Discovery BoxJudges 1:1--3:6
Context1:1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked 1 the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?” 2 1:2 The Lord said, “The men of Judah should take the lead. 3 Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them.” 4 1:3 The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon, 5 “Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites. 6 Then we 7 will go with you into your allotted land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.
1:4 The men of Judah attacked, 8 and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek. 1:5 They met 9 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 10 food scraps 11 under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.” 12 They brought him to Jerusalem, 13 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. 14 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. 15 (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, 16 captured it, Caleb 17 gave him his daughter Acsah as a wife.
1:14 One time Acsah 18 came and charmed her father 19 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. 20 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. 21
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, 22 located in the Negev. 23 They went and lived with the people of Judah. 24
1:17 The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeon 25 and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They wiped out Zephath. 26 So people now call the city Hormah. 27 1:18 The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the territory surrounding each of these cities. 28
1:19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They conquered 29 the hill country, but they could not 30 conquer the people living in the coastal plain, because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels. 31 1:20 Caleb received 32 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. 33 The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day. 34
1:22 When the men 35 of Joseph attacked 36 Bethel, 37 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 38 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 39 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 40 or their surrounding towns. 41 The Canaanites managed 42 to remain in those areas. 43 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. 44 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, 45 nor did they conquer Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob. 46 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. 47 They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites 48 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 49 the coastal plain. 1:35 The Amorites managed 50 to remain in Har Heres, 51 Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily, 52 the Amorites were forced to do hard labor. 1:36 The border of Amorite territory ran from the Scorpion Ascent 53 to Sela and on up. 54
2:1 The Lord’s angelic messenger 55 went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. 56 I said, ‘I will never break my agreement 57 with you, 2:2 but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’ 58 But you have disobeyed me. 59 Why would you do such a thing? 60 2:3 At that time I also warned you, 61 ‘If you disobey, 62 I will not drive out the Canaanites 63 before you. They will ensnare you 64 and their gods will lure you away.’” 65
2:4 When the Lord’s messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. 66 2:5 They named that place Bokim 67 and offered sacrifices to the Lord there.
2:6 When Joshua dismissed 68 the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory, 69 intending to take possession of the land. 2:7 The people worshiped 70 the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men 71 who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed 72 all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. 73 2:8 Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten. 2:9 The people 74 buried him in his allotted land 75 in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 2:10 That entire generation passed away; 76 a new generation grew up 77 that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel. 78
2:11 The Israelites did evil before 79 the Lord by worshiping 80 the Baals. 2:12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors 81 who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods – the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped 82 them and made the Lord angry. 2:13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars. 83
2:14 The Lord was furious with Israel 84 and handed them over to robbers who plundered them. 85 He turned them over to 86 their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies’ attacks. 87 2:15 Whenever they went out to fight, 88 the Lord did them harm, 89 just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do. 90 They suffered greatly. 91
2:16 The Lord raised up leaders 92 who delivered them from these robbers. 93 2:17 But they did not obey 94 their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped 95 them. They quickly turned aside from the path 96 their ancestors 97 had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not. 98 2:18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people 99 from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them 100 when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. 101 2:19 When a leader died, the next generation 102 would again 103 act more wickedly than the previous one. 104 They would follow after other gods, worshiping them 105 and bowing down to them. They did not give up 106 their practices or their stubborn ways.
2:20 The Lord was furious with Israel. 107 He said, “This nation 108 has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors 109 by disobeying me. 110 2:21 So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. 2:22 Joshua left those nations 111 to test 112 Israel. I wanted to see 113 whether or not the people 114 would carefully walk in the path 115 marked out by 116 the Lord, as their ancestors 117 were careful to do.” 2:23 This is why 118 the Lord permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately; 119 he did not hand them over to Joshua.
3:1 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites. 120 3:2 He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war. 121 3:3 These were the nations: 122 the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath. 123 3:4 They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses. 124
3:5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3:6 They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites; 125 they worshiped 126 their gods as well.
[1:1] 1 tn The Hebrew verb translated “asked” (שָׁאַל, sha’al) refers here to consulting the
[1:1] 2 tn Heb “Who should first go up for us against the Canaanites to attack them?”
[1:2] 3 tn Heb “Judah should go up.”
[1:2] 4 tn The Hebrew exclamation הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally, “Behold”), translated “Be sure of this,” draws attention to the following statement. The verb form in the following statement (a Hebrew perfect, indicating completed action from the standpoint of the speaker) emphasizes the certainty of the event. Though it had not yet taken place, the
[1:3] 5 tn Heb “Judah said to Simeon, his brother.”
[1:3] 6 tn Heb “Come up with me into our allotted land and let us attack the Canaanites.”
