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Judges Chapter
One
Judges 1
Outlines
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 1
The
children of Israel, after Joshua's death, inquiring of the Lord which tribes
should first go up against the remaining Canaanites, Judah is ordered to go up,
who with Simeon did, Judges 1:1; and had
success against the Canaanites under Adonibezek, whom they brought to Jerusalem
Judges 1:4; and
against the Canaanites in Hebron, Debir, Zephath, Hormah, Gaza, Ashkelon, and
Ekron, Judges 1:9; the
Benjamites had not such good success as Judah against the Jebusites in
Jerusalem, Judges 1:21; nor as
the house of Joseph had against Bethel, Judges 1:22; nor
could the tribes of Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali, drive out
the Canaanites from several places which belonged unto them, though many of
them became their tributaries, Judges 1:27; and as
for the Amorites, they were too powerful for the tribe of Dan, though some of
them became tributaries to the house of Joseph, Judges 1:34.cf13
(a) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 14. 2.
Judges 1:1 Now
after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the
Lord, saying, “Who
shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?”
YLT
1And it cometh to pass,
after the death of Joshua, that the sons of Israel ask at Jehovah, saying, `Who
doth go up for us unto the Canaanite, at the commencement, to fight against
it?'
Now after the death of
Joshua,.... With the account of which the preceding book is concluded,
and therefore this very properly follows after that; though EpiphaniusF2De
Mensur. & Ponder. c. 13. places the book of Job between them:
it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the Lord; that is, the
heads of them who gathered together at Shiloh, where the tabernacle was; and
standing before the high priest, either Eleazar, or rather Phinehas his son,
Eleazar being in all probability dead, inquired by Urim and Thummim:
saying, who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to
fight against them? for they had no commander in chief, Joshua leaving no successor,
though the Samaritan ChronicleF3Apud Hottinger. Smegma, p. 522.
pretends he did; one Abel, a son of Caleb's brother, of the tribe of Judah, on
whom the lot fell, out of twelve of the nine tribes and a half, to whom Joshua
delivered the government of the nation, and crowned him: but this inquiry was
not for any man to go before them all as their generalissimo, but to know what
tribe should first go up, and they were desirous of having the mind of God in
it, when they might expect to succeed; which to do, at their first setting out,
would not only be a great encouragement to them to go on, but strike dread and
terror into their enemies; and this is to be understood of the Canaanites who
remained unsubdued, that dwelt among them, and in cities, which though divided
to them by lot, they were not in the possession of; and these being troublesome
neighbours to them, and besides the Israelites daily increasing, needed more
room and more cities to occupy, and more land to cultivate.
Judges 1:2 2 And the Lord said, “Judah
shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”
YLT
2And Jehovah saith, `Judah
doth go up; lo, I have given the land into his hand.'
And the Lord said,.... By an
articulate voice, which it is probable was the usual way of answering by Urim
and Thummim:
Judah shall go up; not Judah in person, who was long ago dead,
but the tribe of Judah; it was the will of the Lord that that tribe should
engage first with the Canaanites, being the principal one, and the most
numerous, powerful, and valiant, and perhaps had the greatest number of
Canaanites among them; and who succeeding, would inspire the other tribes with
courage, and fill their enemies with a panic:
behold, I have delivered the land into his hands; that part of
it which belonged to that tribe as yet unsubdued, the conquest of which they
are assured of for their encouragement.
Judges 1:3 3 So Judah said to Simeon
his brother, “Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight
against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted
territory.” And Simeon went with him.
YLT
3And Judah saith to Simeon
his brother, `Go up with me into my lot, and we fight against the Canaanite --
and I have gone, even I, with thee into thy lot;' and Simeon goeth with him.
And Judah said unto Simeon
his brother,.... The men of the tribe of Judah said to those of the tribe of
Simeon, they being not only brethren by father's and mother's side, which was
not the case of all the sons of Jacob, but their possessions and inheritances
lay near together; and indeed those of Simeon were within the inheritance of
the tribe of Judah, Joshua 19:1; so
that as they lived in great nearness and familiarity with each other, their
interests were closely united together:
come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the
Canaanites; conjunctly: the meaning is, that the tribe of Simeon, as many of
their warlike men as could, would come and join their forces with those of the
tribe of Judah, in order to reduce such cities, in the lot of that tribe, the
Canaanites as yet were in the possession of:
and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot: the cities
being conquered which were in the lot, of the tribe of Judah, that tribe
proposed to bring their united forces into the lot of the tribe of Simeon, and
reduce such cities as were in that lot:
so Simeon went with him: the tribe of Simeon
agreed to the proposal, and went along with the tribe of Judah against their
common enemy.
