King James Version
Judges 1
36 verses with commentary
Judah and Simeon Conquer
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?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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?</strong><br><br>This opening verse establishes the historical transition from Joshua's leadership to the period of the judges. The Hebrew phrase <em>acharei mot</em> (אַחֲרֵי מוֹת, "after the death") signals a new era...
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(1) **Now.**—The “now” should rather be rendered *And, *as in Leviticus 1:1, Numbers 1:1, Joshua 1:1, 1Samuel 1:1, 2Samuel 1:1, 2Kings 1:1. The word connects this book with the last, “as a link in the chain of books which relate in unbroken connection the sacred history of the world from the Creation to the Exile” (Bertheau).
**Alter the death of Joshua.**—In these first words we are met by a diff...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-9. Give out from among you three men for each tribe--**Though the lot determined the part of the country where each tribe was to be located, it could not determine the extent of territory which might be required; and the dissatisfaction of the children of Joseph with the alleged smallness of their possession gave reason to fear that complaints might arise from other quarters, unless precaution...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.</strong><br><br>God's response designates Judah as the lead tribe, fulfilling Jacob's prophetic blessing that "the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come" (Genesis 49:10). This divine selection affirms Judah's leadership role that will culminate in Da...
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(2) **The Lord said.**—The answer is given to the priest by the Urim, and he announces it to the people.
**Judah shall go up.**—The phrase *“*go up” is used in a military sense (Joshua 6:5). The question had not been, “Who shall be our leader?” but, “Which *tribe *shall fight first?” The reason why Judah is chosen is from the eminence and power of the tribe, which was also the most numerous at bot...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-9. Give out from among you three men for each tribe--**Though the lot determined the part of the country where each tribe was to be located, it could not determine the extent of territory which might be required; and the dissatisfaction of the children of Joseph with the alleged smallness of their possession gave reason to fear that complaints might arise from other quarters, unless precaution...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This verse demonstrates tribal cooperation rooted in kinship—Judah and Simeon were full brothers, both sons of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 29:33-35). The Hebrew <em>achi</em> (אָחִי, "my brother") ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Unto Simeon his brother.**—Both Judah and Simeon were sons of Leah. It was natural that the two tribes should help one another, because their lots were conterminous; indeed, the lot of the Simeonites is said to lie “*within *the inheritance of the children of Judah” (Joshua 19:1), and was given them “out of the portion of the children of Judah” (*ib., *Judges 1:9), because a larger territory...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-9. Give out from among you three men for each tribe--**Though the lot determined the part of the country where each tribe was to be located, it could not determine the extent of territory which might be required; and the dissatisfaction of the children of Joseph with the alleged smallness of their possession gave reason to fear that complaints might arise from other quarters, unless precaution...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This verse confirms God's promise in verse 2—Judah obeyed, and "the LORD delivered" (<em>Yahweh vayyiten</em>, יְהוָה וַיִּתֵּן). The verb <em>natan</em> (נָתַן, "delivered/gave") emphasizes God's active agency in Israel's military vi...
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(4) **And Judah went up.**—Under the leadership of Caleb (Joshua 14:6).
**The Canaanites and the Perizzites.**—See Genesis 13:7; Genesis 34:30. The former seem to have been *lowlanders*—“by the sea and by the coast of Jordan” (Numbers 13:29), “on the east and on the west” (Joshua 11:3; Joshua 17:16). The Perizzites were the mountain and forest tribes (Joshua 11:3; Joshua 17:15). Their antiquity an...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-9. Give out from among you three men for each tribe--**Though the lot determined the part of the country where each tribe was to be located, it could not determine the extent of territory which might be required; and the dissatisfaction of the children of Joseph with the alleged smallness of their possession gave reason to fear that complaints might arise from other quarters, unless precaution...
Read full commentary →And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
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<strong>And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.</strong><br><br>Adoni-bezek's name (<em>Adoni-Bezek</em>, אֲדֹנִי־בֶזֶק) means "lord of Bezek," identifying him as the ruler of this strategic location. The title <em>adon</em> (אָדוֹן, "lord/master") was common for Canaanite kings but stands in theological contrast to Israel'...
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(5) **They found.**—The expression perhaps alludes to the suddenness of their march, which enabled them to take the lord of Bezek by surprise.
**Adoni-bezek.**—This is not a proper name, but a title, meaning “lord of Bezek,” as Adoni-zedek, in Joshua 10:1, and perhaps Melchi-zedek, in Genesis 14:18.
