Judges 1

Judges 1:1

After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”

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Judges 1:2

“Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.”

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Judges 1:3

Then the men of Judah said to their brothers the Simeonites, “Come up with us to our allotted territory, and let us fight against the Canaanites. And we likewise will go with you to your territory.” So the Simeonites went with them.

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Judges 1:4

When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.

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Judges 1:5

And there they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, striking down the Canaanites and Perizzites.

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Judges 1:6

As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

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Judges 1:7

Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.

Judges 1:7 · BSB

their thumbs Heb. the thumbs of their hands and of their feet , This was not an unusual act of cruelty in ancient times towards enemies. . Alian informs us , that in after ages "the Athenians , at the instigation of Cleon , son of Cleoenetus , made a decree that all the inhabitants of the island of Agina should have the thumb cut off from the right hand , so that they might ever after be disabled from holding a spear , yet might handle an oar." It was a custom among those Romans who did not like a military life , to cut off their thumbs , that they might be incapable of serving in the army; and for the same reason , parents sometimes cut off the thumbs of their children.

gathered or , gleaned

Judges 1:8

Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

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Judges 1:9

Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the foothills.

Judges 1:9 · BSB

valley or , low country

Judges 1:10

Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

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Judges 1:11

From there they marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).

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Judges 1:12

And Caleb said, "To the man who strikes down Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage."

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to him In ancient times fathers assumed an absolute right over their children , especially in disposing of them in marriage; and it was customary for a king or great man to promise his daughter in marriage to him who should take a city , etc.

Judges 1:13

So Othniel son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz captured the city, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.

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Judges 1:14

One day Acsah came to Othniel and urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What do you desire?"

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and she lighted Watitznach , "she hastily or suddenly alighted ," as if she had forgotten something , or was about to return.

Judges 1:15

"Give me a blessing," she answered. "Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well." So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.

Judges 1:15 · BSB

a south land Which was probably dry , or very ill watered.

give me also springs of water Let me have some fields with brooks , or wells already digged.

Judges 1:16

Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live among the people.

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Judges 1:17

Then the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. So it was called Hormah.

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Judges 1:18

And Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron—each with its territory.

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Also Judah There is the following remarkable variation here in the Septuagint .

Judges 1:19

The LORD was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plains because they had chariots of iron.

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he drave etc. or he possessed the mountain

Judges 1:20

Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak.

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Judges 1:21

The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.

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Judges 1:22

The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them.

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Judges 1:23

They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),

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Judges 1:24

and when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.”

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Judges 1:25

So the man showed them the entrance to the city, and they put the city to the sword but released that man and all his family.

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Judges 1:26

And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

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Judges 1:27

At that time Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.

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Judges 1:28

When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.

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Judges 1:29

Ephraim also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; so the Canaanites continued to dwell among them in Gezer.

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Judges 1:30

Zebulun failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced laborers.

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Kitron The Talmudists say Kitron is "tzippor ," that is , Sepphoris , or Diocesarea , a celebrated city of Galilee , now the village Safoury , situated in the plain of Esdraelon , twenty miles . north-west from Tiberias , according to Benjamin of Tudela.

Judges 1:31

Asher failed to drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob.

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Accho Accho , the Ptolemais of the Greeks and Romans , and called Saint John of Acre by the Crusaders , is situated on the Mediterranean , in a fine plain , at the north angle of a bay to which it gives name , and which extends in a semicircle of three leagues as far as Carmel , and nine leagues from Tyre.

Zidon Another celebrated city of Phoenicia , now Saide , situated in a fine country on the Mediterranean , 400 stadia from Berytus , and 200 . north from Tyre , according to Strabo , one day's journey from Paneas , according to Josephus , and sixty-six miles from Damascus , according to Abulfeda.

Achzib Or , Ecdippa , now Zib , nine miles north , from Accho.

Judges 1:32

So the Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive them out.

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Judges 1:33

Naphtali failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. So the Naphtalites also lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath served them as forced laborers.

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Judges 1:34

The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain.

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Judges 1:35

And the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph grew in strength, they pressed the Amorites into forced labor.

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prevailed Heb. was heavy

Judges 1:36

And the border of the Amorites extended from the Ascent of Akrabbim to Sela and beyond.

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