Judges 1: Judah goes up first, and the tribes do not drive out the Canaanites
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What happens?
After Joshua dies, the Israelites ask Yahweh who should go up first against the Canaanites, and Yahweh says Judah. Judah and Simeon defeat Adoni-Bezek, Judah takes Jerusalem and strikes the Canaanites of Hebron, and Othniel takes Debir and is given Caleb's daughter Achsah as his wife. Judah takes the hill country but does not drive out the people of the valley, who have iron chariots, and the house of Joseph takes Bethel. Benjamin, Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher and Naphtali do not drive out the people of their towns, some of whom are put to forced labor, and the Amorites push Dan back into the hill country.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the chapter. God's own words are in 1 of the 36 verses: Yahweh's answer in verse 2. The Israelites ask Yahweh in verse 1. Judah speaks to Simeon in verse 3, and Adoni-Bezek speaks in verse 7; when he says "so God has done to me", those are his own words. Caleb speaks in verses 12 and 14, Achsah answers him in verse 15, and the spies of the house of Joseph speak in verse 24. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked of Yahweh, saying, “Who should go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”
In plain English: After Joshua died, the Israelites asked Yahweh, "Who should go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight them?"
Good to know: Joshua's death is told in , and this book tells it again in . The text does not say how the Israelites asked Yahweh. A like question is asked in , "Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?", and there too the answer is Judah.
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2Yahweh said, “Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said, "Judah is to go up. See, I have given the land into his hand."
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3Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your lot.” So Simeon went with him.
In plain English: Judah said to his brother Simeon, "Come up with me into the land given to me by lot (this Bible: my lot), so that we can fight the Canaanites. Then I too will go with you into your lot." So Simeon went with him.
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4Judah went up, and Yahweh delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand. They struck ten thousand men in Bezek.
In plain English: Judah went up, and Yahweh gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand. They struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.
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5They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and they fought against him. They struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
In plain English: At Bezek they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, and they struck down the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
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6But Adoni-Bezek fled. They pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.
In plain English: But Adoni-Bezek ran away. They chased him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.
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7Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, scavenged under my table. As I have done, so God has done to me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
In plain English: Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has paid me back." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
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8The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, took it, struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
In plain English: The people of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it. They struck it with the sword (literally: with the mouth of the sword) and set the city on fire.
Good to know: says Judah could not drive out the Jebusites of Jerusalem, and verse 21 here says Benjamin did not drive them out. The note on Joshua 15:63 sets these verses side by side. The text does not say how they fit together.
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9After that, the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, and in the South, and in the lowland.
In plain English: After that the people of Judah went down to fight the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the South (the Negev), and in the lowland.
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10Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. (The name of Hebron before that was Kiriath Arba.) They struck Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
In plain English: Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.) They struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
Good to know: Here Judah strikes Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, and in verse 20 Caleb drives out the three sons of Anak. says Caleb drove them out; see the note there, which sets these accounts side by side.
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11From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir before that was Kiriath Sepher.)
In plain English: From there Judah went against the people who lived in Debir. (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.)
Good to know: Verses 11 to 15 are told in nearly the same words in to . The notes there explain how Othniel is related to Caleb (), Achsah urging her husband (), and the springs ().
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12Caleb said, “I will give Achsah my daughter as wife to the man who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it.”
In plain English: Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Achsah as wife to the man who attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it."
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13Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it, so he gave him Achsah his daughter as his wife.
In plain English: Othniel the son of Kenaz took it. Othniel was Caleb's younger brother (or: Kenaz was Caleb's younger brother). So Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah as his wife.
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14When she came, she got him to ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey; and Caleb said to her, “What would you like?”
In plain English: When she came, she urged him (this Bible: got him) to ask her father for a field. She got down from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you want?"
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15She said to him, “Give me a blessing; because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” Then Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
In plain English: She said to him, "Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the South (the Negev), give me springs of water too." So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
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16The children of the Kenite, Moses’ brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people.
In plain English: The descendants of the Kenite, Moses' brother-in-law (or: father-in-law), went up from the City of Palm Trees with the people of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, in the South (the Negev) near Arad. They went and lived among the people.
The Hebrew word: "Brother-in-law" is choten, from a word the dictionary gives as "to contract affinity by marriage". This Bible says "father-in-law" or a longer form in 18 of the 32 verses that use the word, and "brother-in-law" in only 2: here and (see the note there). So the Kenite can be read as Moses' father-in-law or his brother-in-law. This verse does not name him.
Good to know: "The City of Palm Trees" is a name for Jericho: speaks of "Jericho the city of palm trees".
