Jdg 1:1 . After the death of Joshua, whose death was to the Jews the commencement of new troubles; they asked counsel of the Lord, as directed, Num 27:21 , by Phinehas the priest.
Jdg 1:3 . Judah said to Simeon, come up with me, for their lots were adjacent, and therefore equally concerned. The Canaanites, it would seem, had returned to some of their former possessions.
Jdg 1:5 . Adoni-bezek; the lord of Bezek. Jos 15:19 .
Jdg 1:7 . Having their thumbs and great toes cut off. We find many ancient restless foes treated in this way with the loss of their right thumb, to disable them from war, but nowhere, except here, an extention of the cruelty to the toes. It was time for these nations to be destroyed: the power of conscience confessed the equity of divine retribution.
Jdg 1:8 . Jerusalem. This is more full than Joshua 1:0 . They destroyed the Jebusites, and burnt the city, except those who took refuge in the fortress, where the temple was afterwards built. This strong place David took, but spared the people, as it would seem from Araunah’s being left in possession of his estate. They had then embraced Judaism. See on Jos 18:28 .
Jdg 1:16 . The Kenites. These learned shepherds had followed Moses, and received their lot adjacent to Amalek. They preserved the learning of Moses and Jethro, 1Ch 2:55 , and would drink no wine, nor build houses. Jeremiah 3:5 . By this emigration they escaped the evils which Balaam had foretold would befal their country. They were wise and wary to come and enjoy the pastures when the war was over.
Jdg 1:18 . Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof. This, as appears from chap. Jdg 3:3 , must be wrong in the Hebrew copy, which the Septuagint rectifies thus: “But Judah did not possess Gaza, nor the coasts thereof; nor Askelon, nor Ekron, nor Ashdod, nor the coasts thereof.” See Josephus Jdg 5:2 .
Jdg 1:24 . Show us the entrance into the city: so he saved his own life by betraying his fellow-citizens. To him an awful subject of reflection for future years.
REFLECTIONS.
This chapter, as introductory to the presidency of the judges, resumes the history of the Israelites from the defeat of the allied kings by Joshua. Now it would be well for those who complain of cruelty in Joshua, to contemplate the character of Adoni-bezek, and say whether he, and the instruments of his cruelty were fit to live? Surely if the judgments which the Canaanites brought one upon another, had no effect in producing a reformation, it was high time for heaven to inflict its vengeance on a people guilty of every crime. Yet an infidel age talks as though some apology ought to be made for Moses, Joshua, and David, the purest ministers of divine vengeance, and distinguished by the greatest mercy. Indulge them but in this, and we must next make some apology for every other visitation of providence: but instead of making concessions which brand the tribunal of heaven with weakness, we are taught to reply as Christ did, Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
The valour of Judah is here recorded at large. He set a fine example to the other tribes, notwithstanding his failure of the conquest of Philistia. Joseph’s stratagem and courage in storming Bethel, near to which Rachel his mother was interred, is mentioned with honour. But the six remaining tribes are all blamed for not driving out the heathen: and what is worse, they reduced them to tribute. This violated the law of God; for after receiving their money, they could not attack them without a breach of covenant; and God will never aid a people in the cause of perjury and wickedness. Whoever makes a covenant with his sins, grieves the Holy Spirit, and forfeits the aids of grace, by which alone he can mortify the deeds of the body.
The children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, having passed the Jordan with Israel, went up with Judah to fight. How happy, that Jethro, if yet alive, took second thoughts. When Moses first invited him to go with them to the promised land, he refused. Num 10:29-31 . But seeing the Lord was with his people, his heart was afterwards moved, and the whole family followed the ark. These were the family of the Rechabites mentioned by Jeremiah; it appears that they led a pastoral, inoffensive, and sober life. And if our heart like Jethro’s have at first revolted against invitations to join in religious society, let us think again, that it is safest for us to be with God’s covenant people. Let us leave the world and sin, and claim our portion with the Lord’s people.
Jdg 1:1. Now, after the death of Joshua, it came to pass- It is related in this chapter, in what state each of the tribes was after Joshua was dead; and some things, by the way, are resumed which had happened before, and which we have read in the Book of Joshua; as the taking of the cities of Hebron and Kirjath-sepher, &c. It is not possible to fix the exact date of the war here narrated. It is most probable, that the Israelites did not think of attacking the Canaanites till some years after the death of Joshua, when those nations which they had imprudently spared began to get the upper hand. We should be cautious, however, not to place the event too far back, since Othniel, the first judge of the Israelites after the death of Joshua, had been advantageously spoken of during the life of that general. By the children of Israel's asking the Lord, is meant, the heads of the tribes applying to Phinehas, the high-priest, to consult the Lord by Urim and Thummim. See Lowman, ch. 2.
Jdg 1:2. Judah shall go up- This was the most numerous and most valiant of the tribes, Gen 49:8.; and is commanded to go up, says Houbigant, because those nations were to be subdued which were in the lot of this tribe, as appears from the third verse, Come up to me into my lot.
