeed: for God chooseth fit means for the work which he designs. Moreover the Canaanites were numerous and strong in those parts, and therefore to be suppressed, before they grew too strong for them.
1:3 To Simeon - As nearest to him both by relation, being his brother by both parents, and by habitation. The Canaanites - Specially so called, because they are distinguished from the Perizzites, ver. Jdg 1:4.
1:4 In Bezek - Not in the city, for that was not yet taken, ver. Jdg 1:5, but in the territory of it.
1:5 Adoni - bezek - The lord or king of Bezek; as his name signifies.In Bezek - Whither he fled when he lost the field.Against him - That is, against the city wherein he had encamped himself, and the rest of his army.
1:6 Great toes - And this they did, either by the direction of God, or upon notice of his former tyranny and cruelty.
1:7 Threescore and ten - Which is not strange in those times and places. For it is well known, that anciently each ruler of a city, or great town, was called a king, and had kingly power in that place; and many such kings we meet with in Canaan: and it is probable, that some years before, kings were more numerous there, 'till the greater devoured many of the less. Under my table - An act of barbarous inhumanity thus to insult over the miserable, joined with abominable luxury.
1:8 And took - Yet some of the inhabitants retired into the castle, and held out there 'till David's time.
1:10 Judah went - Under the conduct of Caleb, as is recorded, Jos 15:14, etc , for that relation, and this, are doubtless oneand the same expedition, and it is mentioned there by anticipation.
1:16 Moses's father - in - law - That is, of Jethro, so called from the people whom he descended, Num 24:21-22. And, whatsoever he did, it is evident, that his posterity came into Canaan with the Israelites, and were there seated with them, see chap. Jdg 4:11, Jdg 4:17, Jdg 5:24 Sa1 15:6, Jdg 1, Ch1 2:1-55. City of palm - trees - That is, from Jericho, so called, Deu 34:3, not the city which was destroyed, but the territory belonging to it, where it seems they were seated, in a most pleasant, and fruitful, and safe place, according to the promise made by Moses to their father, Num 10:29-32, and whence they might remove, either to avoid theneighboring Canaanites; or out of love to the children of Judah.South of Arad - In the southern part of the land of Canaan, where Arad was, Num 21:1.They went - That is some of them, for others of them dwelt in a contrary quarter, in the most northern part of the land. Among the people - Heb.that people, namely, those children of Judah that lived there.
1:17 Judah went with Simeon - According to his promise, ver. Jdg 1:3, and the laws of justice and gratitude. Hormah - Either,
1:18 Judah took - It is only said, they took the cities, and probably contented themselves with making them tributary; but it is not said that they slew the people, as they ought to have done; and as it is said of the other cities here. And the people being thus spared, did by God's just judgment recover their strength, and expel the Jews out of their cities.It is farther observable, that Ekron here taken, was one of Dan's cities, Jos 19:43, and it was taken here by Judah and Simeon, partly out of love for their brother Dan, and partly to secure their new conquests, and other adjoining territories, from such potent neighbours.
1:19 Could not drive - Because of their unbelief, whereby they distrusted God's power to destroy those who had chariots of iron, and so gave way to their own fear and sloth, whereby God was provoked to withdraw his helping hand.
1:22 House of Joseph - That is, the tribe of Ephraim.
1:24 The entrance - On which side it is weakest, that we might best invade and take it.
1:25 His family - Together with his estate, as the following verse manifests.
1:26 The Hittites - Where the Hittites seated themselves after they were driven out of Canaan, which seems to be northward from Canaan, and near upon it.
1:27 Manasseh - That is, that half of this tribe which dwelt in Canaan.
1:29 In Gezer - Which they possessed 'till Solomon's time, Ki1 9:16.
1:34 The valley - That is, into the plain country; which was the occasion of that expedition for the getting new quarters, of which we read Jos 19:47-48 and chap.Jdg 18:1-31.
1:35 House of Joseph - That is, of the Ephraimites, who helped their brethren the Danites against the Amorites.
1:36 Akrabbim - Which was in the southern part of Canaan, Jos 15:2-3, from whence it went up towards the north. This is addedto shew the great power and large extent of this people.