Judges 1
ECFJudges 1:1
Eusebius of Caesarea: And in the Book of Joshua, son of Nave, when the land of promise was divided by lot among the other tribes, the tribe of Judah took its own portion of the land without casting lots, and first of all. And, moreover, “After the death of Joshua the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanite, leading our fighting against him? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up. Behold, I have given the land into his hands.” These words, then, make it clear that God ordained the tribe of Judah to be the head of all Israel, and the account goes on: “And Judah went up, and the Lord delivered the Canaanite and Perizzite into his hand.” And also: “And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it, and the sons of Judah came down from fighting against the Canaanite.” And again: “And Judah went up with Symeon, his brother.” And then: “And the Lord was with Judah, and gave him the Mount as his portion.” And after this: “And the sons of Joseph went up, they also who were in Bethel, and Judah with them.” And in the Book of Judges, when different men at different times were at the head of the people, though individually the Judges were of different tribes, yet speaking generally the tribe of Judah was head of the whole people, and much more so in the times of David and his successors, who belonged to the tribe of Judah, and continued to rule until the Babylonian Captivity, after which the leader of those who returned from Babylon to their own land was Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, of the tribe of Judah, who also built the Temple. Hence, too, the Book of Chronicles, when giving the genealogies of the twelve tribes of Israel, begins with Judah. And you will see it follows from this that, in the days that succeeded, the same tribe had the headship, although different individuals had temporary leadership, whose tribes it is impossible to decide with accuracy, because there is no sacred book handed down to give the history of the period from then to the time of our Saviour. — THE PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 8.1
Augustine of Hippo: And it came to pass, after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, Who shall come up with us as a commander to the Canaanites to fight with them? And the Lord answered, Judah shall go up; Look, I’ve put the country in your hands. " Here arises the question of whether there was a man named Judah or if he called the tribe of Judah itself, as is usually done. Those who consulted the Lord after the death of Joshua looked for a leader, so some think that it is clearly the name of a man. Now, as the Scripture does not usually name the chiefs, when it speaks of them, without also mentioning the origin of their fathers, and it is clear that after the death of Joshua the people of Israel had their leaders, the first of whom was Gotoniel, son of Cener, is more accurate to say that, under the name of Judah, the tribe of Judah is understood. For this tribe, in fact, the Lord wanted to start crushing the Canaanites. And as the people consulted about their leader, the Lord’s response helped them to know that God did not want all the people to make war with the Canaanites. And that’s why he told them: Judah will go up. And the Scripture continues the narration: And Judah said to his brother Simeon. It is clear that one tribe speaks to another tribe, since those sons of Jacob, called Judah and Simeon, were no longer living among their other brothers, also designated by their own names. And the tribe of Judah said to the tribe of Simeon: Go up with me to the land that has been my lot, and let us make war with the Canaanites, and I will go with you to the land that has been your lot. It is evident that the tribe of Judah asked another tribe for help to return it when that tribe also began to need it in their territory. — QUESTIONS ON JUDGES, Q. 2 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)
Judges 1:9
Augustine of Hippo: And Caleb said: “Whosoever beats the City of letters and takes it, and I will give my daughter Acsa for a wife.” This was also mentioned in the book of Joshua Nave (Cf Joshua 15,16). But one can rightly ask if this happened while still living Joshua, and it is repeated now as a recapitulation, or happened after his death, when it had already been said: Judah will go up, and Judah had already begun to make war on the Canaanites , in whose war all these things are narrated as happened. But it is more likely that it happened after the death of Joshua, and then this is mentioned, as other things are also, by prolepsis, that is, by anticipation. Now, in exposing the actions of the tribe of Judah against the Canaanites, the order of the narrative remains thus among the remaining warlike acts of Judah, of whom the Lord had said after the death of Joshua: Judah will rise. And then the sons of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites who lived in the mountain and in the south and in the field. And Judah marched against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron, and Hebron came forth from the opposite side-the name of Hebron before was Cariatharbocsepher-and defeated Shesi and Akiman and Kolmi, sons of Enac. From there they went up against the inhabitants of Dabir - the name of Dabir was before City of letters. And Caleb said: “Whoever defeats the City of letters and takes it, and I will give my daughter Acsa for a woman” (Jc 1.9-12). It is in this clear order of events that these events took place after the death of Joshua. But then, when mentioning the cities given to Caleb, the narrator, advancing as the opportunity presents itself, anticipates what happened next. For the rest, I think that the Scripture has not intended to mention without reason twice the fact that Caleb was willing to give his daughter as a prize to the winner. — QUESTIONS ON JUDGES, Q. 3 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)
Judges 1:15
