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Judges 1
The Book of Judges according to one opinion (Talmud, Avodah Zarah 21:a) is also know as "Sefer HaYashar", i.e. THE BOOK OF JASHER (2-Samuel 1:18). [Judges 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 [Judges 1:2] AND THE LORD SAID, JUDAH SHALL GO UP: BEHOLD, I HAVE DELIVERED THE LAND INTO HIS HAND. Judah was to go up first and lead the way. So now, Judah is leading the way in settling the land. [Judges 1:3] 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. Simeon joined forces with Judah. So too, nowadays a good portion from Simeon is to found amongst the Jews. [Judges 1:4] AND 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. [Judges 1:5] AND THEY FOUND ADONIBEZEK IN BEZEK: AND THEY FOUGHT AGAINST HIM, AND THEY SLEW THE CANAANITES AND THE PERIZZITES. <<ADONIBEZEK IN BEZEK>>: "ADONIBEZEK" i.e. The Lord of Bezek. There was a Bezek in the north in the territory of Ephraim (Samuel-1 11:18) but some say this was a different place by the same name. Others say that it was the same site and that Judah assisted Ephraim. [Judges 1:6] BUT ADONIBEZEK FLED; AND THEY PURSUED AFTER HIM, AND CAUGHT HIM, AND CUT OFF HIS THUMBS AND HIS GREAT TOES. [Judges 1:7] AND 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. As he had done to others so was done unto him. This principle of "measure for measure" is repeated several times in the Bible. [Judges 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 CITY ON FIRE. They destroyed Jerusalem which apparently was resettled by the heathen and had to be conquered again at a later stage. There is also an opinion (Daat Mikra) that there were two sections to Jerusalem a fortified one and an open spaced "suburban" section which is being referred to here. [Judges 1:9] 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. [Judges 1:10] AND 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. <<KIRJATHARBA>>: In Modern Hebrew, "Kiryat Arba". The name has been given to a Jewish settlement (8,000 people) approximately a mile away from the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. "Kiryat Arba" means "City of the Four". [Judges 1:11] AND FROM THENCE HE WENT AGAINST THE INHABITANTS OF DEBIR: AND THE NAME OF DEBIR BEFORE WAS KIRJATHSEPHER: <<KIRJATHSEPHER>>: In Modern Hebrew, "Kiryat Sepher". The name can be understood to mean "City of the Book". [Judges 1:12] AND CALEB SAID, HE THAT SMITETH KIRJATHSEPHER, AND TAKETH IT, TO HIM WILL I GIVE ACHSAH MY DAUGHTER TO WIFE. [Judges 1:13] AND OTHNIEL THE SON OF KENAZ, CALEB'S YOUNGER BROTHER, TOOK IT: AND HE GAVE HIM ACHSAH HIS DAUGHTER TO WIFE. <<OTHNIEL THE SON OF KENAZ>>: He was actually the son of Yephuneh from the family of Kenaz. [Judges 1:14] AND 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? [Judges 1:15] 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. [Judges 1:16] AND 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. <<THE CHILDREN OF THE KENITE>>: According to tradition part of the Kenites merged with the Israelites. The Commentator Rashi said that these were exiled with the Lost Ten Tribes and will return with them. Another section of Kenites remained separate. The Druse may be descended from them. [Judges 1:17] AND 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. [Judges 1:18] ALSO JUDAH TOOK GAZA WITH THE COAST THEREOF, AND ASKELON WITH THE COAST THEREOF, AND EKRON WITH THE COAST THEREOF. <<GAZA>> should belong to Judah. Gaza, Askelon (Ashkelon), and Ekron later became major cities of the Philistines. [Judges 1:19] AND 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. Some people say that all these events took place in the "Bronze" Age and that iron was not in use. Egyptian illustration however show tools coloured blue, thought to mean iron or steel, and remains of an iron mine have been found in the region of el-Taga, west of the Red Sea. [Judges 1:20] AND THEY GAVE HEBRON UNTO CALEB, AS MOSES SAID: AND HE EXPELLED THENCE THE THREE SONS OF ANAK. [Judges 1:21] 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. [Judges 1:22] AND THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH, THEY ALSO WENT UP AGAINST BETHEL: AND THE LORD WAS WITH THEM. <<BETHEL>>: In Modern Hebrew Beth-el meaning "The House of God". [Judges 1:23] AND THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH SENT TO DESCRY BETHEL. (NOW THE NAME OF THE CITY BEFORE WAS LUZ [Judges 1:24] 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. [Judges 1:25] AND 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. [Judges 1:26] 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. [Judges 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: BUT THE CANAANITES WOULD DWELL IN THAT LAND. [Judges 1:28] AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN ISRAEL WAS STRONG, THAT THEY PUT THE CANAANITES TO TRIBUTE, AND DID NOT UTTERLY DRIVE THEM OUT. The Israelites were to intermix with the Canaanites and learn their ways. That was the reason the Ten Tribes were exiled (2-Kings 17). Even in their places of exile we still find Canaanite customs amongst the Celtic Druids. The Anglo-Saxons in Europe were recorded as worshipping "Ashtoreth" a Canaanite goddess. We may (or may not) all have some Canaanite blood in addition to our Israelite ancestry. [Judges 1:29] NEITHER DID EPHRAIM DRIVE OUT THE CANAANITES THAT DWELT IN GEZER; BUT THE CANAANITES DWELT IN GEZER AMONG THEM. [Judges 1:30] NEITHER DID ZEBULUN DRIVE OUT THE INHABITANTS OF KITRON, NOR THE INHABITANTS OF NAHALOL; BUT THE CANAANITES DWELT AMONG THEM, AND BECAME TRIBUTARIES. [Judges 1:31] NEITHER 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: [Judges 1:32] BUT THE ASHERITES DWELT AMONG THE CANAANITES, THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND: FOR THEY DID NOT DRIVE THEM OUT. [Judges 1:33] NEITHER 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. [Judges 1:34] AND THE AMORITES FORCED THE CHILDREN OF DAN INTO THE MOUNTAIN: FOR THEY WOULD NOT SUFFER THEM TO COME DOWN TO THE VALLEY: [Judges 1:35] BUT 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. [Judges 1:36] AND THE COAST OF THE AMORITES WAS FROM THE GOING UP TO AKRABBIM, FROM THE ROCK, AND UPWARD. |