**They slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.**—This seems to refer to a second battle, or perhaps...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-9. Give out from among you three men for each tribe--**Though the lot determined the part of the country where each tribe was to be located, it could not determine the extent of territory which might be required; and the dissatisfaction of the children of Joseph with the alleged smallness of their possession gave reason to fear that complaints might arise from other quarters, unless precaution...
Read full commentary →But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.</strong><br><br>Adoni-bezek's flight represents the typical pattern of ancient warfare: defeated kings attempted escape when battle turned against them, hoping to regroup forces or flee to allied territories. However, Judah's pursuit ensured complete victory—the Hebrew <em>vayyirdep...
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(6) **Cut off his thumbs and his great toes.**—The cutting off of his thumbs would prevent him from ever again drawing a bow or wielding a sword. Romans who desired to escape conscription cut off their thumbs (Suet. *Aug. *24). The cutting off of his great toes would deprive him of that speed which was so essential for an ancient warrior, that “swift-footed” is in Homer the normal epithet of Achil...
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**4-9. Give out from among you three men for each tribe--**Though the lot determined the part of the country where each tribe was to be located, it could not determine the extent of territory which might be required; and the dissatisfaction of the children of Joseph with the alleged smallness of their possession gave reason to fear that complaints might arise from other quarters, unless precaution...
Read full commentary →And Adonibezek 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. their thumbs: Heb. the thumbs of their hands and of their feet gathered: or, gleaned
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>Adoni-bezek's confession is remarkable for its theological awareness. He attributes his fate not to military fortune or the strength of Judah's for...
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(7) **Threescore and ten kings.**—The number might seem incredible, were it not that the title “king” was freely given to every petty Emir, and even to village Sheykhs. The “seventy” kings may have been the rulers of the towns which Adoni-bezek had taken in extending the territory of Bezek. Josephus says seventy-two kings (*Antt. v.* 2, § 2), and this common variation is found in some MSS. of the ...
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Jos 18:10. Divided by Lot.
**10. Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord--**before the tabernacle, where the divine presence was manifested, and which associated with the lot the idea of divine sanction.
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This verse presents a historical puzzle: Judah conquered Jerusalem and burned it, yet verse 21 states "the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem." This apparent contradiction reflects the incom...
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(8) **Now.**—Rather, *And.*
**Had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it.**—Our version here most unwarrantably interpolates the word “*had,” *meaning it perhaps as a sort of explanatory gloss to imply that the conquest took place before the fact mentioned in the last verse. If we are right in supposing that these chapters refer in greater or less detail to events already touched upon in the B...
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**11. the lot of ... Benjamin came up--**It has been supposed that there were two urns or vessels, from which the lots were drawn: one containing the names of the tribes, the other containing those of the seven portions; and that the two were drawn out simultaneously.
**the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph--**Thus the prophecy of Moses respec...
Read full commentary →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. valley: or, low country
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This verse outlines Judah's three-pronged campaign across their tribal territory's distinct geographical regions. The verb "went down" (<em>yaredu</em>, יָרְדוּ from <em>yarad</em>, יָרַד) is geographically accurate—from Jerusalem's...
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(9) **Went down to fight.**—“Went up” is the phrase applied to military expeditions (see Judges 1:2); “went down*” *is the phrase for special battles (1Samuel 26:10; 1Samuel 29:4), like the Latin *descendere in aciem. *No doubt the phrase arose from the custom of always encamping on hills when it was possible to do so.
**In the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.**—These are three marke...
Read full commentary →And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>Hebron held profound historical significance for Israel—Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah there for Sarah's burial (Genesis 23), making it the patriarchs' burial site. The name Kirjath-arba (<em>qiryat arba</em>, ...
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(10) **That dwelt in Hebron.**—See Joshua 10:36-37. Hebron is midway between Jerusalem and Beersheba, and twenty miles from either. The first name of the city, which is one of the most ancient in the world (Numbers 13:22), was Mamre (Genesis 13:18), from the name of its chief (Genesis 14:24). It is now called El-Khulîl (“the friend”), from Abraham. It was a city of refuge (Joshua 21:11-13). If the...
Read full commentary →And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher.</strong><br><br>Following Hebron's conquest, Judah advanced approximately 12 miles southwest to Debir, a significant Canaanite city. The name Kirjath-sepher (<em>qiryat sefer</em>, קִרְיַת סֵפֶר) means "city of the book" or "city of writing," suggesting it may have been a scribal or a...
