1-8. Wars of Judah and Simeon. Defeat of Adoni-bezek. Temporary capture of Jerusalem. Judges 1:9. Judah and Caleb drive the Anakim out of Hebron. Judges 1:11. Debir conquered by Othniel. Judges 1:14. The request of Achsah. Judges 1:16. Notice of the Kenites. Judges 1:17. Further successes of Judah.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW. — The “now” should rather be rendered _And,_ as in Leviticus 1:1; Numbers 1:1; Joshua 1:1; 1 Samuel 1:1; 2 Samuel 1:1; 2 Kings 1:1. The word connects this book with the last, “as a link in the chain of books which relate in unbroken connection the sacred history of the world from the Creation t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD SAID. — The answer is given to the priest by the Urim, and he announces it to the people. JUDAH SHALL GO UP. — The phrase _“_go up” is used in a military sense (Joshua 6:5). The question had not been, “Who shall be our leader?” but, “Which _tribe_ shall fight first?” The reason why Judah is... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO SIMEON HIS BROTHER. — Both Judah and Simeon were sons of Leah. It was natural that the two tribes should help one another, because their lots were conterminous; indeed, the lot of the Simeonites is said to lie “_within_ the inheritance of the children of Judah” (Joshua 19:1), and was given them... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JUDAH WENT UP. — Under the leadership of Caleb (Joshua 14:6). THE CANAANITES AND THE PERIZZITES. — See Genesis 13:7; Genesis 34:30. The former seem to have been _lowlanders_ — “by the sea and by the coast of Jordan” (Numbers 13:29), “on the east and on the west” (Joshua 11:3; Joshua 17:16). The... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY FOUND. — The expression perhaps alludes to the suddenness of their march, which enabled them to take the lord of Bezek by surprise. ADONI-BEZEK. — This is not a proper name, but a title, meaning “lord of Bezek,” as Adoni-zedek, in Joshua 10:1, and perhaps Melchi-zedek, in Genesis 14:18. THEY... [ Continue Reading ]
CUT OFF HIS THUMBS AND HIS GREAT TOES. — The cutting off of his thumbs would prevent him from ever again drawing a bow or wielding a sword. Romans who desired to escape conscription cut off their thumbs (Suet. _Aug._ 24). The cutting off of his great toes would deprive him of that speed which was so... [ Continue Reading ]
THREESCORE AND TEN KINGS. — The number might seem incredible, were it not that the title “king” was freely given to every petty Emir, and even to village Sheykhs. The “seventy” kings may have been the rulers of the towns which Adoni-bezek had taken in extending the territory of Bezek. Josephus says... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW. — Rather, _And._ HAD FOUGHT AGAINST JERUSALEM, AND HAD TAKEN IT. — Our version here most unwarrantably interpolates the word “_had,”_ meaning it perhaps as a sort of explanatory gloss to imply that the conquest took place before the fact mentioned in the last verse. If we are right in supposing... [ Continue Reading ]
WENT DOWN TO FIGHT. — “Went up” is the phrase applied to military expeditions (see Judges 1:2); “went down_”_ is the phrase for special battles (1 Samuel 26:10; 1 Samuel 29:4), like the Latin _descendere in aciem._ No doubt the phrase arose from the custom of always encamping on hills when it was po... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT DWELT IN HEBRON. — See Joshua 10:36. Hebron is midway between Jerusalem and Beersheba, and twenty miles from either. The first name of the city, which is one of the most ancient in the world (Numbers 13:22), was Mamre (Genesis 13:18), from the name of its chief (Genesis 14:24). It is now called... [ Continue Reading ]
