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Texts -- Judges 1:1-34 (NET)

Context
Judah Takes the Lead
1:1 After Joshua died , the Israelites asked the Lord , “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack ?” 1:2 The Lord said , “The men of Judah should take the lead . Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them.” 1:3 The men of Judah said to their relatives , the men of Simeon , “Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites . Then we will go with you into your allotted land.” So the men of Simeon went with them. 1:4 The men of Judah attacked , and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek . 1:5 They met Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought him. They defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites . 1:6 When Adoni-Bezek ran away , they chased him and captured him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes . 1:7 Adoni-Bezek said , “Seventy kings , with thumbs and big toes cut off , used to lick up food scraps under my table . God has repaid me for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem , where he died . 1:8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They put the sword to it and set the city on fire . 1:9 Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country , the Negev , and the lowlands . 1:10 The men of Judah attacked the Canaanites living in Hebron . (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba .) They killed Sheshai , Ahiman , and Talmai . 1:11 From there they attacked the people of Debir . (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher .) 1:12 Caleb said , “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Acsah as a wife .” 1:13 When Othniel son of Kenaz , Caleb’s younger brother , captured it, Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah as a wife . 1:14 One time Acsah came and charmed her father so she could ask him for some land . When she got down from her donkey , Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” 1:15 She answered , “Please give me a special present . Since you have given me land in the Negev , now give me springs of water .” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs . 1:16 Now the descendants of the Kenite , Moses ’ father-in-law , went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah , located in the Negev . They went and lived with the people of Judah. 1:17 The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeon and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath . They wiped out Zephath. So people now call the city Hormah . 1:18 The men of Judah captured Gaza , Ashkelon , Ekron , and the territory surrounding each of these cities. 1:19 The Lord was with the men of Judah . They conquered the hill country , but they could not conquer the people living in the coastal plain , because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels. 1:20 Caleb received Hebron , just as Moses had promised . He drove out the three Anakites . 1:21 The men of Benjamin , however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem . The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day .
Partial Success
1:22 When the men of Joseph attacked Bethel , the Lord was with them . 1:23 When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz ), 1:24 the spies spotted a man leaving the city . They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city , we will reward you.” 1:25 He showed them a secret entrance into the city , and they put the city to the sword . But they let the man and his extended family leave safely . 1:26 He moved to Hittite country and built a city . He named it Luz , and it has kept that name to this very day . 1:27 The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan , Taanach , or their surrounding towns . Nor did they conquer the people living in Dor , Ibleam , Megiddo or their surrounding towns . The Canaanites managed to remain in those areas . 1:28 Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor , but they never totally conquered them. 1:29 The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer . The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer . 1:30 The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol . The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor . 1:31 The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco or Sidon , nor did they conquer Ahlab , Aczib , Helbah , Aphek , or Rehob . 1:32 The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them. 1:33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath . They live among the Canaanites residing in the land . The Canaanites living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them. 1:34 The Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country . They did not allow them to live in the coastal plain .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Canaanites

    [ebd] the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. Migrating from their original home, they seem to have reached the Persian Gulf, and to have there sojourned for some time. They thence "spread to the west, across the mountain chain...
    [nave] CANAANITES Eleven nations, descended from Canaan, Gen. 10:15-19; Deut. 7:1; 1 Chr. 1:13-16. Territory of, Gen. 10:19; 12:6; 15:18; Ex. 23:31; Num. 13:29; 34:1-12; Josh. 1:4; 5:1; given to the Israelites, Gen. 12:6, 7; 15:18...

  • Agag

    [ebd] flame, the usual title of the Amalekite kings, as "Pharaoh" was of the Egyptian. (1.) A king of the Amalekites referred to by Balaam (Num. 24:7). He lived at the time of the Exodus. (2.) Another king of the Amalekites whom S...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Judah

    [nave] JUDAH 1. Son of Jacob, Gen. 35:23. Intercedes for Joseph's life when his brethren were about to slay him, and proposes that they sell him to the Ishmaelites, Gen. 37:26, 27. Takes two wives, Gen. 38:1-6. Dwells at Chezib,...