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17Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. The name of the city was called Hormah.
In plain English: Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they struck down the Canaanites who lived in Zephath and completely destroyed it (this Bible: utterly destroyed it). So the city was named Hormah.
The Hebrew word: "Utterly destroyed" is charam, the word explained in the note on . The name Hormah sounds like it, and the verse ties the name to what was done there. also gives the name Hormah to a place where Israel "utterly destroyed" the Canaanites. The text does not say how the two accounts fit together.
Good to know: This is the same ban as at Jericho (see the note on ). The verse says plainly that the city was destroyed. It is the war law of that time as the text records it, and Jewish and Christian readers differ on how to read it now.
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18Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border.
In plain English: Judah also took Gaza and its territory (this Bible: its border), Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory.
Good to know: The Hebrew, which this Bible follows, says Judah took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) says the opposite, "Judas did not inherit Gaza nor her coasts", nor Ashkelon or Ekron, and it adds Azotus, its name for Ashdod (as in ). names "the five lords of the Philistines" among the nations left in the land.
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19Yahweh was with Judah, and drove out the inhabitants of the hill country; for he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.
In plain English: Yahweh was with Judah, and Judah drove out the people of the hill country (literally: took possession of the hill country). But he could not drive out (or: he did not drive out) the people who lived in the valley, because they had iron chariots.
The Hebrew words: "He could not drive out" is word for word "for not to drive out": the Hebrew here has no word for "could".
What changes: Read as "could not", Judah was not able to drive out the people of the valley. Read word for word, the verse says only that they were not driven out, and gives their iron chariots as the reason.
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20They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove the three sons of Anak out of there.
In plain English: Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove out the three sons of Anak from there.
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21The children of Benjamin didn’t drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
In plain English: The people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. The Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
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22The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and Yahweh was with them.
In plain English: The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and Yahweh was with them.
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23The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city before that was Luz.)
In plain English: The house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel. (The city used to be called Luz.)
Good to know: says Jacob named the place Bethel, "but the name of the city was Luz at the first". In verse 26 the man who showed the way in builds a new city in the land of the Hittites and names it Luz.
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24The watchers saw a man come out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.”
In plain English: The lookouts (this Bible: the watchers) saw a man coming out of the city and said to him, "Please show us the way into the city, and we will treat you kindly."
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25He showed them the entrance into the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go.
In plain English: He showed them the way into the city, and they struck the city with the sword (literally: the mouth of the sword). But they let the man and all his family go.
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26The man went into the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.
In plain English: The man went into the land of the Hittites, built a city, and named it Luz. That is its name to this day.
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27Manasseh didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its towns, nor Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
In plain English: Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shean and its towns (literally: its daughters), or of Taanach and its towns, or the people of Dor and its towns, or the people of Ibleam and its towns, or the people of Megiddo and its towns. The Canaanites were determined (or: were content) to live in that land.
Good to know: Verses 27 and 28 tell much the same as to , where the list also names Endor and the text says Manasseh "couldn't drive out" the people of those cities. "Would dwell" is the word explained in the note on : the Canaanites can be read as "determined" or as "content" to stay, and verse 35 uses the same word. "Forced labor" in verses 28, 30, 33 and 35 is mas, explained in the note on .
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28When Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn’t utterly drive them out.
In plain English: When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely (the Hebrew repeats the verb).
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29Ephraim didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
In plain English: Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
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30Zebulun didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor.
In plain English: Zebulun did not drive out the people of Kitron or the people of Nahalol. The Canaanites lived among them and were put to forced labor.
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31Asher didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob;
In plain English: Asher did not drive out the people of Acco, or the people of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob,
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32but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they didn’t drive them out.
In plain English: but the people of Asher lived among the Canaanites who lived in the land, because they did not drive them out.
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33Naphtali didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but he lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and of Beth Anath became subject to forced labor.
In plain English: Naphtali did not drive out the people of Beth Shemesh or the people of Beth Anath. Naphtali lived among the Canaanites who lived in the land, but the people of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put to forced labor for them.
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34The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;
In plain English: The Amorites pushed the people of Dan back into the hill country. They would not let them come down into the valley,
Good to know: tells that Dan went up and took Leshem. says the tribe of Dan was still looking for land to live in, "for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them", and chapter 18 tells that story.
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35but 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 subject to forced labor.
In plain English: and the Amorites were determined (or: were content) to live in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim. But the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed (literally: was heavy), and they were put to forced labor.
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36The border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.
In plain English: The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim (Scorpions), from the rock (or: from Sela), and upward.
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