Gregory the Dialogist: Compunction is divided into many kinds: to wit, when every sin is of penitent men in particular bewailed: whereof the prophet Jeremy, in the person of penitent sinners, speaketh thus: Mine eye hath brought forth divisions of waters. But speaking more properly, there be especially two kinds of compunction: for the soul that thirsteth after God is first sorrowful in heart for fear, and afterward upon love. For first it is grieved and weepeth, because, calling to mind former sins committed, it feareth to endure for punishment of them everlasting torments: but when long anxiety and sorrow hath banished away that fear, then a certain security of the hope of pardon doth follow: and so the soul is inflamed with the love of heavenly delights, and whereas before it did weep for fear of eternal pain, afterward it poureth out tears, that it is kept from everlasting joys. For the soul doth then contemplate those glittering quires of Angels, that heavenly company of those blessed spirits, that great majesty of the eternal beholding the face of God; and doth lament so much more now, because it wanteth that everlasting felicity, than it wept before at the fear of eternal punishment. Which thing in scripture is mystically set down, in an holy and true history: for there we read how Axa, the daughter of Caleb, riding upon an ass, did sigh: and when her father demanded what the matter was, she answered him thus: Give me your blessings a southern and dry land you have given me, join also a watery: and he gave her a watery ground above and beneath. For Axa then rideth upon the ass, when our soul doth subdue and govern the sensual motions of the flesh: which sighing doth crave wet ground of her father, when it doth with contrition and sorrow of heart desire of our Creator the grace of tears and weeping. For some there be, upon whom God hath bestowed such a gift, that they will speak freely in defence of justice, help them that be oppressed, give alms to the poor, and be zealous in religion, but yet have they not obtained the grace of tears: these be they, that have ground towards the south, and that which is dry: but yet do they want that which is moist and wet: because, albeit they be diligent and fervent in good works, yet requisite it is that they should also, either for fear of hell or the love of heaven, bewail the sins of their life past. But because, as I said, there be two kinds of compunction, therefore her father gave her that which was wet above and also wet beneath: for our soul doth then receive that which is wet above, when it is grieved, and doth weep for the desire of heaven; and it doth then possess that which is wet beneath, when it is afraid, and poureth forth tears for the fear of hell fire: and albeit that which is wet beneath is bestowed upon our soul, before that which is wet above, yet because the compunction of love is the more excellent, convenient it was that the ground which was wet above should be first named, and afterward that which was wet beneath. — Dialogues, Book 3, Chapter 34
Judges 1:18
Augustine of Hippo: But Judah did not conquer Gaza and its district, nor Ascalón and its district, nor Accarón and its region, nor Azoto and its region. And the Lord was with Judah. And he conquered the mountain, because he could not conquer the inhabitants of the valley, because Rekab confronted them and had iron chariots. When discussing in the book of Joshua Nave the passage that says: And the Lord gave Israel all the earth, (Joshua 21,43 41) when many of its regions still did not possess them, I said that the fact that they had been given all the land could be understood in the sense that the land that was not given them in possession, was given them as a test. This appears here much more clearly, since the cities are mentioned that Judah could not conquer, and, nevertheless, it is said that the Lord was with Judah. He conquered the mountain, because they could not conquer the inhabitants of the valley. Who does not understand, therefore, that this also has something to do with the fact that the Lord was with Judah, so that he would not be arrogant, suddenly getting all the territory? With respect to what follows: For Rekab confronted them and had iron chariots it has been said that he feared the chariots, but not the Lord who was in Judah, but the tribe of Judah itself. If we inquire why Judah was afraid, with whom the Lord was, we should interpret prudently that God, even being propitious, destroys even in the hearts of his people the superabundance of excessive prosperity to turn enemies to their own advantage, not only when the enemies are defeated, but also when they are feared: the first, to reveal the divine generosity; the second, to suppress human pride. Because, evidently, the enemy of the saints is the angel of Satan, who, as the Apostle says, was given to him to slap him, so that he would not be enraged by the magnitude of the revelations (Cf 2Co 12,7). — QUESTIONS ON JUDGES, Q. 5 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)
Judges 1:20
Augustine of Hippo: And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses said. And he conquered from there the three cities of the children of Enac and expelled from there the three children of Enac. This was already said in the book of Joshua Nave (Cf Joshua 15,13.14), because it happened living him. But here it is recapitulated by recapitulation, when speaking the Scripture of the tribe of Judah, to which Caleb belonged. — QUESTIONS ON JUDGES, Q. 6 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)
Judges 1:21
