Judges 1
1
Canaanites in Palestine. 1#The chapter depicts the Israelite settlement of Canaan as a gradual and incomplete process (cf. Ex 23:29–30; Dt 7:22). This picture contrasts sharply with that found in Joshua, where the conquest is rapid and total. Accordingly, some scholars believe that Jgs 1 derives from an early account, which is less idealized and more realistic than that on which Joshua is based. Others, noting that Judah is presented as the only tribe that was completely successful in driving foreigners from its territory, think that the account was written at a late date and reflects suspicion in Judah about foreign elements in the Israelite populations of outlying areas (cf. 2 Kgs 17:24–33). After the death of Joshua the Israelites consulted the Lord, asking, “Who shall be first among us to attack the Canaanites and to do battle with them?” 2The Lord answered: Judah shall attack: I have delivered the land into his power.#Jgs 20:18. 3Judah then said to his brother Simeon, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, and let us do battle with the Canaanites. I will likewise go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him.#Jgs 1:17.
4When Judah attacked, the Lord delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their power, and they struck down ten thousand of them in Bezek. 5#Jos 10:1. They came upon Adonibezek in Bezek and fought against him. When they struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites, 6Adonibezek fled. They pursued him, and when they caught him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7“Seventy kings,” said Adonibezek, “used to pick up scraps under my table with their thumbs and big toes cut off. As I have done, so has God repaid me.” He was brought to Jerusalem, and he died there. 8#See note on 1:21 below. The Judahites fought against Jerusalem, captured it, and put it to the sword, setting the city itself on fire.#Jos 10:1–27; 2 Sm 5:6–9.
9Afterward the Judahites went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the mountain region, in the Negeb, and in the foothills.#Jos 10:40; 11:16; 12:8. 10Judah also marched against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron, which was formerly called Kiriath-arba, and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.#Jos 15:13–19; Nm 13:22; Jos 14:15. 11They marched from there against the inhabitants of Debir, which was formerly called Kiriath-sepher. 12Caleb said, “To the man who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Achsah in marriage.” 13#Jgs 3:9. Othniel captured it, the son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz; so Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah in marriage. 14When she came to him, she induced him to ask her father for some land. Then, as she alighted from the donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” 15She answered, “Give me a present. Since you have put me in the land of the Negeb, give me pools of water.” So Caleb gave her what she wanted, both the upper and the lower pool.
16#Jgs 4:11; Nm 10:29–32. The descendants of Hobab the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law,#Hobab the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law: as in 4:11. However, in Nm 10:29 Hobab is identified as Moses’ brother-in-law, while Reuel is identified as Moses’ father-in-law (see also Ex 2:18). The more common name of Moses’ father-in-law is Jethro, also a Midianite (e.g., Ex 3:1). It is impossible to sort out the relationships among these three men in the ancient traditions. City of Palms: Jericho (cf. Dt 34:3) or a town in the Negeb. came up with the Judahites from the City of Palms to the wilderness of Arad, which is in the Negeb, and they settled among the Amalekites. 17#Jos 1:3. Then Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they defeated the Canaanites who lived in Zephath. They put the city under the ban and renamed it Hormah.#The ban…Hormah: the narrator relates the city-name “Hormah” to “the ban” (Hebrew herem), which commanded the Israelites to devote to the Lord—and thus to destroy—whatever was captured within the land (cf. Dt 20:10–18). #Nm 21:3; Jos 12:14. 18Judah captured Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, Ekron with its territory, and Ashdod#Gaza…Ashkelon…Ekron…Ashdod: four of the five major cities of the Philistines (see note on 3:3). Since these cities were on the coastal plain, the statement that Judah captured them is contrary to v. 19, which notes Judah’s failure to drive out the inhabitants of the lowlands. In the Septuagint the problem is removed by changing the beginning of this verse to read “Judah did not dispossess….” with its territory.#Jos 11:22. 19The Lord was with Judah, so they gained possession of the mountain region. But they could not dispossess those who lived on the plain, because they had iron chariots. 20#Jos 14:6–15. As Moses had commanded, they gave Hebron to Caleb, who then drove the three sons of Anak away from there.
21#According to Jos 18:16, Jerusalem was assigned to the tribe of Benjamin. According to the notice in 1:8 above, the city was burned by the Judahites, but elsewhere (2 Sm 5:6–9) we learn that it was not actually taken from the Jebusites until David captured it and made it his capital. As for the Jebusites dwelling in Jerusalem, the Benjaminites did not dispossess them, so that the Jebusites live with the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to the present day.#Jos 15:63; 18:16; 2 Sm 5:6–9.
22The house of Joseph, too, went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23The house of Joseph reconnoitered Bethel, which formerly was called Luz.#Gn 28:19; Jos 18:13. 24The scouts saw a man coming out of the city and said to him, “Tell us the way into the city, and we will show you mercy.” 25He showed them the way into the city, and they put the city to the sword; but they let the man and his whole clan go free. 26The man then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.
