Bible Commentaries
Judges 1

Verse 1

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

(a) By the judgment of Urim; Read Exodus 28:30, Numbers 27:21, 1 Samuel 28:6

(b) Who shall be our captain?

Verse 3

1:3 And Judah said unto Simeon his {c} 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.

(c) For the tribe of Simeon had their inheritance within the tribe of Judah, Joshua 19:1.

Verse 6

1:6 But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and {d} cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

(d) This was God’s just judgment, as the tyrant himself confesses, that as he had done, so did he receive, Leviticus 24:19-20.

Verse 8

1:8 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 {e} city on fire.

(e) Which was later built again, and possessed by the Jebusites, 2 Samuel 5:6.

Verse 10

1:10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba:) and they slew {f} Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

(f) These three were giants, and the children of Anak.

Verse 14

1:14 And it came to pass, when she came [to him], that she moved him to ask of her father a field: {g} and she lighted from off [her] ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou?

(g) Read Joshua 15:18.

Verse 16

1:16 And the children of the {h} 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.

(h) This was one of the names of Moses father in law, read Numbers 10:29.

Verse 18

1:18 Also Judah took {i} Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.

(i) These cities and others were later possessed by the Philistines, 1 Samuel 6:17.

Verse 21

1:21 And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that {k} inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

(k) For after the tribe of Judah had burnt it, they built it again.

Verse 27

1:27 Neither 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: {l} but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

(l) Wherefore God permitted the Canaanites to still dwell in the land, read Jud 3:5.

Verse 30

1:30 Neither did {m} Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.

(m) That is, the tribe of Zebulun as is also to be understood of the rest.

Verse 32

1:32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them {n} out.

(n) But made them pay tribute as the others did.

Verse 35

1:35 But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the {o} hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries.

(o) Meaning, when he was stronger than they.

Verse 36

1:36 And the coast of the Amorites [was] from the going up to Akrabbim, from the {p} rock, and upward.

(p) Or Selah, which was a city in Arabia.