Judges 1:8

fought against Jerusalem, and took it Jerusalem was not taken till the time of David; this verse contradicts Judges 1:21 and the known course of history; see Judges 19:11 f.; 2 Samuel 5:6-9. We have here a late insertion, founded on a misunderstanding of Judges 1:7 b, and designed to explain how the Judahites came to carry the wounded chief to Jerusalem.

with the edge of the sword An expression often used in connexion with the exterminating wars against the Canaanites, e.g. Genesis 34:26; Exodus 17:13 JE, Deuteronomy 13:15 etc.

Judges 1:9 is merely a generalizing summary (cf. Joshua 9:1; Joshua 10:40 D) from the same hand as Judges 1:8, and from the same standpoint; note went down, i.e. from the high ground near Jerusalem.

in the hill country, and in the South, and in the lowland A summary description of the land of Judah, cf. Jeremiah 17:26; Jeremiah 32:44 etc. The entire central range of Palestine was called -the Highlands," lit. -the mountain" (Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 9:1); it was divided into the Highlands of Judah, of Ephraim, of Naphtali, Joshua 20:7; here the Highlands of Judah are meant. -The South," in Hebr. -the Negeb," i.e. -the dry land," was the tract of country S. of Hebron, between the Highlands and the desert which bounds the lower part of Palestine; it is sometimes called the Negeb of Judah, of the Kenites, of Caleb, etc. (Judges 1:10 ff., Judges 1:16; 1 Samuel 27:10; 1 Samuel 30:14). This -dry land" being in the south of Palestine, Negebcame to have the general meaning, -south." -The lowland," in Hebr. -the Shephçlah," is the region of low hills and plains on the W. and S.W. of Judah, sloping down from the Highlands to the sea; the list of Judaean cities in Joshua 15:33-47 indicates the extent of this district. For -Shephçlah" the original narrative uses the word -valley" in this chapter, Judges 1:19; Judges 1:34.