DEBIR. — See Joshua 15:15; Joshua 15:49. In Joshua 10:38, its conquest is assigned to Joshua. The name means “the oracle.” It afterwards became a Levitic town. There seem to have been two other Debirs (Joshua 15:7; Joshua 13:26). This one is identified by Dr. Rosen with _Dewirban,_ near the spring _... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CALEB SAID. — See Joshua 15:16. Caleb was a “Kenizzite,” which seems to imply that he was descended from Kenaz, a grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:11). In Numbers 13:6 he is mentioned as being a prince (_nasi,_ or chief, _rosh_) of the tribe of Judah. He was certainly affiliated to that tribe; but i... [ Continue Reading ]
OTHNIEL. — Joshua 15:15. It is here added that he was Caleb’s younger brother. (See Judges 3:9.) The Hebrew may mean either that Othniel was “son of Kenaz and brother of Caleb” (in which case he married his niece); or “son of Kenaz, who was Caleb’s brother” (as in “Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN SHE CAME TO HIM. — When she first reached his house as a bride. SHE MOVED HIM. — He was too modest to ask for himself, and he declined her request; but she will not enter till she has gained her way. A FIELD. — Rather, _the field._ In the passage in Joshua 15:18 there is no definite article,... [ Continue Reading ]
A BLESSING — _i.e.,_ “a present” (Genesis 33:11). A SOUTH LAND. — The word also means “a dry and barren land” (Psalms 126:4). The LXX. read “hast given me (in marriage) into a south land.” SPRINGS OF WATER. — In thus asking for the fertile land which lay at the foot of the mountain slope, she show... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN OF THE KENITE, MOSES’ FATHER IN LAW. — It is difficult to disentangle the names Jethro, Reuel, or Raguel, and Hobab (Judges 4:11); but in my article on Jethro in Kitto’s _Bible Cyclopœdia_ I have shown that Jethro and Reuel are identical, the latter name (“friend of God”) being his loca... [ Continue Reading ]
ZEPHATH. — This name is only mentioned elsewhere in 2 Chronicles 14:10, as the scene of Asa’s battle with Zerah the Ethiopian. HORMAH — _i.e., “_a place devoted by ban.” The name _Chormah_ is derived from _Cherem_ (anathema or oan), and the verb rendered “utterly destroyed” means ‘executed the ban u... [ Continue Reading ]
TOOK GAZA... ASKELON... EKRON. — Three of the five Philistian lordships, to which the LXX. add Ashdod (Azotus). In Joshua 13:3 these five townships are mentioned as still _unconquered,_ and here the LXX. put in a negative — “Judah did _not_ inherit Gaza, _nor,”_ &c. St. Augustine had the same readin... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD WAS WITH JUDAH. — The Targum here has “The Word of the Lord.” The expression is frequently used to imply insured prosperity (Genesis 39:23; 1 Samuel 18:14; 2 Kings 18:7. Comp. Matthew 18:20). BUT. — Rather, _for_ (_kî_)_: i.e.,_ they only dispossessed their enemies of the mountain, for, &c... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBRON. — See Joshua 14:12; Joshua 15:13. AS MOSES SAID. — Numbers 14:21. It is remarkable that after this time Judah is only mentioned in Judges 10:9; Judges 15:10; Judges 20:18. The tribe produced no judge, with the possible exception of Ibzan (see Judges 12:8), nor is it mentioned in the song of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN OF BENJAMIN DID NOT DRIVE OUT THE JEBUSITES. — In Joshua 15:63 we find the same statement respecting the children of Judah. (See Judges 1:8.) Jerusalem was on the borders of Judah (Joshua 16:8) and Benjamin (Judges 18:28). It belongs more properly to the latter, but the conquest of Zion... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH. — Ephraim and Manasseh. The narrative now leaves the conquest of southern for that of central Palestine (Joshua 16, 17). BETH-EL. — The position of this town on the “highway” between Hebron and Shechem — the main thoroughfare of Palestine (Judges 20:31; Judges 21:19) — gave it g... [ Continue Reading ]
