Judges 1

Judges 1:1-8

This chapter informs us what progress the several tribes of Israel made in the reducing of Canaan after the death of Joshua. 1. The united tribes of Judah and Simeon took Bezek, Jerusalem, Hebron, Dohir, Horina, Gawa, and other places, ver. 1—19. Yet where there were chariots of iron their hearts failed them, ver. 19. Mention is made of the Kenites settling among them, ver. 16. 2. The other tribes, in comparison with these, did but little. (1.) Benjamin failed, ver. 21. (2.) The house of Joseph took Beth-el, ver. 22—26. but in other places did not improve their advantages, nor Manasseh, ver. 27, 28, nor Ephraim, ver. 29. (3.) Zebulon spared the Canaanites, ver. 30. (4.) After did not make them even tributary, ver. 31, 32. (5.) Naphtali was kept out of the full possession of several of his cities, ver. 33. (6.) Dan was strained by the Amritites, ver. 34.

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? 2. And the LORD said, ‘Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. 3. And 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. 4. And Judah went up, and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they flew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. 5. And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and

they fought against him, and they flew the Canaanites, and the Perizzites. 6. But Adoni-bezek fled, and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. 7. And Adoni-bezek said, ‘Therefore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, I gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath required me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died. 8. (Now 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.)

After Joshua’s death, the children of Israel multiplying, began to think of enlarging their borders, by a farther extirpation of the Canaanites. On which,

1. They consult the Lord which tribe should go up, and he, by an articulate voice, which was probably the way of answering by Urim and Thummim, commands Judah to begin, with assurance of success. He which was most honourable, most numerous, and first provided for, must lead the way for his brethren’s encouragement. Note, (1.) They who have the place of honour must maintain it, by being first to do God’s work. (2.) Where God gives the best abilities he expects proportionable service. (3.) Confidence of success gives courage for the battle. (4.) Though the victory is God’s gift, the warfare must be ours.

2. Judah hereupon mutters his armies, and as Simeon was his brother by the same mother, as well as father, and their lots lay together, he collects his assistance, and promises in return to shew him the same brotherly kindness. Note, (1.) We must seek to assist one another, and strengthen the hands of our

S f f brethren

Before Choir brethren in their warfare against the enemy of souls. (2.) God will help those with his grace, who help one another in love.

3. Their success is recorded. The Lord delivered their enemies into their hands; the army of the Canaanites was routed, ten thousand Slain in Bezek, the field of battle, or a city so called, and their king Adombezek taken prisoner, as he was attempting to escape. His barbarity to others returns now on his own head. As he had, during the course of his reign, thus served seventy other captive kings, his great toes and thumbs are cut off; and the justice of this judgment of God again him he is forced to acknowledge. They brought him to Jerusalem, where with grief, or of his wounds, he quickly died. Nite, (1.) God often repays the wicked in their own coin. (2.) The proudest are not too high for God to humble; let kings remember they are in slippery places. (3.) When God’s judgments awaken the conscience, we shall own his righteousness, and stand self-condemned before him.

4. Notice is taken of the conquest of Jerusalem: some, as our transfusions, regard it as a pall translation; others, as now achieved. That it was in part in the pollution of the children of Judah, seems pretty evident, from 7:9b. av. 63. Perhaps during their wars it was neglected, and so inhabited by the Jebusites, who are now the second time dispossessed of the city, though they held the citadel till the time of David. Nite, Though the believer’s enemies struggle long and hard, yet their end will be, to be rooted out at the left.

5. ¶ 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. 10. And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron, (now the name of Hebron before our Kirjath-arba) and they flew ‘Shefhai, and Ahiman, and Talmud. 11. And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir (and the name of Debir before our Kirjath-sepher). 12. And Caleb Said, He that imiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, ’to him will I give Achish my daughter to wife. 13. And Othuid the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achish his daughter to wife. 14. And it came to pals, when she came to don, 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? 15. 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. 16. ¶ And the children of the Kenites, Mohel’s 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 Atad, and they went and dwelt among the people. 17. And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they flew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it: (and the name of the city was called Hebraah). 18. Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Athelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof. 19. And the LORD was with Judah, and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain, but ‘could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had ‘charism of iron: 20. And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moies laid: and he expelled thence ’the three sons of Atad.