Judges 1:4 4 Then Judah went up, and
the Lord
delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed
ten thousand men at Bezek.
YLT
4And Judah goeth up, and
Jehovah giveth the Canaanite and the Perizzite into their hand, and they smite
them in Bezek -- ten thousand men;
And Judah went up,.... Simeon
being along with him, from the southern parts of the land, where they dwelt,
and went more northward towards Jerusalem, and which therefore is called a
going up:
and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their
hands: into the hands of Judah and Simeon: the Canaanites here is not
the common name of the seven nations, but the name of one of those nations,
distinguished from the rest, as here from the Perizzites, who otherwise were
also Canaanites; and both these, at least many of them, dwelt in those parts, and
were subdued by the united forces of Judah and Simeon, whereby the Lord's
promise was fulfilled, Judges 1:2,
and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men: that is, in
and about Bezek, first and last, in the course of this war, as after related.
Jerom saysF4De loc. Heb. fol. 89. H. there were two villages of this
name in his time near one another, seven miles from Neapolis, as you go to
Scythopolis; and our countryman Mr. SandysF5Travels, p. 142. Ed.
5th. says, that when they departed from Bethlehem, bending their course from
the mountains of Judea lying west from it, near to which, on the side of the
opposite hill, they passed a little village called Bezek, as he took it, two
miles from Bethsur, see 1 Samuel 11:8.
Judges 1:5 5 And they found Adoni-Bezek
in Bezek, and fought against him; and they defeated the Canaanites and the
Perizzites.
YLT
5and they find Adoni-Bezek
in Bezek, and fight against him, and smite the Canaanite and the Perizzite.
And they found Adonibezek
in Bezek,.... Who was king of, the place, and whose name signifies lord of
Bezek; not that they took him there, for he is afterwards said to make his
escape from thence, but here he was when they came against that city, and into
which they rushed upon him, and fell upon him as follows:
and they fought against him; entering the city with
their forces:
and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites: that were in
it, or about it, even to the number of ten thousand, as before related, Judges 1:4.
Judges 1:6 6 Then Adoni-Bezek fled, and
they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
YLT
6And Adoni-Bezek fleeth, and
they pursue after him, and seize him, and cut off his thumbs and his great
toes,
But Adonibezek fled, and
they pursued after him, and caught him,.... It is very probable
his view was to get to Jebus or Jerusalem, a strong and fortified city and he
made his way thither as fast as he could, but was pursued and overtaken by some
of the forces of Judah and Simeon; and the rather it may seem he took this
course, since when he was taken by them, they brought him thither, as follows:
and cut off his thumbs and his great toes; whereby he
was disabled both for fighting and for fleeing. So the Athenians cut off the
thumbs of the right hand of the Aeginetae, the inhabitants of the island of
Aegina, to disable them from holding a spear, as various writersF6Valerius
Maximus, l. 9. c. 2. Aelian, Var. Hist. l. 2. c. 9. Cicero de Officiis, l. 3.
c. 11. relate. Whether the Israelites did this, as knowing this king had used
others in like manner, and so, according to their law of retaliation, "eye
for eye", &c. Exodus 21:23,
required it; or whether, ignorant of it, were so moved and directed by the
providence of God to do this, that the same measure might be measured to him
which he had measured to others, is not certain; the latter seems most
probable, since the Israelites did not usually inflict such sort of
punishments; and besides, according to the command of God, they should have put
him to death, as they were to do to all Canaanites.
Judges 1:7 7 And Adoni-Bezek said,
“Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps
under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.” Then they brought him to
Jerusalem, and there he died.
YLT
7and Adoni-Bezek saith,
`Seventy kings -- their thumbs and their great toes cut off -- have been
gathering under my table; as I have done so hath God repaid to me;' and they
bring him in to Jerusalem, and he dieth there.
And Adonibezek said,.... To the
men of Judah, after his thumbs and toes were cut off, his conscience accusing
him for what he had done to others, and being obliged to acknowledge he was
righteously dealt with:
threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes
cut off; that is, by him, or by his orders, whom he had conquered and
made captives; according to JosephusF7Antiqu. l. 5. c. 2. sect. 2. ,
they were seventy two; the number may be accounted for by observing, that in
those times, as appears by the preceding book, every city had a king over it;
and besides, these seventy kings might not be such who had had the government
of so many cities, but many of them such who had reigned successively in the
same city, and had fallen into the hands of this cruel and tyrannical king, one
after another, and their sons also with them might be so called: and these he
says
gathered their meat under my table: were glad to
eat of the crumbs and scraps which fell from thence, and might in their turns
be put there at times for his sport and pleasure, and there be fed with the
offal of his meat, as Bajazet the Turk was served by Tamerlane, who put him
into an iron cage, and carried him about in it, and used him as his footstool
to mount his horse, and at times fed him like a dog with crumbs from his tableF8Such
dogs are called τραπεζηες κυνες, in Homer.
