1[1] Aconteció después de la muerte de Josué,[2] que los hijos de Israel hicieron esta consulta a Jehová:[3] --¿Quién de nosotros subirá primero a pelear contra los cananeos? 2Jehová respondió: --Judá subirá; porque yo he entregado la tierra en sus manos. 3Judá dijo a su hermano Simeón:[4] "Sube conmigo al territorio que se me ha adjudicado[5] y peleemos contra el cananeo; y yo también iré contigo al tuyo". Y Simeón fue con él. 4Judá subió, y Jehová entregó en sus manos al cananeo y al ferezeo, e hirieron de ellos en Bezec[6] a diez mil hombres. 5Hallaron a Adoni-bezec[7] en Bezec, pelearon contra él y derrotaron al cananeo y al ferezeo. 6Adoni-bezec huyó, pero ellos lo persiguieron, lo prendieron, y le cortaron los pulgares de las manos[8] y de los pies. 7Entonces dijo Adoni-bezec: "Setenta[9] reyes, con los pulgares de sus manos y de sus pies cortados, recogían las migajas debajo de mi mesa. Como yo hice, así me ha pagado Dios". Luego lo llevaron a Jerusalén, donde murió. 8Atacaron los hijos de Judá a Jerusalén y la tomaron, pasaron a sus habitantes a filo de espada y pusieron fuego a la ciudad.[10] 9Después, los hijos de Judá descendieron para pelear contra el cananeo que habitaba en las montañas, en el Neguev[11] y en los llanos.[12] 10Judá marchó contra el cananeo que habitaba en Hebrón, la cual se llamaba antes Quiriat-arba;[13] e hirieron a Sesai, a Ahimán y a Talmai.[14] 11De allí fue contra los que habitaban en Debir,[15] que antes se llamaba Quiriat-sefer. 12Entonces dijo Caleb: "Al que ataque a Quiriat-sefer y la tome, yo le daré a Acsa, mi hija, por mujer". 13La tomó Otoniel hijo de Cenaz, hermano menor de Caleb, y este le entregó a su hija Acsa por mujer. 14Cuando ella se iba con él, Otoniel la persuadió[16] para que pidiera a su padre un campo. Acsa se bajó del asno, y Caleb le preguntó: --¿Qué tienes? 15Ella le respondió: --Concédeme un don; puesto que me has dado tierra del Neguev, dame también fuentes de aguas. Entonces Caleb le dio las fuentes de arriba y las fuentes de abajo.[17] 16Y los hijos del ceneo,[18] suegro de Moisés, subieron de la ciudad de las palmeras[19] con los hijos de Judá al desierto de Judá, que está en el Neguev, cerca de Arad,[20] y habitaron con el pueblo. 17Salió, pues, Judá con su hermano Simeón, y derrotaron al cananeo que habitaba en Sefat,[21] la asolaron y le pusieron por nombre Horma.[22] 18Tomó también Judá a Gaza con su territorio, a Ascalón con su territorio y a Ecrón con su territorio.[23] 19Y Jehová estaba con Judá, quien expulsó a los de las montañas, pero no pudo expulsar a los que habitaban en los llanos, los cuales tenían carros de hierro.[24] 20Como Moisés había dicho, dieron Hebrón a Caleb. Este expulsó de allí a los tres hijos de Anac,[25] 21pero al jebuseo, que habitaba en Jerusalén, no lo expulsaron los hijos de Benjamín, y el jebuseo ha habitado con los hijos de Benjamín en Jerusalén hasta hoy.[26] 22También la casa de José[27] subió contra Bet-el; y Jehová estaba con ellos. 23Puso la casa de José espías en esa ciudad, que antes se llamaba Luz.[28] 24Los que espiaban vieron a un hombre que salía de allí y le dijeron: "Muéstranos ahora la entrada de la ciudad y tendremos de ti misericordia". 25Así lo hizo, y ellos hirieron la ciudad a filo de espada, pero dejaron ir a aquel hombre con toda su familia. 26Él se fue a la tierra de los heteos[29] y edificó una ciudad a la cual llamó Luz. Y este es su nombre hasta hoy. 27Tampoco Manasés expulsó a los de Bet-seán ni a los de sus aldeas, ni a los de Taanac y sus aldeas, ni a los de Dor y sus aldeas, ni a los habitantes de Ibleam y sus aldeas, ni a los que vivían en Meguido y en sus aldeas; y el cananeo persistía en habitar en aquella tierra. 