  • Achsah

    [ebd] anklet, Caleb's only daughter (1 Chr. 2:49). She was offered in marriage to the man who would lead an attack on the city of Debir, or Kirjath-sepher. This was done by Othniel (q.v.), who accordingly obtained her as his wife ...
    [isbe] ACHSAH - ak'-sa (`akhchah; in some copies `akhca' in 1 Ch 2:49), "anklet"): The daughter of Caleb whom he gave in marriage to his younger kinsman Othniel the son of Kenaz, as a reward for smiting Kiriath-sepher (Josh 15:16 f...
    [smith] (ankle-chain, anklet), daughter of Caleb. Her father promised her in marriage to whoever should take Debir. Othniel, her father?s younger brother, took that city, and accordingly received the hand of Achsah as his reward. Cal...
    [nave] ACHSAH, Caleb's daughter, Josh. 15:16-19; Judg. 1:9-13. Called Achsa, 1 Chr. 2:49.

  • Simeon

    [smith] (heard). The second of Jacob?s son by Leah. His birth is recorded in (Genesis 29:33) The first group of Jacob?s children consists, besides Simeon, of the three other sons of Leah --Reuben, Levi, Judah. Besides the massacre o...
    [nave] SIMEON 1. Son of Jacob, Gen. 29:33; 35:23; Ex. 1:1, 2; 1 Chr. 2:1. With Levi avenges upon the Shechemites the seduction of Dinah, Gen. 34; 49:5-7. Jacob's denunciation of, Gen. 34:30; 49:5-7. Goes down into Egypt to buy g...

  • ALLIANCE

    [isbe] ALLIANCE - a-li'-ans. 1. In the Patriarchal Stories: Frequent references are made to alliances between the patriarchs and foreigners. Abraham is reported to have had "confederates" among the chiefs of the Canaanites (Gen 14:...

  • ADONIBEZEK

    [ebd] lord of Bezek, a Canaanitish king who, having subdued seventy of the chiefs that were around him, made an attack against the armies of Judah and Simeon, but was defeated and brought as a captive to Jerusalem, where his thumb...
    [isbe] ADONIBEZEK - a-do-ni-be'-zek ('adhonibhezeq "lord of Bezek"): Lord of a town, Bezek, in southern Palestine, whom the tribes of Judah and Simeon overthrew. Adonibezek fled when his men were defeated, but was captured, and was...
    [smith] (lord of Bezek), king of Bezek, a city of the Canaanites. [BEZEK] This chieftain was vanquished by the tribe of Judah, (Judges 1:3-7) who cut off his thumbs and great toes, and brought him prisoner to Jerusalem, where he died...

  • PALESTINE, 2

    [isbe] PALESTINE, 2 - III. Palestine in the Historic Books of the Old Testament. 1. Book of Joshua: Joshua is the great geographical book of the Old Testament; and the large majority of the 600 names of places, rivers and mountains...

  • Jerusalem

    [ebd] called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the "city of God," the "holy city;" by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning "the holy;" once "the city of Judah" (2 Chr. 25:28). This name is in the original in the dual form, and means "posses...
    [smith] (the habitation of peace), Jerusalem stands in latitude 31 degrees 46? 35" north and longitude 35 degrees 18? 30" east of Greenwich. It is 32 miles distant from the sea and 18 from the Jordan, 20 from Hebron and 36 from Samar...
    [nave] JERUSALEM Called Jebus, Josh. 18:28; Judg. 19:10; Zion, 1 Kin. 8:1; Zech. 9:13; City of David, 2 Sam. 5:7; Isa. 22:9; Salem, Gen. 14:18; Psa. 76:2; Ariel, Isa. 29:1; City of God, Psa. 46:4; City of the Great King, Psa. 48:2;...