Iliad. 23. ver. 173. & Odyss. 17. ver. 227. :
as I have done, so God hath requited me; whether he
had any knowledge of the true God, and of his justice in dealing with him
according to his deserts, and had a real sense of his sin, and true repentance
for it, is not certain; since the word for God is in the plural number, and
sometimes used of Heathen deities, as it may be here by him; however, the
righteous judgment of God clearly appears in this instance:
and they brought him to Jerusalem; to that part of
Jerusalem which belonged to the tribe of Judah; see Joshua 15:8; here
they brought him alive, and dying, buried him, as JosephusF9Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 2. sect. 2. says; which might be their view in carrying him thither,
perceiving he was a dying man; or they had him thither to expose him as a
trophy of victory, and as an example of divine justice:
and there he died: whether through grief and vexation, or of
the wounds he had received, or by the immediate hand of God, or by the hands of
the Israelites, is not said; neither are improbable.
Judges 1:8 8 Now the children of Judah
fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword
and set the city on fire.
YLT
8And the sons of Judah fight
against Jerusalem, and capture it, and smite it by the mouth of the sword, and
the city they have sent into fire;
Now the children of Judah
had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it,.... Which accounted for
their carrying Adonibezek thither. This they had done in the times of Joshua;
for when the king of that place was taken and slain by Joshua, it seems that he
and Israel went and fought against the city, and took that in which the tribe
of Judah had a principal concern; so Kimchi and Ben Gersom interpret it; but
Jarchi and Abarbinel are of opinion, that now from Bezek they went up to
Jerusalem, and fought against it, and took it; and so others think, because
only the children of Judah are mentioned, and not all Israel, who fought
together in Joshua's time; nor is there any mention made of its being taken in
his time, and yet it seems plain that it was inhabited in part by the children
of Judah, Joshua 15:63; some
therefore have thought that it was twice taken; that after Joshua had taken it,
he and the children of Israel being employed in making conquests in other parts
of the land, the Jebusites repossessed it, from whence they were now again in
part driven, not wholly; and Josephus saysF11Ut supra. (Antiqu. l.
5. c. 2. sect. 2.) , the lower part was taken, and all the inhabitants killed,
but the upper part was hard to be taken, because of the strength of the walls,
and the nature of the place:
and smitten it with the edge of the sword; the
"inhabitants of it", so far as they got possession of it:
and set the city on fire; some part of it only,
for in some part of it dwelt the children of Judah, and in another part the
Jebusites.
Judges 1:9 9 And afterward the children
of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains,
in the South,[a] and in the
lowland.
YLT
9and afterwards have the
sons of Judah gone down to fight against the Canaanite, inhabiting the
hill-country, and the south, and the low country;
And afterwards the children
of Judah,.... After the taking of Bezek, and the king of it, having him to
Jerusalem, where he died: they
went down; from Jerusalem; which was on high ground:
to fight against the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountain, and in
the south, and in the valley; into which several parts the lot of the
tribe of Judah was divided; in each of which they had cities, and some, as it
seems, yet unsubdued, and in the hands of the Canaanites; of these several
parts, and the cities in them, see Joshua 15:21.
Judges 1:10 10 Then Judah went against
the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron was formerly
Kirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
YLT
10and Judah goeth unto the
Canaanite who is dwelling in Hebron (and the name of Hebron formerly [is]
Kirjath-Arba), and they smite Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
And Judah went against the
Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron,.... Hebron was first taken by Joshua, and
the inhabitants of it put to the sword, Joshua 10:36; but
while Joshua was employed in making other conquests, the Canaanites found ways
and means of getting into the possession of it again; wherefore, when a grant
of it was made to Caleb, he, with the assistance of the tribe of Judah, of
which he was prince, regained it, Joshua 15:12;
wherefore what is recorded here is only a repetition of what was then done;
unless it can be thought that this fact was there inserted by anticipation, or
that there were two expeditions of the children of Judah against this place:
now the name of Hebron, before was Kirjatharba: see Joshua 14:15; in
the first of which Caleb, with the assistance of this tribe, drove out the three
giants only, who afterwards got possession again, and in this put them to
death, as follows:
and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai; see Numbers 13:22; but
what follows concerning their going from hence to Debir, and the offer of Caleb
to give his daughter in marriage to whomsoever should take it, does not seem so
well to agree with times after the death of Joshua; since it is highly probable
that Caleb, who was contemporary with him and Eleazar, was now dead, and at
least cannot well be thought to have a young daughter at this time undisposed
of in marriage; wherefore these facts are only repeated upon observing Judah's
having taken Jerusalem, to show what exploits were performed by men of that
tribe; wherefore for what is after said, Judges 1:11, as is
said in Joshua 15:15, where
the same things are related in express words as here, containing the request of
Caleb's daughter: such an one, as made to Domitian, is related by MartialF12"Est
mihi sitque precor", &c. l. 9. ep. 16. .