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(11) **Debir.**—See Joshua 15:15; Joshua 15:49. In Joshua 10:38-39, its conquest is assigned to Joshua. The name means “the oracle.” It afterwards became a Levitic town. There seem to have been two other Debirs (Joshua 15:7; Joshua 13:26). This one is identified by Dr. Rosen with *Dewirban, *near the spring *Ain Nunkûr *south-west of Hebron.
**Kirjath-sepher.**—The name is curious and interesting....
Read full commentary →And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.</strong><br><br>Caleb's offer of his daughter Achsah as reward for conquering Debir follows ancient Near Eastern patterns where military prowess demonstrated worthiness for marriage into elite families. Similar examples include Saul's offer of his daughter to whoever killed Goliath...
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(12) **And Caleb said.**—See Joshua 15:16. Caleb was a “Kenizzite,” which seems to imply that he was descended from Kenaz, a grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:11). In Numbers 13:6 he is mentioned as being a prince (*nasi, *or chief, *rosh*) of the tribe of Judah. He was certainly affiliated to that tribe; but if the name “Caleb” means “dog,” it would seem a very unlikely name for a pure Jew, for I cann...
Read full commentary →And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.</strong><br><br>Othniel's identity presents interpretive challenges. The text calls him "son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother," which could mean either (1) Othniel was Caleb's younger brother, both sons of Kenaz, or (2) Othniel was Caleb's nephew, son of Kenaz who was Caleb's young...
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(13) **Othniel.**—Joshua 15:15-17. It is here added that he was Caleb’s younger brother. (See Judges 3:9.) The Hebrew may mean either that Othniel was “son of Kenaz and brother of Caleb” (in which case he married his niece); or “son of Kenaz, who was Caleb’s brother” (as in “Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother,” 2Samuel 13:3), in which case Achsah was his cousin. The Masoretes, to whom is ...
Read full commentary →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?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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?</strong><br><br>Achsah demonstrates remarkable agency and wisdom in this narrative. The Hebrew <em>vattsitehu</em> (וַתְּסִיתֵהוּ, "she moved him") suggests she persuaded or incited Othniel to request additional land from Cal...
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(14) **When she came to him.**—When she first reached his house as a bride.
**She moved him.**—He was too modest to ask for himself, and he declined her request; but she will not enter till she has gained her way.
**A field.**—Rather, *the field. *In the passage in Joshua 15:18 there is no definite article, but by the time this book was written the field then obtained by Achsah had become historic...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>Achsah's request begins with "Give me a blessing" (<em>ten-li berachah</em>, תֶּן־לִי בְרָכָה), using covenantal language of blessing that pervades Scripture. The Hebrew <em>berachah</em> (בְּרָכָה) denot...
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(15) **A blessing**—*i.e., *“a present” (Genesis 33:11).
**A south land.**—The word also means “a dry and barren land” (Psalm 126:4). The LXX. read “hast given me (in marriage) into a south land.”
**Springs of water.**—In thus asking for the fertile land which lay at the foot of the mountain slope, she showed herself at once more provident and less bashful than her husband.
**The upper springs and...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>The Kenites were nomadic metalworkers descended from Jethro (Reuel), Moses' father-in-law (Exodus 2:16-21, 3:1). The Hebrew <em>Qeni</em> (קֵינִי) poss...
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(16) **The children of the Kenite, Moses’ father in law.**—It is difficult to disentangle the names Jethro, Reuel, or Raguel, and Hobab (Judges 4:11); but in my article on Jethro in Kitto’s *Bible Cyclopœdia *I have shown that Jethro and Reuel are identical, the latter name (“friend of God”) being his local title as a priest of Midian; and that he was the father of Zipporah and Hobab. When Jethro ...
Read full commentary →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.
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<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This verse fulfills Judah's promise from verse 3 to assist Simeon in conquering his territory. Zephath's location is debated, though likely in the northern Negev near Beersheba. The name Zephath (<em>tzephat</em>,...
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(17) **Zephath.**—This name is only mentioned elsewhere in 2Chronicles 14:10, as the scene of Asa’s battle with Zerah the Ethiopian.
**Hormah**—*i.e., “*a place devoted by ban.” The name *Chormah *is derived from *Cherem *(anathema or oan), and the verb rendered “utterly destroyed” means ‘executed the ban upon it.” By their conquest the Israelites fulfilled the vow which they had made in consequen...