  • JUDGES, BOOK OF

    [isbe] JUDGES, BOOK OF - juj'-iz,: 1. Title 2. Place in the Canon 3. Contents (1) Introductory, Judges 1 through 2:5 (2) Central and Main Portion, Judges 2:6-16 (3) An Appendix, Judges 17 through 21 4. Chronology 5. Authorship and ...

  • JERUSALEM, 4

    [isbe] JERUSALEM, 4 - IX. History. Pre-Israelite period.--The beginnings of Jerusalem are long before recorded history: at various points in the neighborhood, e.g. at el Bukei`a to the Southwest, and at the northern extremity of th...

  • Debir

    [ebd] oracle town; sanctuary. (1.) One of the eleven cities to the west of Hebron, in the highlands of Judah (Josh. 15:49; Judg. 1:11-15). It was originally one of the towns of the Anakim (Josh. 15:15), and was also called Kirjath...
    [smith] (a sanctuary), the name of three places of Palestine. A town in the mountains of Judah, (Joshua 15:49) one of a group of eleven cities to the west of Hebron. The earlier name of Debir was Kirjath-sepher, "city of book," (Jos...
    [nave] DEBIR 1. King of Eglon, Josh. 10:3-27. 2. A town in the mountains of Judah. Called also Kirjath-saah, and Kirjathsepher, which signifies a city of books, Josh. 15:15, 16. Anakim expelled from, by Joshua, Josh. 11:21. Take...

  • TAX; TAXING

    [isbe] TAX; TAXING - taks, taks'-ing: I. INTRODUCTION 1. General Considerations 2. Limits of the Discussion II. TAXES IN ISRAEL UNDER SELF-GOVERNMENT 1. In the Earliest Period 2. Under the Theocracy; in the Period of the Judges 3. ...

  • Fenced cities

    [ebd] There were in Palestine (1) cities, (2) unwalled villages, and (3) villages with castles or towers (1 Chr. 27:25). Cities, so called, had walls, and were thus fenced. The fortifications consisted of one or two walls, on whic...

  • Caleb

    [isbe] CALEB - ka'-leb (kalebh; in the light of the cognate Syriac and Arabic words, the meaning is not "dog," which is kelebh, in Hebrew, but "raging with canine madness"; Chaleb): As a person, Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, occurs ...
    [nave] CALEB One of the two survivors of the Israelites permitted to enter the land of promise, Num. 14:30, 38; 26:63-65; 32:11-13; Deut. 1:34-36; Josh. 14:6-15. Sent to Canaan as a spy, Num. 13:6. Brings favorable report, Num. 1...

  • JUDGES, PERIOD OF

    [isbe] JUDGES, PERIOD OF - || I. SOURCES II. CHRONOLOGY III. GENERAL POLITICAL SITUATION 1. The Canaanites 2. Foes Without IV. MAIN EVENTS 1. Struggles of Individual Tribes 2. Civil Strife 3. The Six Invasions 4. Need of Central Go...

  • HOBAB

    [ebd] beloved, the Kenite, has been usually identified with Jethro (q.v.), Ex. 18:5, 27; comp. Num. 10:29, 30. In Judg. 4:11, the word rendered "father-in-law" means properly any male relative by marriage (comp. Gen. 19:14, "son-i...
    [isbe] HOBAB - ho'-bab (chobhabh, "beloved"; Septuagint Obab): This name occurs only twice (Nu 10:29; Jdg 4:11). It is not certain whether it denotes the father-in-law or the brother-in-law of Moses. The direct statement of Nu 10:2...

  • JUDAH, TERRITORY OF

    [isbe] JUDAH, TERRITORY OF - (yehudhah): I. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA 1. The Natural Boundaries 2. The Natural Divisions of Judah (1) The Maritime Plain (2) The Shephelah (3) The Hill Country of Judah II. THE TRIBE OF JUDAH AND ITS TERRITO...