Judges 1:11 11 From there they went
against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir was formerly
Kirjath Sepher.)
YLT
11And he goeth thence unto
the inhabitants of Debir (and the name of Debir formerly [is] Kirjath-Sepher),
And from thence he went
against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was
Kirjathsepher. See Gill on Joshua 15:15.
Judges 1:12 12 Then Caleb said, “Whoever
attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as
wife.”
YLT
12and Caleb saith, `He who
smiteth Kirjath-Sepher -- and hath captured it -- then I have given to him
Achsah my daughter for a wife.'
And Caleb said, He that smiteth
Kirjathsepher, and taketh it,
to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. See Gill on Joshua 15:16.
Judges 1:13 13 And Othniel the son of
Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as
wife.
YLT
13And Othniel son of Kenaz,
younger brother of Caleb, doth capture it, and he giveth to him Achsah his
daughter for a wife.
And Othniel the son of
Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to
wife. See Gill on Joshua 15:17.
Judges 1:14 14 Now it happened, when she
came to him, that she urged him[b] to ask her
father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said
to her, “What do you wish?”
YLT
14And it cometh to pass in
her coming in, that she persuadeth him to ask from her father the field, and
she lighteth from off the ass, and Caleb saith to her, `What -- to thee?'
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? See Gill on Joshua 15:18.
Judges 1:15 15 So she said to him, “Give
me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs
of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
YLT
15And she saith to him, `Give
to me a blessing; when the south land thou hast given me -- then thou hast
given to me springs of water; and Caleb giveth to her the upper springs and the
lower springs.
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. See Gill on Joshua 15:19.
Judges 1:16 16 Now the children of the
Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms with the children
of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near
Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
YLT
16And the sons of the Kenite,
father-in-law of Moses, have gone up out of the city of palms with the sons of
Judah [to] the wilderness of Judah, which [is] in the south of Arad, and they
go and dwell with the people.
And the children of the
Kenite, Moses' father in law,.... The posterity of Jethro, the
father-in-law of Moses; for though Jethro returned to his own country, after he
had paid a visit to Moses in the wilderness, yet Hobab his son, at the
persuasion of Moses, travelled with him and Israel through the wilderness, and
went with them into Canaan, at least some of his descendants, and settled
there, some in one part of the land, and some in another, of whom we read in
several places of Scripture; they continued to the days of Jeremiah, and then
went by the name of Rechabites, so called from Rechab, a descendant of Jethro:
these
went up out of the city of palm trees; from the city
of Jericho, as the Targum, so called from the great number of palm trees which
grew near it, see Deuteronomy 34:3.
This is to be understood not of the city itself, that was utterly destroyed by
Joshua, and the rebuilding of it was forbidden under a curse, but the country
adjacent, the valley in which it stood, which was set with palm trees; here was
a grove of palm treesF13Justin. e Trogo, l. 36. c. 3. , and the
garden of balsam, which grew nowhere else, as StraboF14Geograph. l.
16. p. 525. says; and who also observes, that here was a royal palace in his
time; this belonged to Herod king of Judea in the times of Augustus Caesar, to
whose palm tree groves there HoraceF15Praeferat Herodis. Palmetis
Pinguibus----De Arte Poet. ver. 184. refers. Here the Kenites first settled
when they came first over Jordan with Joshua, being a most pleasant and
delightful place, and suitable to such persons who dwelt in tents, as they did,
and answered to the promise of Moses to Hobab, Numbers 10:29; and
here it seems they had remained to this time: and now they left it, and came
with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah; which was
also a convenient place for the habitation of such persons, who loved a
solitary life. Perhaps the Canaanites about Jericho might be troublesome to
them, and therefore chose to stay no longer, there; or, having a peculiar
affection for the tribe of Judah, they chose to be within their lot; and the
rather, as they were a warlike and valiant tribe, they might expect the greater
safety and protection among them:
which lieth, in the south of Arad; that is, which
wilderness of Judah lay there, of which name there was a country or city, see Numbers 21:1; and
here some of them dwelt to the times of Saul, the Amalekites then having got
possession of the southern parts, which they infested and were troublesome to,
see 1 Samuel 15:6,
and they went and dwelt among the people; of the tribe
of Judah, near some of the cities which were in the wilderness; of which see Joshua 15:63.