6. 9—20. We have here, 1. A farther account of Judah and Simeon’s success against the Canaanites in the valley, to which they went down from Jerusalem; and here is inferred Caleb’s conquest of Hebron, which was either now first made, and mentioned before by anticipation; or rather it was performed by Caleb, with the assistance of his brethren, and is mentioned here among the exploits of Judah, because Caleb belonged to that tribe. Simeon too, with Judah’s assistance, took Zephath, and destroyed it, as also three of the Philistine cities; but by neglecting to stay the inhabitants, they afterwards left them, and for many years felt the scourge of their disobedience, in the sufferings they endured under the Philistine rules. The inhabitants of part of the valley also were suffered to remain quiet. Their charism of iron discouraged Judah; and, as a punishment for such unbelief, God left them for a scourge. Nite, (1.) They who do the work of the Lord unfaithfully, will surely impart for it. (2.) The neglect of a favourable opportunity can oft-times never be recovered. (3.) Unbelief of God’s premises is the cause of all our complaints under the prevalence of sin. 2. The Kenites, the posterity of Jethro by Hobab, who came up with Israel into Canaan, and settled at first around Jericho, removed now into the lot of Judah; and, as they were permitted to chuse their abode, they fixed on the wilderness of Judah, where was pasture for their cattle, and which

also best suited their love of solitude. Nite, They who will singly share with God’s Israel in their sufferings in the wilderness, shall share also with them the inheritance in glory.

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. 22. ¶ And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el; and the LORD was with them. 23. And the house of Joseph sent to ‘desert Beth-el: (now the name of the city before our Luz). 24. And 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. 25. And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they found the city with the edge of the sword: but they let go the man and all his family. 26. And 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. 27. ¶ Neither did Manalleh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-Shean and her towns, nor Taanich and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dar and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibizan and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. 28. And it came to pals when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to Tributes, and did not at terly drive them out. 29. ¶ Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. 30. ¶ Neither did Zebulon drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol: but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries. 31. ¶ Neither did Ather drive out the inhabitants of Aceho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor Achzib, nor Helbah, nor Aphik, nor of Rehab: 32. But the Atherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out. 33. ¶ Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributaries unto them. 34. And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley. 35. But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalibim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries. 36. And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabinim, from the rock, and upward.

22. 21—30. The success of the other tribes was not equal to the example set them. Benjamin neglected to conquer the part of Jerusalem, (which seems to have been a separate latter) from that taken by the men of Judah which fell to his lot. The house of Joseph did a little, yet nothing great as might have been expected, when it is laid the Lord was with them. By the help of one of the inhabitants, who, on promise of life and liberty, conducted them into a part of the city which was not guarded, they imported Beth-el, but neglected to improve their success. The Canaanites were permitted to dwell in several cities in the lot of Manalleh, though they were made tributary; and, in Ephraim, Gezer seems to have maintained its freedom. Zebulon followed their evil examples, and rather chose to subject than destroy the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol. Ather still more butely yielded to dwell among the Canaanites, and left many towns in their possession; so that they were rather harpets than matters. Naphtali was negligent in the rest, and contained himself with making Beth-Shemesh and Beth-anath tributary. Dan fared well of all. The Amorites making had against him, not only kept their possession, but threatened him in that part of the lot which was conquered, and, by the assistance of his brethren of the house of Joseph, they were at last reduced, and became tributary. From the whole we may only say, that God had eventually, unbelief of God’s power, and want of destruction of idolatry, were still too rooted in this that checked people; yet God bore with them; yet shewed them. Nite, Though the remainder of evil still was within us, and we suffer for them, yet God doth not cast away his people, but multiplies his pardons and mercies towards them.

CHAP.