Read full commentary →Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
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<strong>Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.</strong><br><br>This verse claims Judah conquered three of the five major Philistine cities (the Pentapolis). Gaza (<em>azzah</em>, עַזָּה), Ashkelon (<em>ashqelon</em>, אַשְׁקְלוֹן), and Ekron (<em>eqron</em>, עֶקְרוֹן) controlled crucial coastal trade routes and Mediterranea...
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(18) **Took Gaza . . . Askelon . . . Ekron.**—Three of the five Philistian lordships, to which the LXX. add Ashdod (Azotus). In Joshua 13:3 these five townships are mentioned as still *unconquered, *and here the LXX. put in a negative—“Judah did *not *inherit Gaza, *nor,” *&c. St. Augustine had the same reading. It is, however, possible that “not” may have been conjecturally added because of the a...
Read full commentary →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. drave: or, possessed the mountain
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This verse creates theological tension: "the LORD was with Judah" yet they "could not drive out" certain inhabitants. If Yahweh was present, how could they fail? The answer lies in distinguishing God's prese...
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(19) **The Lord was with Judah.**—The Targum here has “The Word of the Lord.” The expression is frequently used to imply insured prosperity (Genesis 39:23; 1Samuel 18:14; 2Kings 18:7. Comp. Matthew 18:20).
**But.**—Rather, *for *(*kî*)*: i.e., *they only dispossessed their enemies of the mountain, for, &c.
**Could not.**—The Hebrew seems purposely to avoid this expression, and says “*there was no ...
Read full commentary →And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.</strong><br><br>This verse confirms fulfillment of Moses' promise to Caleb (Numbers 14:24, Deuteronomy 1:36) and Joshua's grant (Joshua 14:6-15). The phrase "as Moses said" (<em>ka'asher dibber Mosheh</em>, כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה) emphasizes covenant faithfulness—God keeps promises across gener...
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(20) **Hebron.**—See Joshua 14:12-15; Joshua 15:13-14.
**As Moses said.**—Numbers 14:21.
It is remarkable that after this time Judah is only mentioned in Judges 10:9; Judges 15:10; Judges 20:18. The tribe produced no judge, with the possible exception of Ibzan (see Judges 12:8), nor is it mentioned in the song of Deborah. Perhaps we may see a reason for this in the strength which had won for Judah...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>Benjamin's failure contrasts sharply with Judah's earlier temporary conquest (v. 8). Jerusalem sat on the border between Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:8, 18:16, 28), creating shared responsibility that neith...
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(21) **The children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites.**—In Joshua 15:63 we find the same statement respecting the children of Judah. (See Judges 1:8.) Jerusalem was on the borders of Judah (Joshua 16:8) and Benjamin (Judges 18:28). It belongs more properly to the latter, but the conquest of Zion by David (2Samuel 5:7) naturally caused its closer identification with Judah. The Jebusites ...
Read full commentary →House of Joseph Conquers Bethel
And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el: and the LORD was with them.</strong><br><br>The 'house of Joseph' refers to Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph's two sons adopted by Jacob (Genesis 48:5) and granted full tribal status. Together they formed the most powerful tribal bloc in central Israel. Beth-el (<em>beit-el</em>, בֵּית־אֵל, 'house of God') held profound significance—J...
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(22) **The house of Joseph.**—Ephraim and Manasseh. The narrative now leaves the conquest of southern for that of central Palestine (Joshua 16, 17).
**Beth-el.**—The position of this town on the “highway” between Hebron and Shechem—the main thoroughfare of Palestine (Judges 20:31; Judges 21:19)—gave it great importance, as did also its sacred connection with events in the life of Abraham (Genesis ...
Read full commentary →And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the house of Joseph sent to descry Beth-el. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)</strong><br><br>Sending spies to 'descry' (<em>vayatiru</em>, וַיָּתִירוּ from <em>tur</em>, תּוּר, 'to spy out, explore') follows Joshua's practice at Jericho (Joshua 2:1) and Ai (Joshua 7:2). Intelligence gathering demonstrated wisdom—understanding enemy positions, defenses, and vulnerabilities bef...
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(23) **To descry Beth-el.**—The word perhaps implies a regular siege, and it is so understood by the LXX. (Cod. Alex.) and the Vulgate.
**Luz.**—We are also told that this was the original name of the city in Genesis 28:19; but there seems to be in that verse a distinction between the *city *and the *place *of Jacob’s dream. (Comp. Joshua 16:2.) The name means either “hazel,” or “sinking,” i.e., a...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>The spies' request, 'Shew us... the entrance' (<em>har'enu na et-mevo ha'ir</em>, הַרְאֵנוּ נָא אֶת־מְבוֹא הָעִיר), parallels Rahab's assistance at Jericho (Joshua 2), but crucial differences emerge. Rahab acted from fai...