Judges 1:17 17 And Judah went with his
brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and
utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah.
YLT
17And Judah goeth with Simeon
his brother, and they smite the Canaanite inhabiting Zephath, and devote it;
and [one] calleth the name of the city Hormah.
And Judah went with Simeon
his brother,.... Having subtitled his Canaanites which were in his own lot,
according to his promise, he went with his brother Simeon, or the tribe of
Simeon, into their lot to reduce those that were in that:
and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly
destroyed it: where and what this city was is not certain; there was a place
of this name in upper Galilee, mentioned in Jewish writingsF16Juchasin,
fol. 68. 1. , which cannot be meant here; and we read of the valley of
Zephathah, 2 Chronicles 14:10;
which might have its name from hence, and if so it was near Mareshah:
and the name of the city was called Hormah; from the
destruction made of it, and of the country about it; for now what had been
vowed by Israel in the wilderness, when near Arad, was fulfilled, Numbers 21:1.
Judges 1:18 18 Also Judah took Gaza with
its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.
YLT
18And Judah captureth Gaza
and its border, and Askelon and its border, and Ekron and its border;
Also Judah took Gaza, with
the coast thereof,.... Which by lot fell to that tribe, Joshua 15:47; it
was not till now subdued:
and Ashkelon with the coast thereof; which, according to our
countryman SandysF17Travels, p. 118. Ed. 5. , was ten miles from
Gaza:
and Ekron with the coast thereof; this also is the lot
that fell to Judah, but was afterwards given to the tribe of Dan, Joshua 15:45; for
whom Judah now fought and took it; but in a short time all these places were
retaken, and possessed by the Philistines, and were three of their five
principalities which they ever after retained, see Judges 3:3.
Judges 1:19 19 So the Lord was with
Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the
inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.
YLT
19and Jehovah is with Judah,
and he occupieth the hill-country, but not to dispossess the inhabitants of the
valley, for they have chariots of iron.
And the Lord was with
Judah,.... Encouraging, strengthening, succeeding, and giving the tribe
victory over the Canaanites; the Targum is,"the Word of the Lord was for
the help of the house of Judah:"
and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountains; the
mountainous part of Judea, such as was about Jerusalem, and where Hebron stood,
and other cities, see Joshua 15:48,
&c. which though fortified both by nature and man, yet God being with them,
they were easily subdued:
but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley; God forsaking
them, because they were afraid of them, for a reason after mentioned, or
through slothfulness, and being weary of fighting, or because they fell into
some sins, which occasioned the divine displeasure; so the Targum,"after
they had sinned, they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley:"
because they had chariots of iron; but this was no reason
why they could not drive them out, if God was with them, who could as easily
have delivered these into their hands, as the inhabitants of the mountains; but
is the reason why they were afraid to fight with them, and to attempt to drive
them out, and which they themselves gave why they did not.
Judges 1:20 20 And they gave Hebron to
Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he expelled from there the three sons of Anak.
YLT
20And they give to Caleb
Hebron, as Moses hath spoken, and he dispossesseth thence the three sons of
Anak.
And they gave Hebron unto
Caleb, as Moses said,.... Which was done in the times of Joshua, both by him and all
the people, according to the order of Moses. This is to be understood not of
the city which was given to the Levites, but of the fields and parts adjacent, Joshua 14:13,
and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak: whose names
are given Judges 1:10; this
shows that this refers to the same expedition as in Joshua 15:14; and
is expressed in the same manner.
Judges 1:21 21 But the children of
Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the
Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
YLT
21And the Jebusite,
inhabiting Jerusalem, the sons of Benjamin have not dispossessed; and the
Jebusite dwelleth with the sons of Benjamin, in Jerusalem, till this day.
