Judges 1

King James Version

Full text for Judges Chapter 1

1¶ Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?

2And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

3And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

4And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

5And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

7And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered [their meat] under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

8Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

9¶ And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.

10And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

11And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before [was] Kirjathsepher:

12And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.

13And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

14And 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?

15And 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.

16And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which [lieth] in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.

17And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.

18Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.

19And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out [the inhabitants of] the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

20And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.

21¶ And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

22And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD [was] with them.

23And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before [was] Luz.)

24And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.

25And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.

26And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which [is] the name thereof unto this day.

27Neither did Manasseh 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: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

28And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.

29Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

30Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.

31Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:

32But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.

33Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.

34And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:

35But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries.

36And the coast of the Amorites [was] from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

After Joshua's death, the tribe of Judah, with the Lord's guidance, led the initial conquest against the Canaanites, achieving significant victories including the defeat of Adonibezek and the capture of Jerusalem. However, despite these early successes, many Israelite tribes, and even Judah in some areas, failed to completely dispossess the indigenous inhabitants. This resulted in the Canaanites dwelling among them, often becoming tributaries, marking a departure from the full conquest commanded.

Medium Summary

Following Joshua's death, the children of Israel sought divine counsel, and the Lord designated Judah to commence the conquest. Judah, aided by Simeon, achieved notable victories, defeating Adonibezek, who acknowledged divine retribution, and capturing Jerusalem. Caleb, a prominent figure in Judah, conquered Hebron and offered his daughter Achsah to Othniel for taking Debir. While Judah experienced considerable success, they were unable to dislodge the inhabitants of the valley due to their iron chariots. Subsequently, other tribes, including Benjamin, Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali, largely failed to drive out the Canaanites from their allotted territories. Instead, these indigenous peoples often remained, sometimes becoming tributaries, indicating an incomplete fulfillment of the divine command.

Long Summary

Upon the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the Lord concerning who should lead the initial military campaign against the Canaanites. The Lord appointed Judah, who then sought the assistance of the tribe of Simeon. Together, they achieved significant early victories, defeating Adonibezek, who acknowledged divine retribution for his own past cruelties, and capturing Jerusalem. Judah continued its conquests, taking Hebron and Debir, with Caleb offering his daughter Achsah to Othniel, who successfully captured Debir. Achsah, in turn, requested and received additional springs of water from her father. While Judah demonstrated considerable success, they were unable to drive out the inhabitants of the valleys due to the formidable iron chariots. The narrative then shifts to the failures of other tribes to fully dispossess the land. Benjamin did not expel the Jebusites from Jerusalem, allowing them to dwell there. The house of Joseph successfully captured Bethel through a spy, but Manasseh and Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites from numerous cities within their inheritance, instead allowing them to dwell among them and later subjecting them to tribute when Israel grew stronger. Similarly, Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali also permitted the Canaanites to remain in their territories, often resulting in the Canaanites becoming tributaries. The tribe of Dan was even forced into the mountains by the Amorites, though the house of Joseph eventually prevailed over some Amorite strongholds, making them tributaries. This chapter thus chronicles a period of partial conquest and increasing coexistence with the indigenous peoples, setting a precedent for future challenges.

Core Concepts

  • Judah's Leadership and ConquestAfter Joshua's death, Judah was divinely appointed to lead the initial military campaigns, achieving significant victories against the Canaanites and Perizzites, including the capture of Adonibezek and Jerusalem. Their early successes demonstrated the Lord's presence with them, though they faced limitations against iron chariots.
  • Incomplete DispossessionA recurring theme is the failure of most Israelite tribes to fully drive out the indigenous Canaanite inhabitants from their allotted territories. This partial conquest led to the Canaanites dwelling among the Israelites, contrary to divine command.
  • The Iron ChariotsThe presence of iron chariots among the Canaanites in the valleys presented a significant military challenge for the Israelites, specifically Judah, preventing them from completely dispossessing these inhabitants, despite the Lord being with them.
  • Tribute and CoexistenceAs a consequence of incomplete conquest, many tribes, upon gaining strength, subjected the remaining Canaanites to tribute rather than expelling them. This established a pattern of coexistence where the indigenous peoples lived among the Israelites.
  • Adonibezek's RetributionThe capture and mutilation of Adonibezek, who had previously inflicted similar cruelties upon seventy kings, serves as an example of divine justice. He acknowledged that God had requited him according to his deeds.
  • Caleb's Inheritance and Achsah's RequestCaleb, as promised by Moses, received Hebron as his inheritance and successfully drove out the Anakim. His daughter Achsah, upon marrying Othniel, shrewdly requested and received additional springs of water from her father, highlighting a practical concern for resources.