[1:3] 7 tn Heb “I.” The Hebrew pronoun is singular, agreeing with the collective singular “Judah” earlier in the verse. English style requires a plural pronoun here, however.
[1:4] 8 tn Heb “Judah went up.”
[1:7] 10 tn Elsewhere this verb usually carries the sense of “to gather; to pick up; to glean,” but “lick up” seems best here in light of the peculiar circumstances described by Adoni-Bezek.
[1:7] 11 tn The words “food scraps” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[1:7] 12 tn Heb “Just as I did, so God has repaid me.” Note that the phrase “to them” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what is meant.
[1:7] 13 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:9] 14 tn Or “foothills”; Heb “the Shephelah.”
[1:11] 15 tn Heb “they went from there against the inhabitants of Debir.” The LXX reads the verb as “they went up,” which suggests that the Hebrew text translated by the LXX read וַיַּעַל (vayya’al) rather than the MT’s וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh). It is possible that this is the text to be preferred in v. 11. Cf. Josh 15:15.
[1:13] 16 tn “Caleb’s younger brother” may refer to Othniel or to Kenaz (in which case Othniel was Caleb’s nephew; so CEV).
[1:13] 17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Caleb) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:14] 18 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Acsah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:14] 19 tn Heb “him.” The pronoun could refer to Othniel, in which case one would translate, “she incited him [Othniel] to ask her father for a field.” This is problematic, however, for Acsah, not Othniel, makes the request in v. 15. The LXX has “he [Othniel] urged her to ask her father for a field.” This appears to be an attempt to reconcile the apparent inconsistency and probably does not reflect the original text. If Caleb is understood as the referent of the pronoun, the problem disappears. For a fuller discussion of the issue, see P. G. Mosca, “Who Seduced Whom? A Note on Joshua 15:18 // Judges 1:14,” CBQ 46 (1984): 18-22. The translation takes Caleb to be the referent, specified as “her father.”
[1:15] 20 tn Elsewhere the Hebrew word בְרָכָה (vÿrakhah) is often translated “blessing,” but here it refers to a gift (as in Gen 33:11; 1 Sam 25:27; 30:26; and 2 Kgs 5:15).
[1:15] 21 tn Some translations regard the expressions “springs of water” (גֻּלֹּת מָיִם, gullot mayim) and “springs” (גֻּלֹּת) as place names here (cf. NRSV).
[1:16] 22 tc Part of the Greek
[1:16] 23 tn Heb “[to] the Desert of Judah in the Negev, Arad.”
[1:16] 24 tn The phrase “of Judah” is supplied here in the translation. Some ancient textual witnesses read, “They went and lived with the Amalekites.” This reading, however, is probably influenced by 1 Sam 15:6 (see also Num 24:20-21).
[1:17] 25 tn Heb “Judah went with Simeon, his brother.”
[1:17] 26 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the city of Zephath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:17] 27 sn The name Hormah (חָרְמָה, khormah) sounds like the Hebrew verb translated “wipe out” (חָרַם, kharam).
[1:18] 28 tn Heb “The men of Judah captured Gaza and its surrounding territory, Ashkelon and its surrounding territory, and Ekron and its surrounding territory.”
[1:19] 29 tn Or “seized possession of”; or “occupied.”
[1:19] 30 tc Several textual witnesses support the inclusion of this verb.
[1:19] 31 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.
[1:20] 32 tn Heb “they gave to Caleb.”
[1:21] 33 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:21] 34 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).
[1:22] 35 tn Heb “house.” This is a metonymy for the warriors from the tribe.
[1:22] 37 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[1:27] 40 map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.
[1:27] 41 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.”
[1:27] 42 tn Or “were determined.”
[1:27] 43 tn Heb “in this land.”
[1:30] 44 tn Heb “the people living in Kitron and the people living in Nahalol.”
[1:31] 45 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[1:31] 46 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.”
[1:33] 47 tn Heb “the people living in Beth Shemesh or the people living in Beth Anath.”
[1:33] 48 tn The term “Canaanites” is supplied here both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[1:34] 49 tn Heb “come down into.”
[1:35] 50 tn Or “were determined.”
[1:35] 51 tn Or “Mount Heres”; the term הַר (har) means “mount” or “mountain” in Hebrew.
[1:35] 52 tn Heb “Whenever the hand of the tribe of Joseph was heavy.”
[1:36] 53 tn Or “the Ascent of Scorpions” (עַקְרַבִּים [’aqrabbim] means “scorpions” in Hebrew).
[1:36] 54 tn Or “Amorite territory started at the Pass of the Scorpions at Sela and then went on up.”
[2:1] 55 sn See Exod 14:19; 23:20.
[2:1] 56 tn Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.”
[2:1] 57 tn Or “covenant” (also in the following verse).
[2:2] 58 tn Heb “their altars.”
[2:2] 59 tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
[2:2] 60 tn Heb “What is this you have done?”