Augustine of Hippo: We ask why it is said: The sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; and the Jebusites dwelt in Jerusalem with the children of Benjamin to this day, when it is read above that that city was conquered by Judah and set on fire, killing the Jebusites in it (Cf Jc 1,8.). We must know that this city was common to the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, as Josué Nave’s own division of the territories shows. (Cf Joshua 15,63; 18,28) The city of Jebus is the same as Jerusalem (Cf Jc 19,10). Therefore, these two tribes remained by the temple of the Lord, when the others, except Levi, who was the priestly tribe, and received no territory in the division, separated from the kingdom of Judah in the time of Jeroboam. One must therefore think that Judah certainly conquered the city and burned it down, killing the people who were there, but not all the Jebusites died, either because they were outside the city, or because they were able to flee. And the children of Benjamin, together with those of the tribe of Judah, who had that city in common, lived in it together with the Jebusites that were left and which they tolerated. Therefore, the phrase: The sons of Benjamin did not expel the Jebusites, it must be understood in the sense that they could not or did not want to make them tributary. Or at least, the phrase: They did not expel the Jebusites, it means that Benjamin did not possess without them the territory that belonged to them. — QUESTIONS ON JUDGES, Q. 7 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)
Judges 1:27
Augustine of Hippo: And Manasseh did not conquer Betan, which is the city of the Scythians. It is said that the city is called today Escitópolis. You can call attention to how in those regions so distant from Scythia could be called the city of Scythians. But it can also draw our attention how Alexander the Macedonian could found the city of Alexandria so far from Macedonia, which he certainly did, waging war far and wide. So also the Scythians could found this city when they were advancing the war then in remote places. For in Universal History it is read that at some point the Scythians almost dominated all of Asia when they confronted the king of the Egyptians, who had declared war on them for no reason, and he, scared before his arrival, took refuge in his kingdom. — QUESTIONS ON JUDGES, Q. 8 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)
Augustine of Hippo: And Manasseh did not conquer Betan, which is the city of the Scythians, nor his daughters. The author calls his daughters to the cities that she as a metropolis had founded. — QUESTIONS ON JUDGES, Q. 9 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)
Judges 1:28
Augustine of Hippo: And it happened that, when Israel acquired more strength, it subjected the Canaanites to tribute, but it did not manage to expel them completely. A similar thing had already been said in Josué Nave’s book with almost the same words (Cf Joshua 17,13). Therefore, either here it is said by anacephaleosis (recapitulation), or there it was said by prolepsis, that is, either here by recapitulation or there in advance. — QUESTIONS ON JUDGES, Q. 10 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)
Judges 1:29
Gregory the Dialogist: For the stars of this night are overshadowed with darkness, when even they that already shine with great virtues, still bear something of the dimness of sin, while they struggle against it, so that they even shine with great lustre of life, and yet still draw along with unwillingness some remains of the night. Which as we have said is done with this view, that the mind in advancing to the eminence of its righteousness, may through weakness be the better strengthened, and may in a more genuine manner shine in goodness by the same cause, whereby, to the humbling of it, little defects overcloud it even against its will. And hence when the land of promise now won was to be divided to the people of Israel, the Gentile people of Canaan are not said to be slain, but to be made tributary to the tribe of Ephraim; as it is written, “The Canaanites dwelt in the midst of Ephraim under tribute.” For what does the Canaanite, a Gentile people, denote saving a fault? And oftentimes we enter the land of promise with great virtues, because we are strengthened by the inward hope that regards eternity. But while, amidst lofty deeds, we retain certain small faults, we as it were permit the Canaanite to dwell in our land. Yet he is made tributary, in that this same fault, which we cannot bring under, we force back by humility to answer the end of our wellbeing, that the mind may think meanly of itself even in its highest excellencies, in proportion as it fails to master by its own strength even the small things that it aims at. — Morals on the Book of Job 4.24
Judges 1:34
Bede: “The waters increased and elevated the ark high above the earth. And the waters drenched the earth, filling it and covering everything.” The increased waters of baptism and faith also elevated the church throughout the world from an appetite for earthly things to the hope and desire for heavenly life. Hence, tossing the church about with great tribulations, the more vigorously these waters fill the earth, the higher they push it toward seeking the joys of the other life. This is well illustrated in sacred history when it is said, “The Amorites held the children of Dan to the mountains, nor did they permit them to descend to the plains.” Amorite, of course, means “bitter,” whereas Dan is translated as “judge” or “judgment.” Who do the children of Dan designate, therefore, if not those who act with diligence that they may be upright, study the book of truth and vow and resolve to observe the revelation of God’s justice, walking by the lamp of his Word? On the other hand, who is indicated by the Amorites if not those who attempt to disturb or even to destroy the sweetness of the life of the saints with the bitterness of tribulations? The Amorites hold the children of Dan to the mountains, nor permit them to descend to the plains, when so great a storm afflicts the elect with persecutions that there is no time for them to indulge in timid thoughts, but they must work hard continuously with prayers, fastings, and meditations on the divine Scriptures, while living in the highest continence, since they will be able to overcome the struggles of great trials only by the exercise of greater virtue. — Commentary on Genesis 2.7
Augustine of Hippo: And the Amorites rejected the sons of Dan to the mountain, because they were not allowed to go down into the valley. This was also mentioned in the book of Joshua Nave in advance, (Cf Joshua 19,47 48) or here by recapitulation. — QUESTIONS ON JUDGES, Q. 11 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)