  • Luz

    [ebd] a nut-bearing tree, the almond. (1.) The ancient name of a royal Canaanitish city near the site of Bethel (Gen. 28:19; 35:6), on the border of Benjamin (Josh. 18:13). Here Jacob halted, and had a prophetic vision. (See BETHE...
    [isbe] LUZ - (luz):The Hebrew word means "almond tree" or "almond wood" (OHL, under the word). It may also mean "bone," particularly a bone of the spine, and might be applied to a rocky height supposed to resemble a backbone (Lagar...
    [smith] (almond tree). It seems impossible to discover with precision whether Luz and Bethel represent one and the same town--the former the Canannite, the latter the Hebrew, name--or whether they were distinct places, though in clos...
    [nave] LUZ Gen. 28:19; 35:6; 48:3; Josh. 16:2; 18:13; Judg. 1:23, 26
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Arts

Questions

  • The Canaanites were descendants of Ham (Gen. 10:6) and comprised seven distinct nations (Deu. 7:1). Though great and mighty (Num. 73:28) they were idolatrous, superstitious, profane and wicked (Deu. 29:17, Deu. 18:9-11, Lev. ...
  • It seems to me that the key to the answer to your question is to understand the unique role of the Book of Judges. The statement that is repeated in this book is, "there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in ...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Jacob blessed all 12 of his sons and foretold what would become of each of them and their descendants. He disqualified Reuben, Simeon, and Levi from leadership and gave that blessing to Judah. He granted the double portion to...
  • The Israelites had been at Mt. Sinai for almost one year (Exod. 19:1; Num. 10:11). All that Moses recorded as occurring between Exodus 19:1 and Numbers 10:11 took place during those twelve months.Even though this region conta...
  • The spies reported that the land was indeed as fruitful as they had heard (v. 27), "nevertheless . . ."(v. 28). Everything the spies said from this word on was uncalled for.116Their commission had been to view the land and to...
  • "Chapters 23 and 24 are two of the brightest chapters in the book of Numbers. Scores of wonderful things are said about Israel, mainly prophetical. The dark sins of the past were forgotten; only happy deliverance from Egypt w...
  • Having received his marching orders from Yahweh, Joshua prepared to mobilize the nation.1:10-11 Joshua expected to be able to cross the Jordan within three days."The Jordan River wanders about two hundred miles to cover the s...
  • 5:13-15 "Despite Joshua's long military experience he had never led an attack on a fortified city that was prepared for a long siege. In fact, of all the walled cities in Palestine, Jericho was probably the most invincible. T...
  • The writer referred to Canaan as "the land of the sons of Israel"first here in Scripture (v. 22). The Anakim were the mighty warriors that the 10 spies had feared (Num. 13:28). Israel destroyed most of these."The hardening of...
  • 15:1-12 The writer recorded the boundaries of the whole tribal territory first. The description proceeds counterclockwise from south (vv. 2-4) to east (v. 5) to north (vv. 5-11) to west (v. 12).15:13-19 The writer probably in...
  • Dan received territory primarily in the Shephelah and Coastal Plain west of Benjamin that was between Judah and Ephraim. Its land was extremely fruitful."The Amorites, who settled portions of the Philistine plain (Judg. 1:34)...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan. "The Province-List of Judah."Vetus Testamentum9 (1959):225-46.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwel...
  • Internal references help us locate the approximate date of composition of this book. The clause, "In those days there was no king in Israel,"(17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25) suggests that someone wrote Judges during the monarchical ...
  • In contrast to Joshua, which spans only about 35 years, Judges covers a much longer period of Israel's history.The book opens shortly after the death of Joshua (1:1). God did not give us sufficient information to enable us to...
  • Joshua reveals that victory, success, and progress result when God's people trust and obey Him consistently. Judges shows that defeat, failure, and retrogression follow when they fail to trust and obey consistently. In this r...
  • I. The reason for Israel's apostasy 1:1-3:6A. Hostilities between the Israelites and the Canaanites after Joshua's death 1:1-2:51. Initial successes and failures ch. 12. The announcement of God's discipline 2:1-5B. Israel's c...
  • The first major section in the book (1:1-3:6) explains very clearly why the period of the judges was a dark chapter in Israel's history. God revealed the reasons for Israel's apostasy and consequent national problems in terms...