And the children of
Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem,.... That is,
that part of it which belonged to them, for it lay between Judah and Benjamin;
and neither of them separately, nor both conjunctly, could drive out the
Jebusites from it, particularly the strong hold on the top of Mount Sion, which
they held to the times of David. Abarbinel is of opinion, that Jerusalem in
those times was not a city enclosed about, but was a large province, part of which
belonged to the tribe of Judah, and another to the tribe of Benjamin, and
another was possessed by the Jebusites; and so Jarchi says it was a province,
the name of which was Jebusi:
but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Benjamin unto this
day; when this book was written, which was done by Samuel, as Kimchi
and Ben Gersom; and it is certain from hence it must have been written before
the reign of David, who dispossessed the Jebusites, 2 Samuel 5:6.
Judges 1:22 22 And the house of Joseph
also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them.
YLT
22And the house of Joseph go
up -- even they -- to Beth-El, and Jehovah [is] with them;
And the house of Joseph,
they also went up against Bethel,.... Which lay upon the
borders of the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, Joshua 16:1; and
though it seems to have been taken when Ai was, Joshua 8:17; yet it
appears that it was now in the possession of the Canaanites; wherefore the
tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh being desirous of enlarging their borders after
the example of Judah, went against this place in order to take it:
and the Lord was with them; the Word of the Lord, as
the Targum, directing, assisting, and succeeding them in their attempt.
Judges 1:23 23 So the house of Joseph
sent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city was formerly Luz.)
YLT
23and the house of Joseph
cause [men] to spy about Beth-El (and the name of the city formerly is Luz),
And the house of Joseph
sent to descry Bethel,.... To reconnoitre the place, to observe its passes and avenues,
which were most accessible, and to examine the walls of it, where they were
weakest and least defended:
now the name of the city before was Luz; which
signifies a "nut"; perhaps it was so called from large numbers of nut
trees which grew near it; the Jews suggest as if it was like a nut, no entrance
into it but through a cave or some subterraneous passage, see Genesis 28:19.
Judges 1:24 24 And when the spies saw a
man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to
the city, and we will show you mercy.”
YLT
24and the watchers see a man
coming out from the city, and say to him, `Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance
of the city, and we have done with thee kindness.'
And the spies saw a man
come forth out of the city,.... Or "the keepers"F18השמרים "custodes", Pagninus, Montanus;
"observatores", Vatablus, Drusius, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
; those that were sent to watch, and observe, and get what intelligence they
could of the city, and the way into it:
and they said unto him, show us, we pray, thee, the entrance into
the city; not the gate or gates of it, which no doubt were visible enough,
but some private way into it; the Jews, as before observed, think the entrance
was by the way of a cave, or some hidden passage, of which Jarchi and Kimchi
make mention:
and we will show thee mercy; give him a reward for
it, or spare him and his family when the city came into their hands.
Judges 1:25 25 So he showed them the
entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but
they let the man and all his family go.
YLT
25And he sheweth them the
entrance of the city, and they smite the city by the mouth of the sword, and
the man and all his family they have sent away;
And when he showed them
the entrance, into the city,.... Pointing to it with his fingers, as the
same writers observe:
they smote the city with the edge of the sword; they gave
notice of what intelligence they had got to the body of the army, who came up,
entered the city, took it, and put the inhabitants of it to the sword, as they
were ordered to do with all the Canaanites:
but they let go the man and all his family; who had
returned to it, encouraged by the promise made him, and for the sake of saving
of his family; which though not expressed, he might have asked the favour of
sparing them, which might be promised, as was in the case of Rahab; provided he
would either renounce Heathenism, and embrace the true religion, or depart to
another country, the latter of which he chose.
Judges 1:26 26 And the man went to the
land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is
its name to this day.
YLT
26and the man goeth to the
land of the Hittites, and buildeth a city, and calleth its name Luz -- it [is]
its name unto this day.
And the man went into the
land of the Hittites,.... With his family; Kimchi says this was not one of the seven
nations of Canaan; and it is very clear from this narrative, that the land this
man went to was not in the land of Canaan; though it is certain a people of this
name formerly dwelt there, Genesis 15:20; and
the land of Canaan is called the land of the Hittites, Joshua 1:4; these
either might flee to another country upon Joshua's entry into the land of
Canaan, or a colony of them from thence might settle elsewhere, to which this
man chose to go, who might be originally of them:
and built a city; his family was numerous, and he a man of
wealth, and was allowed to carry all his substance with him:
and called the name of it Luz; in memory of the place
he left, and had long lived in. There is a city called Loussa, among the cities
which Josephus saysF19Antiqu. l. 14. c. 1. sect. 4. were taken by
the Jews from the Arabians; and which is very probably the Lysa of PtolemyF20Geograph.
l. 5. c. 17. , which he places in Arabia Petraea, and might be the same with
this Luz; and, if so, this shows the land this man went into was in Edom, which
is not unlikely; there is another Luza, which JeromF21De loc. Heb.
fol. 92. M. says fell to the lot of the sons of Joseph, near Sichem, three
miles from Neapolis:
which is the name thereof unto this day: the time of
the writing of this book; See Gill on Judges 1:21.