[2:3] 61 tn Heb “And I also said.” The use of the perfect tense here suggests that the messenger is recalling an earlier statement (see Josh 23:12-13). However, some translate, “And I also say,” understanding the following words as an announcement of judgment upon those gathered at Bokim.
[2:3] 62 tn The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12-13.
[2:3] 63 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:3] 64 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צִדִּים (tsiddim) is uncertain in this context. It may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “snare.” If so, a more literal translation would be “they will become snares to you.” Normally the term in question means “sides,” but this makes no sense here. On the basis of Num 33:55 some suggest the word for “thorns” has been accidentally omitted. If this word is added, the text would read, “they will become [thorns] in your sides” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).
[2:3] 65 tn Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”
[2:4] 66 tn Heb “lifted their voices and wept.”
[2:5] 67 sn Bokim means “weeping ones” and is derived from the Hebrew verb בָּכָא (bakha’, “to weep”).
[2:6] 69 tn Heb “the Israelites went each to his inheritance.”
[2:7] 70 tn Or “served”; or “followed.”
[2:7] 71 tn Or perhaps “elders,” which could be interpreted to mean “leaders.”
[2:7] 72 tn Heb “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the old men who outlived him, who had seen.”
[2:7] 73 tn Heb “the great work of the
[2:9] 74 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:9] 75 tn Heb “in the territory of his inheritance.”
[2:10] 76 tn Heb “All that generation were gathered to their fathers.”
[2:10] 77 tn Heb “arose after them.”
[2:10] 78 tn Heb “that did not know the
[2:11] 79 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[2:11] 80 tn Or “serving”; or “following.”
[2:12] 82 tn Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse).
[2:13] 83 tn Some English translations simply transliterate the plural Hebrew term (“Ashtaroth,” cf. NAB, NASB), pluralize the transliterated Hebrew singular form (“Ashtoreths,” cf. NIV), or use a variation of the name (“Astartes,” cf. NRSV).
[2:14] 84 tn Or “The
[2:14] 85 tn Heb “robbers who robbed them.” (The verb שָׁסָה [shasah] appears twice in the verse.)
[2:14] 86 tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”
[2:14] 87 tn The word “attacks” is supplied in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[2:15] 88 tn The expression “to fight” is interpretive.
[2:15] 89 tn Heb “the
[2:15] 90 tn Heb “just as he had said and just as he had sworn to them.”
[2:15] 91 tn Or “they experienced great distress.”
[2:16] 92 tn Or more traditionally, “judges” (also in vv. 17, 18 [3x], 19). Since these figures carried out more than a judicial function, also serving as rulers and (in several instances) as military commanders, the translation uses the term “leaders.”
[2:16] 93 tn Heb “and they delivered them from the hand of the ones robbing them.”
[2:17] 94 tn Or “did not listen to.”
[2:17] 95 tn Or “bowed before.”
[2:17] 96 tn Or “way [of life].”
[2:17] 98 tn Heb “…walked, obeying the
[2:18] 99 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:18] 100 tn The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[2:18] 101 tn Heb “the ones oppressing them and afflicting them.” The synonyms “oppressing” and “afflicting” are joined together in the translation as “harsh oppressors” to emphasize the cruel character of their enemies.
[2:19] 102 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:19] 103 tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated.
[2:19] 104 tn Heb “their fathers.”
[2:19] 105 tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”
[2:20] 107 tn Or “The
[2:20] 108 tn Heb “Because this nation.”
[2:20] 109 tn Heb “my covenant which I commanded their fathers.”
[2:20] 110 tn Heb “and has not listened to my voice.” The expression “to not listen to [God’s] voice” is idiomatic here for disobeying him.
[2:22] 111 tn The words “Joshua left those nations” are interpretive. The Hebrew text of v. 22 simply begins with “to test.” Some subordinate this phrase to “I will no longer remove” (v. 21). In this case the
[2:22] 112 tn The Hebrew text includes the phrase “by them,” but this is somewhat redundant in English and has been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons.
[2:22] 113 tn The words “I [i.e., the
[2:22] 114 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:22] 115 tn Or “way [of life].”
[2:22] 116 tn “The words “marked out by” are interpretive.
[2:23] 118 tn The words “this is why” are interpretive.
[3:1] 120 tn Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”
[3:2] 121 tn The Hebrew syntax of v. 2 is difficult. The Hebrew text reads literally, “only in order that the generations of the Israelites might know, to teach them war – only those who formerly did not know them.”
[3:3] 122 tn The words “These were the nations,” though not present in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[3:3] 123 tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.”
[3:4] 124 tn Heb “to know if they would hear the commands of the
[3:6] 125 tn Heb “to their sons.”
[3:6] 126 tn Or “served”; or “followed” (this term occurs in the following verse as well).