  • 1:1 The Book of Judges begins with a conjunction translated "now"or "and."God intended Judges to continue the narrative of Israel's history where the Book of Joshua ended (cf. Josh. 1:1). This verse provides a heading for the...
  • 1:22-26 The writer described Ephraim and Manasseh together as "the house of Joseph"(vv. 22-29). First, he narrated Ephraim's activity (vv. 22-26). The Ephraimites' treatment of the man of Bethel who gave them information viol...
  • The events of this pericope tie in directly with those of the previous one. Israel's failure recorded there led to the discipline announced here."The narrator moves from chap. 1 to chap. 2 like a modern preacher moves from te...
  • This section of the book provides a theological introduction to the judges' deeds, whereas 1:1-2:5 is a historical introduction. It also explains further the presence of Canaanites in the Promised Land....
  • The first of six periods of oppression by Israel's enemies began while Othniel, Caleb's younger brother, was still alive and strong (cf. Josh. 15:17; Judg. 1:13). The writer identified each of these periods with the phrase "t...
  • The writer of Judges structured this book so the story of Gideon would be its focal center."Within the main body of the book, seven major narrative blocks can be noted. Moreover, there are certain parallel features between th...
  • The only unusual feature of Jair's life, other than that he came from Transjordan, was that he maintained a network of 30 cities over which his 30 sons ruled in Gilead. His name means "may [God] enlighten."An ancestor named J...
  • The Israelites felt the main influence of the Ammonites on the east side of the Jordan River that bordered Ammon (v. 8). However the Ammonites also attacked the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim west of the Jordan (v. 9)...
  • "From chapters 13 to 18, the author concentrates on the tribe of Dan, which had been one of the largest and most prominent tribes during the wilderness march (Num 2:25-31). In the period of the judges, however, Dan seemed hel...
  • The Philistines pursued Samson into the territory of Judah that they controlled (v. 9; cf. 14:4). The exact location of Lehi is still uncertain.We get a glimpse into the spiritual condition in Judah at this time from how the ...
  • The following two extended incidents (ch. 17-21) differ from the records of the judges just completed (chs. 3-16). They are not accounts of the activities of any of Israel's judges. They are the record of events that took pla...
  • This chapter begins with another reference to the fact that there was no king in Israel then (cf. 17:6). The writer reminded us again that the Israelites were living unrestrained lives. Abundant evidence of this follows in ch...
  • The Book of Joshua recorded Israel's victory over her enemies through trust in and obedience to God. The Book of Judges shows the defeat of the nation by its enemies from without and within due to refusal to trust and obey Go...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan. Land of the Bible. Phildelphia: Westminster Press, 1962.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell. The...
  • Probably the practice of standing on land one possessed led to the custom of using the sandal as a symbol of possession in land transactions (v. 7; cf. Gen. 13:17; Deut. 1:36; 11:24; Josh. 1:3; 14:9).80Most scholars believe t...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • God's Spirit came on Saul in the sense that He stirred up his spirit (cf. 10:6, 10). His response to the messengers' news was appropriate indignation since non-Israelites were attacking God's covenant people (Gen. 12:3). Saul...
  • In 1004 B.C. David became king of all Israel and Judah.50This was his third anointing (cf. 1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4). The people acknowledged David's previous military leadership of all Israel as well as God's choice of him t...
  • 35:1 This oracle came to Jeremiah during King Jehoiakim's reign (609-598 B.C.) after the Babylonians had begun to invade Judah (v. 11). Second Kings 24:1-2 reads, "In his [Jehoiakim's] days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came...
  • "The setting of the Mesopotamian dream-visions--which occurred in both the Assyrian period and the Babylonian period . . . --consisted of four elements: (1) the date, (2) the place of reception, (3) the recipient, and (4) the...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Judges 2:1-10The Book of Judges begins a new era, the development of the nation in its land. Chapters 1 through chapter 3:6 contain two summaries: first, of the progress of the conquest; and second, of the history about to be...
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