The conquests made by Judah and Simeon, ver. 1 - 20. Benjamin failed, ver. 21. The house of Joseph took Bethel, ver. 22 - 26. But Manasseh did not drive out the Canaanites, ver. 27, 28. Nor Ephraim, ver. 29. Nor Zebulun, ver. 30. Nor Asher, ver. 31, 32. Nor Naphtali, ver. 33. Nor Dan, ver. 34 - 36.
Verses:
1:1
After the death - Not long after it; for Othniel, the first judge, lived in Joshua's time. Asked the Lord - Being assembled together at Shiloh, they enquired of the high - priest by the Urim and the Thummim. Against the Canaanites first - Finding their people multiply exceedingly, and consequently the necessity of enlarging their quarters, they renew the war. They do not enquire who shall be captain general to all the tribes; but what tribe shall first undertake the expedition, that by their success the other tribes may be encouraged to make the like attempt upon the Canaanites in their several lots.
1:2
Judah - The tribe of Judah is chosen for the first enterprise, because they were both most populous, and so most needing enlargement; and withal most valiant, and therefore most likely to succeed: for God chooseth fit means for the work which he designs. Moreover the Canaanites were numerous and strong in those parts, and therefore to be suppressed, before they grew too strong for them.
1:3
To Simeon - As nearest to him both by relation, being his brother by both parents, and by habitation. The Canaanites - Specially so called, because they are distinguished from the Perizzites, ver. 4 .
1:4
In Bezek - Not in the city, for that was not yet taken, ver. 5 , but in the territory of it.
1:5
Adoni - bezek - The lord or king of Bezek; as his name signifies.In Bezek - Whither he fled when he lost the field.Against him - That is, against the city wherein he had encamped himself, and the rest of his army.
1:6
Great toes - And this they did, either by the direction of God, or upon notice of his former tyranny and cruelty.
1:7
Threescore and ten - Which is not strange in those times and places. For it is well known, that anciently each ruler of a city, or great town, was called a king, and had kingly power in that place; and many such kings we meet with in Canaan: and it is probable, that some years before, kings were more numerous there, 'till the greater devoured many of the less. Under my table - An act of barbarous inhumanity thus to insult over the miserable, joined with abominable luxury.
1:8
And took - Yet some of the inhabitants retired into the castle, and held out there 'till David's time.
1:10
Judah went - Under the conduct of Caleb, as is recorded, 15:14 , &c., for that relation, and this, are doubtless oneand the same expedition, and it is mentioned there by anticipation.
1:16
Moses's father - in - law - That is, of Jethro, so called from the people whom he descended, Numbers 24:21 ,22. And, whatsoever he did, it is evident, that his posterity came into Canaan with the Israelites, and were there seated with them, see chap. 4:11 ,17 5:24 15:6, , 1 Chronicles 2:1, - 54,55.City of palm - trees - That is, from Jericho, so called, 34:3, not the city which was destroyed, but the territory belonging to it, where it seems they were seated, in a most pleasant, and fruitful, and safe place, according to the promise made by Moses to their father, Numbers 10:29- 32, and whence they might remove, either to avoid theneighboring Canaanites; or out of love to the children of Judah.South of Arad - In the southern part of the land of Canaan, where Arad was, Numbers 21:1.They went - That is some of them, for others of them dwelt in a contrary quarter, in the most northern part of the land. Among the people - Heb.that people, namely, those children of Judah that lived there.
1:17
Judah went with Simeon - According to his promise, ver. 3, and the laws of justice and gratitude. Hormah - Either,
The same place so called, Numbers 21:3, and so what was there vowed, is here executed: or,
Some other place called by the same name upon the like occasion, which was frequent among the Hebrews. This seems more probable.
1:18
Judah took - It is only said, they took the cities, and probably contented themselves with making them tributary; but it is not said that they slew the people, as they ought to have done; and as it is said of the other cities here. And the people being thus spared, did by God's just judgment recover their strength, and expel the Jews out of their cities.It is farther observable, that Ekron here taken, was one of Dan's cities, 19:43, and it was taken here by Judah and Simeon, partly out of love for their brother Dan, and partly to secure their new conquests, and other adjoining territories, from such potent neighbours.
1:19
Could not drive - Because of their unbelief, whereby they distrusted God's power to destroy those who had chariots of iron, and so gave way to their own fear and sloth, whereby God was provoked to withdraw his helping hand.
1:22
House of Joseph - That is, the tribe of Ephraim.
1:24
The entrance - On which side it is weakest, that we might best invade and take it.
1:25
His family - Together with his estate, as the following verse manifests.
1:26
The Hittites - Where the Hittites seated themselves after they were driven out of Canaan, which seems to be northward from Canaan, and near upon it.
1:27
Manasseh - That is, that half of this tribe which dwelt in Canaan.
1:29
In Gezer - Which they possessed 'till Solomon's time, 9:16.
1:34
The valley - That is, into the plain country; which was the occasion of that expedition for the getting new quarters, of which we read 19:47,48 and chap.Judges 18:1- 31.
1:35
House of Joseph - That is, of the Ephraimites, who helped their brethren the Danites against the Amorites.
1:36
Akrabbim - Which was in the southern part of Canaan, 15:2,3, from whence it went up towards the north. This is addedto shew the great power and large extent of this 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.