TO DESCRY BETH-EL. — The word perhaps implies a regular siege, and it is so understood by the LXX. (Cod. Alex.) and the Vulgate. LUZ. — We are also told that this was the original name of the city in Genesis 28:19; but there seems to be in that verse a distinction between the _city_ and the _place_... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIES. — Perhaps, rather, _the scouts_ of the blockading squadron. The Israelites, like most ancient nations, were little able to take cities by storm, and relied either on blockade or on internal treachery. SAW A MAN COME FORTH. — Probably he stole out secretly, and was seized by the scouts. S... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO THE LAND OF THE HITTITES. — Probably the inhabitants of Bethel belonged to this tribe of Canaanites. In Joshua 1:4 their name is used for all the inhabitants of Canaan, but probably it means the coastdwellers. They are often conjecturally classed with the inhabitants of Citium, in Cyprus. They... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER DID MANASSEH. — The sacred historian is glancing at the conquest of Canaan, advancing from the southern tribes upwards to central and northern Palestine. (See Joshua 17:11.) BETH-SHEAN. — The town to the walls of which the victorious Philistines nailed the bodies of Saul and Jonathan after t... [ Continue Reading ]
DID NOT UTTERLY DRIVE THEM OUT. — This is mentioned by way of blame, as the cause of their future sins and disasters (Judges 2:2; Josh. 16:16, Joshua 17:13). As to the morality of these exterminating wars, we must bear in mind that men and nations must alike be judged by the moral standard of their... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER DID EPHRAIM. — See Joshua 16:10. Gezer. — This town was not won from the Canaanites till its capture by Pharaoh, who gave it as a present to his daughter, the wife of Solomon (1 Kings 9:16).... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER DID ZEBULUN. — See Joshua 19:10. Nothing is known of the towns here mentioned. It is remarkable that Issachar is not mentioned, but it may perhaps be accounted for by the condition of contented subjection in which this tribe “bowed his shoulder to the yoke” (Genesis 49:14).... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER DID ASHER. — See Joshua 19:24. ACCHO. — The seaport so famous under the names of Ptolemais (Acts 21:7; 1Ma. 5:15; 1Ma. 10:1), Acre, and St. Jean d’Acre (now Acca). Josephus called it Ako (_Antt. ix._ 14, § 2). ZIDON. — (Joshua 11:8.) Asher never succeeded in conquering Zidon, which was the... [ Continue Reading ]
The Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites. — The change of phrase from Judges 1:30 implies that in these districts the Canaanites had the upper hand. Thus Asher reached the climax of degradation. The best summary of the moral lesson involved in the narrative is in Psalms 106:34 : “They did not destro... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER DID NAPHTALI. — See Joshua 19:32. Beth-shemesh. — The name means “house of the sun,” and the place was probably a great centre of Baal-worship; but this Beth-shemesh in Naphtali is not the same as Ir-shemesh (“city of the sun”) in Joshua 15:10, which was on the borders of Judah. It is the “m... [ Continue Reading ]
THE AMORITES. — They were the Highlanders of Palestine (Joshua 10:6; Numbers 13:29; Deuteronomy 1:44). FORCED. — Literally “squeezed” or “pressed.” FORCED THE CHILDREN OF DAN INTO THE MOUNTAIN. — The condition of this tribe was, therefore, the worst of all. So far from reducing under tribute the Ca... [ Continue Reading ]
MOUNT HERES. — (See Judges 1:33.) Cheres is used for the sun in Job 9:7. The Vatican Codex of the LXX. has the strange rendering, “in the mountains of potsherds” (comp. the Monte Testacclo at Rome), and Jerome follows them in reading תֶךֶש for תֶךֶס. The Alexandrian Codex renders it, “the mountain o... [ Continue Reading ]
THE COAST OF THE AMORITES. — This notice is added to account for the obstinate resistance of the Amorites, by showing the extent of their domain, which reached far to the south of Petra. Hazezon Tamar, “the sanctuary of the palm,” afterwards called Engedi, “the goat’s fountain,” belonged to them (Ge... [ Continue Reading ]