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(24) **The spies.**—Perhaps, rather, *the scouts *of the blockading squadron. The Israelites, like most ancient nations, were little able to take cities by storm, and relied either on blockade or on internal treachery.
**Saw a man come forth.**—Probably he stole out secretly, and was seized by the scouts. Similarly the Persians took Sardis by seizing a path used by a man who had dropped his helmet...
Read full commentary →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.
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<strong>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.</strong><br><br>The informant fulfilled his bargain, and Joseph's house honored their word—'they let go the man and all his family' (<em>ve'et-ha'ish ve'et-kol-mishpachto shillechu</em>, וְאֶת־הָאִישׁ וְאֶת־כָּל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ שִׁלֵּחוּ). The verb ...
Read full commentary →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.
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<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This verse reveals the consequences of Joseph's incomplete obedience. The informant 'went into the land of the Hittites' (north of Israel, in modern Syria-Turkey region) and rebuilt the Canaanite city, naming it Luz after the original. ...
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(26) **Into the land of the Hittites.**—Probably the inhabitants of Bethel belonged to this tribe of Canaanites. In Joshua 1:4 their name is used for all the inhabitants of Canaan, but probably it means the coastdwellers. They are often conjecturally classed with the inhabitants of Citium, in Cyprus. They first appear as “children of Heth,” in Genesis 23:19, but seem at that time to have been only...
Read full commentary →Failure to Complete Conquest
Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean 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.
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<strong>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.</strong><br><br>Manasseh's failure to drive out Canaanites from five major cities—Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibl...
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(27) **Neither did Manasseh.**—The sacred historian is glancing at the conquest of Canaan, advancing from the southern tribes upwards to central and northern Palestine. (See Joshua 17:11-13.)
**Beth-shean.**—The town to the walls of which the victorious Philistines nailed the bodies of Saul and Jonathan after the battle of Gilboa, and from which they were recovered by the gratitude of the brave pe...
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CHAPTER 19 Jos 19:1-9. The Lot of Simeon.
**1. the second lot came forth to Simeon--**The next lot that was drawn at Shiloh, gave the tribe of Simeon his inheritance within the territory, which had been assigned to that of Judah. The knowledge of Canaan possessed by the Israelites, when the division of the land commenced, was but very general, being derived from the rapid sweep they had made over...
Read full commentary →And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
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<strong>And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.</strong><br><br>This verse reveals Israel's compromise once gaining military advantage. Rather than completing conquest through <em>herem</em> (חֵרֶם, devoted destruction), they imposed tribute (<em>mas</em>, מַס), making Canaanites forced laborers. The phrase 'when Isr...
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(28) **Did not utterly drive them out.**—This is mentioned by way of blame, as the cause of their future sins and disasters (Judges 2:2; Josh. 16:16, Joshua 17:13). As to the morality of these exterminating wars, we must bear in mind that men and nations must alike be judged by the moral standard of their own day, not by the advanced morality of later ages. We learn from unanimous testimony that t...
Read full commentary →Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
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<strong>Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.</strong><br><br>Ephraim's failure regarding Gezer parallels Manasseh's failures (v. 27). Gezer was a major Canaanite city-state controlling the Aijalon Valley, a strategic route from the coastal plain to the central highlands. Joshua had defeated Gezer's king (Joshua 10:33, 12:12...
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(29) **Neither did Ephraim.**—See Joshua 16:10. Gezer.—This town was not won from the Canaanites till its capture by Pharaoh, who gave it as a present to his daughter, the wife of Solomon (1Kings 9:16).
Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.
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<strong>Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.</strong><br><br>Zebulun's failure regarding Kitron and Nahalol continues the pattern of incomplete conquest. These cities' exact locations remain debated (Kitron possibly Tel Qitron near Haifa; Nahalol possibly Tel Nahal near Haifa or Tel en-...
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(30) **Neither did Zebulun.**—See Joshua 19:10-16. Nothing is known of the towns here mentioned. It is remarkable that Issachar is not mentioned, but it may perhaps be accounted for by the condition of contented subjection in which this tribe “bowed his shoulder to the yoke” (Genesis 49:14-15).
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:
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<strong>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:</strong><br><br>Asher's failure is most extensive—seven unconquered cities listed: Accho, Zidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob. Most were Phoenician coastal cities or towns in coastal plain and lower Galilee. Accho (later Ptol...