Jdg 1:4. In Bezek- Bezek was a city of the tribe of Judah, and is thought to have been at a small distance from Bethlehem and Jerusalem. See 1Sa 11:8 and Wells's Geogr. vol. 2:
Jdg 1:5. They found Adoni-bezek- Adoni signifies Lord, or Master; so that Adoni-bezek was evidently the King, or Lord, of Bezek. See Bochart's Hieroz. pars 1: lib. 2.
Jdg 1:6. And Adoni-bezek fled- It is evident, that after the battle the king shut himself up in Bezek; that then this place was besieged; that the two confederated tribes took it; but that Adoni-bezek having escaped thence, they sent detachments after him, who overtook and brought him back to the camp of the conquerors; and they cut off his thumbs, and his great toes. This was but a just requital, as he himself acknowleged, of the barbarity that he had committed upon so many other princes. By treating Adoni-bezek thus, they disabled him from handling arms, or supporting himself in flight, two things essential in a warrior. This is not an unknown punishment in prophane history; for Elian, in his Hist. Var. lib. ii. c. 9. relates, that the Athenians cut off the thumbs of the inhabitants of the island of Egina, that those islanders might not dispute with them the empire of the sea.
Jdg 1:8. Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, &c.- The strong fortress on mount Sion continued in the hands of the Jebusites till the time of David. See Joseph. Hist. b. vi. c. 7.
Note; (1.) God often repays the wicked in their own coin. (2.) The proudest are not too high for God to humble; let kings remember that they are in slippery places. (3.) When God's judgments awaken the conscience, we shall own his righteousness, and stand self-condemned before him.
Jdg 1:10-15. And Judah went against the Canaanites- See on Jos 15:18-19. The expedition against Hebron seems placed here by way of recapitulation, on account of the other conquests of the tribe of Judah. The whole of this passage, perhaps, had better be rendered in the pluperfect; Caleb had said, &c.
Jdg 1:16. The children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law- The Kenites descended from Jethro had followed the Israelites into the land of Canaan, and were at first settled near the City of Palms, which is commonly thought to be the same with Jericho, celebrated for its palm-trees. See Shaw, vol. 2: p. 68 and Num 10:29. And they went and dwelt amongst the people, might be rendered, perhaps, more properly, and they went and continued with the people; i.e. of Israel or Judah.
Jdg 1:19. But could not drive out the inhabitants, &c.- But proceeded not to drive out, &c. Jun. Tremel. Wat. This version gives us the true sense of the passage. We are not to suppose that chariots of iron rendered the inhabitants of the valley invincible to a people aided and protected by Almighty God; but only that these tribes, content with their former victories, and terrified at the formidable appearance of the enemy, wanted confidence in the Lord, and dared not to attack the Philistines; insomuch, that, being unworthy of God's succour, they were left to themselves, to their false policy and shameful timidity: and hence, perhaps, they abandoned Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron, which they had before taken. See ch. Jdg 3:3.
Note; (1.) They who do the work of the Lord unfaithfully will surely suffer for it. (2.) A favourable opportunity neglected can very rarely be recovered. (3.) Unbelief of God's promises is the cause of all our complaints.
Jdg 1:22. The house of Joseph- Instead of בית beth, house, the Cambridge Manuscript reads, beni, the children, which seems to be the better reading, as the context is, and they ascended, &c. The LXX and Arabick read children.
Jdg 1:26. The man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz- The land of the Hittites, probably, means some colony of that people settled in Syria or Arabia. The man, most likely, was himself a Hittite. His building a city is a certain proof that he was allowed to retire with his family and effects; and these circumstances respecting him appear to be related to do honour to his memory: for it is well known to have been the practice of all good writers to eternize the remembrance of the founders of cities. Bochart observes, that Luz had its name from the great plenty of almonds growing there.
Jdg 1:28. They put the Canaanites to tribute- Generally speaking, nothing could have prevented the Israelites from extirpating these nations, and, indeed, nothing could have excused them from doing so: but, preferring present peace to the obedience which they owed to God, they contented themselves with receiving a tribute from them, soothing to their indolence, and requiring no warlike efforts on their part.
Jdg 1:29. Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites- So far from it, they suffered them to enjoy among them all the privileges of a free people, even as if they had been allied; which is the meaning of the expression, to dwell among them, see 2Ki 4:13.
Jdg 1:36. And the coast of the Amorites was from-the rock- By the rock, the Vulgate understands the city of Petra, in the Hebrew סלע selang, which stood upon the confines of Idumaea, and was the capital of Arabia Petraea; Amaziah called it Joktheel, 2Ki 14:7. It is remarkable, that some of the old inhabitants continued there till after our Saviour's time. See Bishop Patrick.
From the whole we may observe, that sloth and covetousness, unbelief of God's power, and want of detestation of idolatry, were still too much rooted in this stiff-necked people; yet God wonderfully bore with them.