27#Jos 17:11–13. Manasseh did not take possession of Beth-shean with its towns or of Taanach with its towns. Nor did they dispossess the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, those of Ibleam and its towns, or those of Megiddo and its towns. The Canaanites continued to live in this district. 28When Israel grew stronger, they conscripted the Canaanites as laborers, but did not actually drive them out. 29#Jos 16:10. Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, and so the Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.
30#Jos 19:10–16. Nor did Zebulun dispossess the inhabitants of Kitron or those of Nahalol; the Canaanites lived among them and became forced laborers.
31#Jos 19:24–31. Nor did Asher dispossess the inhabitants of Acco or those of Sidon, or take possession of Mahaleb, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. 32So the Asherites settled among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, for they had not dispossessed them.
33#Jos 19:32–39. Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh or those of Beth-anath. They settled among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became forced laborers for them.
34The Amorites hemmed in the Danites in the mountain region, not permitting them to come down onto the plain. 35So the Amorites continued to live in Harheres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but as the power of the house of Joseph grew, they were conscripted as laborers.
36The territory of the Amorites extended from the Akrabbim pass, from Sela and upward.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Judges 1
1
Israel Continues Its Conquest
1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Who will go up first for us against the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” to fight against them?” 2And Yahweh said, “Judah will go up. I hereby give the land into his hand.” 3And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Go up with me into my allotment, and let us fight against the Canaanites; then I too will go with you into your allotment.” And Simeon went with him. 4And Judah went up, and Yahweh gave the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” and the Perizzites#Hebrew “Perizzite” into their hand, and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek. 5At Bezek they came upon Adoni-bezek, and they fought against him and defeated the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” and the Perizzites.#Hebrew “Perizzite” 6And Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued after him; they caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.#Literally “the thumbs of his hands and feet” 7Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes#Literally “the thumbs of their hands and feet” cut off used to pick up scraps under my table; just as I have done, so God has repaid to me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8The descendants#Or “sons/children” of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and they captured it, put it to the sword,#Literally “they struck it with the mouth of the sword” and set the city on fire.#Literally “the city they sent away with fire” 9Afterward the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Judah pursued to fight against the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” who were living in the hill country, the Negev,#An arid region south of the Judean hills and the Shephelah.#A geographical region associated with an area of low country on the western edge of the Judaean hills. 10And Judah went against the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” living in Hebron (the former name of Hebron was Kiriath Arba). And they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11And from there they went to the inhabitants of Debir (the former name of Debir was Kiriath Sepher). 12And Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and captures it, I will give to him Acsah my daughter as a wife.” 13Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb, captured it, and he gave to him Acsah his daughter as a wife. 14When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she dismounted from the donkey, Caleb said to her, “What do you want?”#Literally “What is for you?” 15And she said to him, “Give me a gift;#Literally “blessing” you have given me the land of the Negev,#An arid region south of the Judaean hills and give me also a spring of water.” And Caleb gave to her the upper and lower spring.#Judges 1:11–15 is almost identical to Joshua 15:13–19
16The descendants#Or “sons/children” of Hobab the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the Negev#An arid region south of the Judaean hills near Arad. And they went#Hebrew “he went” and settled with the people. 17And Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they defeated the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” inhabiting Zephath; they utterly destroyed it, so he called the name of the city Hormah. 18Judah captured Gaza and its territory, Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory. 19And Yahweh was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron. 20They gave Hebron to Caleb just as Moses said, and he drove out the three sons of Anak from there. 21But the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites#Hebrew “Jebusite” who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived among the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22Likewise, the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and Yahweh was with them. 23And the house of Joseph spied out Bethel (the former name of the city was Luz). 24And when the spies saw a man leaving the city,#Or “going out from the city” they said to him, “Please show us the entrance of the city, and we will deal kindly#Or “do a loyal love” with you.” 25So he showed them the entrance of the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword,#Literally “the mouth of the sword” but they let go the man and all his family. 26And the man went to the land of the Hittites, and he built a city and named it Luz; this is its name to this day.
27Manasseh did not drive out Beth-Sean and its towns, or Taanach and its towns, or the inhabitants#Hebrew “inhabitant” of Dor and its towns, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” were determined to live in this land. 28And it happened, when Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” to forced labor, but they never totally drove them out. 29Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” living in Gezer, so the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” lived in their midst in Gezer. 30Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or Nahalol, so the Canaanites#Hebrew “Canaanite” lived in their midst and became subjected to forced labor. 31Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob, 32so the Asherites#Hebrew “Asherite” lived in the midst of the Canaanites,#Hebrew “Canaanite” the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.
33Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or Beth-anath, but lived in the midst of the Canaanites,#Hebrew “Canaanite” the inhabitants of the land; the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth-anath became forced labor for them.
34The Amorites pressed#Or “forced” the descendants#Or “sons/children” of Dan to the hill country, and they did not allow them to come down to the plain; 35the Amorites were determined to live in Har-heres,#Or “Mount Heres” in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy on them, and they became subjected to forced labor. 36The border of the Amorites#Hebrew “Amorite” ran from the ascent of Akrabbim from Sela and upward.
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