Judges 1:27 27 However, Manasseh did not
drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages, or Taanach and
its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of
Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; for
the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.
YLT
27And Manasseh hath not
occupied Beth-Shean and its towns, and Taanach and its towns, and the
inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Iblaim and its towns,
and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, and the Canaanite is desirous to
dwell in that land;
Neither did Manasseh,.... One of
the sons of Joseph before mentioned; and it respects that half tribe of
Manasseh, which had its portion on this side Jordan in the land of Canaan:
these did not
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: all which
were places the half tribe had assigned them in Issachar and Asher; of which
See Gill on Joshua 17:11. This
tribe seems to have been sluggish, and not to have exerted itself at all, or
made any attempts to drive out these people:
but the Canaanites would dwell in that land; not only
desired it, but were determined on it, and rather chose to submit to a tribute
than be expelled, at least would not depart unless they were forced.
Judges 1:28 28 And it came to pass, when
Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not
completely drive them out.
YLT
28and it cometh to pass, when
Israel hath been strong, that he setteth the Canaanite to tribute, and hath not
utterly dispossessed it.
And it came to pass, when
Israel was strong,.... All the tribes of Israel were become numerous, and able to
drive the Canaanites out of the land everywhere, and particularly were able to
assist Manasseh in expelling the Canaanites out of the above places, yet they
did not; but all they did was:
that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive
them out; which flowed from covetousness, and a love of ease; they did not
care to be at the trouble of expelling them, as they found it turned more to
their account and present advantage to make them tributaries; and this was true
of the Israelites in general, and of the half tribe of Manasseh in particular;
which, as Abarbinel thinks, is here respected.
Judges 1:29 29 Nor did Ephraim drive out
the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
YLT
29And Ephraim hath not
dispossessed the Canaanite who is dwelling in Gezer, and the Canaanite dwelleth
in its midst, in Gezer.
Neither did Ephraim drive
out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer,.... Not so much as made them
tributaries, but made a covenant with them, it is probable, contrary to the
express will of God:
but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them; the
Ephraimites agreeing to it, and here they dwelt to the times of Solomon; See
Gill on Joshua 16:10; where
indeed they are said to be under tribute; but that seems to respect some later
time, and not when they were first admitted to dwell among them, since no
mention is made of it here.
Judges 1:30 30 Nor did Zebulun drive out
the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites
dwelt among them, and were put under tribute.
YLT
30Zebulun hath not
dispossessed the inhabitants of Kitron, and the inhabitants of Nahalol, and the
Canaanite dwelleth in its midst, and they become tributary.
Neither did Zebulun drive
out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol,.... The first
of these seems to be the same with Kattah or Kartah, and the latter with
Nahalal, both cities given to the Levites, Joshua 19:15; which
perhaps was the reason of their sloth in driving them out; though it aggravated
their sin not to take care to rid those cities of the Canaanites, which were
given to religious persons:
but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries; which is
observed so far in their favour, that they exerted themselves to make them
tributaries, which was more than was done by some others.
Judges 1:31 31 Nor did Asher drive out
the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib,
Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.
YLT
31Asher hath not dispossessed
the inhabitants of Accho, and the inhabitants of Zidon, and Ahlab, and Achzib,
and Helbah, and Aphik, and Rehob;
Neither did Asher drive
out the inhabitants of Accho,.... The same with Ptolemais; see Gill on Acts 21:7; so
called from the first Ptolemy king of Egypt, who enlarged it; but it has since
recovered its ancient name pretty nearly, and is now called Acca or
Acra."On its north and east sides (Mr. Maundrell saysF23Journey
from Aleppo, p. 54. ) it is encompassed with a spacious and fertile plain; on
the west it is washed by the Mediterranean sea; and on the south by a large
bay, extending from the city as far as Mount Carmel:"
nor the inhabitants of Zidon; a well known city in
Phoenicia, belonging to this tribe, see Joshua 19:28,
nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor Helbah, nor Aphik, nor of Rehob; two of these
places, Ahlab and Helbah, are not mentioned among the cities of the tribe of
Asher, Joshua 19:24;
unless Helbah is the same with Helkath, Judges 1:25; of the
rest, Achzib; see Gill on Joshua 19:29,
Aphik, and Rehob; see Gill on Joshua 19:30.