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(31) **Neither did Asher.**—See Joshua 19:24-31.
**Accho.**—The seaport so famous under the names of Ptolemais (Acts 21:7; 1 Maccabees 5:15; 1 Maccabees 10:1), Acre, and St. Jean d’Acre (now Acca). Josephus called it Ako (*Antt. ix.* 14, § 2).
**Zidon.**—(Joshua 11:8.) Asher never succeeded in conquering Zidon, which was the capital of Phœnicia, though eclipsed by its neighbour Tyre. (2Samuel 5:11...
Read full commentary →But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.
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<strong>But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.</strong><br><br>This verse's wording marks a tragic inversion from previous verses. Earlier, 'Canaanites dwelt among Israel' (v. 29-30), but here 'Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites.' The change is subtle but profound—instead of Asher maintaining dominance with Canaanites as minori...
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(32) The Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites.—The change of phrase from Judges 1:30 implies that in these districts the Canaanites had the upper hand. Thus Asher reached the climax of degradation. The best summary of the moral lesson involved in the narrative is in Psalm 106:34-36 : “They did not destroy the nations concerning whom the Lord commanded them: but *were mingled among the heathen and ...
Read full commentary →Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.
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<strong>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.</strong><br><br>Naphtali's situation mirrors Asher's with significant modification. Initially 'Naphtali dwelt among the Canaanites' (lik...
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(33) **Neither did Naphtali.—**See Joshua 19:32-38. Beth-shemesh.—The name means “house of the sun,” and the place was probably a great centre of Baal-worship; but this Beth-shemesh in Naphtali is not the same as Ir-shemesh (“city of the sun”) in Joshua 15:10, which was on the borders of Judah. It is the “mount of the sun” (Har-cheres) in Judges 1:35. In Isaiah 19:18, alluding to another “city of ...
Read full commentary →And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:
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<strong>And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:</strong><br><br>Dan's situation represents complete reversal—instead of Israel driving out Canaanites, Amorites drove Dan from their allotted territory. The Amorites 'forced' (<em>vayilchatzu</em>, וַיִּלְחֲצוּ from <em>lachatz</em>, לָחַץ, 'to press, oppress, afflict')...
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(34) **The Amorites.**—They were the Highlanders of Palestine (Joshua 10:6; Numbers 13:29; Deuteronomy 1:44).
**Forced.**—Literally “squeezed” or “pressed.”
**Forced the children of Dan into the mountain.**—The condition of this tribe was, therefore, the worst of all. So far from reducing under tribute the Canaanites of its assigned possession, as the central tribes did, the Danites did not even s...
Read full commentary →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. prevailed: Heb. was heavy
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<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This verse describes Amorite persistence in three locations: mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, all in Dan's territory. These cities controlled strategic passes from coastal plain into highlands—Aijalon Valley being major ...
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(35) **Mount Heres.**—(See Judges 1:33.) Cheres is used for the sun in Job 9:7. The Vatican Codex of the LXX. has the strange rendering, “in the mountains of potsherds” (comp. the Monte Testacclo at Rome), and Jerome follows them in reading תֶךֶש for תֶךֶס. The Alexandrian Codex renders it, “the mountain of the myrtle-grove,” reading *Haras.*
**Aijalon.**—The name means “gazelles,” and is still pr...
Read full commentary →And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward. the going: or, Maalehakrabbim
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<strong>And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.</strong><br><br>This verse concludes chapter 1's catalog of incomplete conquest by defining Amorite territory's southern boundary. The 'going up to Akrabbim' (<em>ma'aleh Aqrabbim</em>, מַעֲלֵה עַקְרַבִּים, 'ascent of scorpions') refers to a steep pass southeast of the Dead Sea marking the southern ...
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(36) **The coast of the Amorites.**—This notice is added to account for the obstinate resistance of the Amorites, by showing the extent of their domain, which reached far to the south of Petra. Hazezon Tamar, “the sanctuary of the palm,” afterwards called Engedi, “the goat’s fountain,” belonged to them (Genesis 14:7; 2Chronicles 20:2; Tristram, *Land of Israel, *p. 784). Another opinion given is, ...
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Jos 19:10-16. Of Zebulun.
**10-14. the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun--**The boundaries of the possession assigned to them extended from the Lake of Chinnereth (Sea of Galilee) on the east, to the Mediterranean on the west. Although they do not seem at first to have touched on the western shore--a part of Manasseh running north into Asher (Jos 17:10)--they afterwards did, according...
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