Judges 1:19-36

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 10  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 11  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 12  or their surrounding towns. 13  The Canaanites managed 14  to remain in those areas. 15  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. 16  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, 17  nor did they conquer Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob. 18  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. 19  They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites 20  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 21  the coastal plain. 1:35 The Amorites managed 22  to remain in Har Heres, 23  Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily, 24  the Amorites were forced to do hard labor. 1:36 The border of Amorite territory ran from the Scorpion Ascent 25  to Sela and on up. 26 


tn Or “seized possession of”; or “occupied.”

tc Several textual witnesses support the inclusion of this verb.

tn Regarding the translation “chariots with iron-rimmed wheels,” see Y. Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, 255, and the article by R. Drews, “The ‘Chariots of Iron’ of Joshua and Judges,” JSOT 45 (1989): 15-23.

tn Heb “they gave to Caleb.”

map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

sn The statement to this very day reflects the perspective of the author, who must have written prior to David’s conquest of the Jebusites (see 2 Sam 5:6-7).

tn Heb “house.” This is a metonymy for the warriors from the tribe.

tn Heb “went up.”

map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.

10 tn Heb “saw.”

11 tn Heb “the man.”

12 map For location see Map1-D4; Map2-C1; Map4-C2; Map5-F2; Map7-B1.

13 tn Heb “The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan and its surrounding towns, Taanach and its surrounding towns, the people living in Dor and its surrounding towns, the people living in Ibleam and its surrounding towns, or the people living in Megiddo and its surrounding towns.”

14 tn Or “were determined.”

15 tn Heb “in this land.”

16 tn Heb “the people living in Kitron and the people living in Nahalol.”

17 map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.

18 tn Heb “The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco, the people living in Sidon, Ahlab, Acco, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.”

19 tn Heb “the people living in Beth Shemesh or the people living in Beth Anath.”

20 tn The term “Canaanites” is supplied here both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

21 tn Heb “come down into.”

22 tn Or “were determined.”

23 tn Or “Mount Heres”; the term הַר (har) means “mount” or “mountain” in Hebrew.

24 tn Heb “Whenever the hand of the tribe of Joseph was heavy.”

25 tn Or “the Ascent of Scorpions” (עַקְרַבִּים [’aqrabbim] means “scorpions” in Hebrew).

26 tn Or “Amorite territory started at the Pass of the Scorpions at Sela and then went on up.”