Judges 1:32 32 So the Asherites dwelt
among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them
out.
YLT
32and the Asherite dwelleth
in the midst of the Canaanite, the inhabitants of the land, for it hath not
dispossessed them.
But the Asherites dwelt
among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land,.... They were
in a worse condition than those before mentioned; for the Canaanites were
possessed of their country, especially of the above cities, and were masters of
them; and the Asherites only dwelt among them upon sufferance:
for they did not drive them out; either they did not
attempt it, or they could not do it, and contented themselves with having leave
to dwell among them.
Judges 1:33 33 Nor did Naphtali drive out
the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they
dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the
inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put under tribute to them.
YLT
33Naphtali hath not
dispossessed the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh, and the inhabitants of
Beth-Anath, and he dwelleth in the midst of the Canaanite, the inhabitants of
the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh and of Beth-Anath have become
tributary to them.
Neither did Naphtali drive
out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath,.... Of which
places See Gill on Joshua 19:38,
but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; in the same
disgraceful manner as Asher did, owing to cowardice or sloth:
nevertheless, the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, and of Bethanath,
became tributaries unto them; these two cities did at length exert
themselves, and got the mastery over the Canaanites, as to make them pay
tribute to them; though they ought to have expelled them, and even destroyed
them, according to the command of God, but avarice prevailed over them.
Judges 1:34 34 And the Amorites forced
the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come
down to the valley;
YLT
34And the Amorites press the
sons of Dan to the mountain, for they have not suffered them to go down to the
valley;
And the Amorites forced
the children of Dan into the mountain,.... Into the mountainous
part of the tribe of Dan; the most noted mountains in it were Sear and Baalah,
which lay on the border of Judah, Joshua 15:10; Joppa
in this tribe was built on an high rock, and so Gibbethon, as its name seems to
import, perhaps was built on a hill or mountain, as were the cities after
mentioned:
for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley; which lay
between Joppa and Caesarea, the plain of Sharon, in which were Lydda, Jamnia,
&c. which belonged to their tribe, and they afterwards enjoyed; See Gill on
Joshua 19:48.
Judges 1:35 35 and the Amorites were
determined to dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim;[c] yet when
the strength of the house of Joseph became greater, they were put under
tribute.
YLT
35and the Amorite is desirous
to dwell in mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, and the hand of the house
of Joseph is heavy, and they become tributary;
But the Amorites would
dwell in Mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim,.... And they would not
suffer the Danites to dwell in the valley, a fruitful and delightful part of
their country, terrifying them with their iron chariots, which in the vale they
could make use of to great advantage; so neither would they let them dwell
alone in the mountainous part of their tribe, but would dwell with them,
particularly in three places mentioned: where Mount Heres was is not certain; it
signifies the "sun"; very probably it had its name from the worship
of the sun on it, or from the sun standing still near it; for Aijalon, where
that miracle was wrought, is next mentioned. Perhaps it might be near to
Timnathheres, which was in Mount Ephraim, Judges 2:9; since
Ephraim assisted in making these places tributaries; of the two cities, Aijalon
and Shaalbim, see Joshua 19:42,
yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became
tributaries; or "the hand of it became heavy"F24יתכבד יד "et aggravata est
manus", V. L. Paginus Montanus. ; by which it does not clearly appear
whether the hand of Joseph was made heavy, and to hang down, by the Amorites;
or whether it was heavy upon them, and so prevailed over them, as our version;
but the Septuagint puts it out of doubt, reading the words,"and the hand of
the house of Joseph was heavy upon the Amorites;'the Ephraimites being near to
the tribe of Dan, and observing how they were pressed by the Amorites, took up
arms in their favour, and obliged the Canaanites of the above places to become
tributaries to the Danites.
Judges 1:36 36 Now the boundary of the
Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.
YLT
36and the border of the
Amorite [is] from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock and upward.
And the coast of the
Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim,.... Of which
See Gill on Numbers 34:4 and
See Gill on Joshua 15:3,
from the rock, and upwards; even from the city Petra
in Idumea, and beyond that; and there was a country near Idumea, called
Acrabatane, from this mountain Akrabbim,"Then Judas fought against the
children of Esau in Idumea at Arabattine, because they besieged Gael: and he
gave them a great overthrow, and abated their courage, and took their spoils.'
(1 Maccabees 5:3)such was
the extent of these people, that their coast reached from the places, mentioned
to the mountains where the above cities of Dan were; they were the most
powerful people among the Canaanites, and lay on both sides of Jordan, and were
very troublesome to Israel, yet were at length destroyed, Amos 2:9.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)