28Cuando Israel se sintió fuerte, hizo tributario al cananeo, pero no lo expulsó.[30] 29Tampoco Efraín expulsó al cananeo que habitaba en Gezer, sino dejó que el cananeo habitara en medio de ellos.[31] 30Tampoco Zabulón expulsó a los que habitaban en Quitrón, ni a los que habitaban en Naalal, sino que el cananeo habitó en medio de él y le fue tributario.[32] 31Tampoco Aser expulsó a los que habitaban en Aco, ni a los que vivían en Sidón, en Ahlab, en Aczib, en Helba, en Afec y en Rehob. 32Y vivió Aser entre los cananeos que habitaban en la tierra, pues no los expulsó.[33] 33Tampoco Neftalí expulsó a los que vivían en Bet-semes ni a los de Bet-anat, sino que vivió entre los cananeos que habitaban en la tierra; pero le fueron tributarios los habitantes de Bet-semes y los de Bet-anat.[34] 34Los amorreos empujaron a los hijos de Dan hasta la montaña, y no los dejaron descender a los llanos.[35] 35El amorreo persistió en habitar en el monte de Heres, en Ajalón[36] y en Saalbim, pero cuando la casa de José cobró fuerzas, lo hizo tributario. 36El límite del amorreo[37] fue desde la subida de Acrabim,[38] desde Sela hacia arriba.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE ACTS OF JUDAH AND SIMEON. (
Judg 1:1-
Judg 1:3)
Now after the death of Joshua--probably not a long period, for the Canaanites seem to have taken advantage of that event to attempt recovering their lost position, and the Israelites were obliged to renew the war.
the children of Israel asked the Lord--The divine counsel on this, as on other occasions, was sought by Urim and Thummim, by applying to the high priest, who, according to JOSEPHUS, was Phinehas.
saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first--The elders, who exercised the government in their respective tribes, judged rightly, that in entering upon an important expedition, they should have a leader nominated by divine appointment; and in consulting the oracle, they adopted a prudent course, whether the object of their inquiry related to the choice of an individual commander, or to the honor of precedency among the tribes.
2 the Lord said, Judah shall go up--The predicted pre-eminence (
Gen 49:8) was thus conferred upon Judah by divine direction, and its appointment to take the lead in the ensuing hostilities was of great importance, as the measure of success by which its arms were crowned, would animate the other tribes to make similar attempts against the Canaanites within their respective territories.
I have delivered the land into his hand--not the whole country, but the district assigned for his inheritance.
3 Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me . . ., that we may fight against the Canaanites--Being conterminous tribes (
Josh 19:1-
Josh 19:2), they had a common interest, and were naturally associated in this enterprise.
5 ADONI-BEZEK JUSTLY REQUITED. (Jdg. 1:4-21)
Bezek--This place lay within the domain of Judah, about twelve miles south of Jerusalem.
found Adoni-bezek--that is, "lord of Bezek"--he was "found," that is, surprised and routed in a pitched battle, whence he fled; but being taken prisoner, he was treated with a severity unusual among the Israelites, for they "cut off his thumbs and great toes." Barbarities of various kinds were commonly practised on prisoners of war in ancient times, and the object of this particular mutilation of the hands and feet was to disable them for military service ever after. The infliction of such a horrid cruelty on this Canaanite chief would have been a foul stain on the character of the Israelites if there were not reason for believing it was done by them as an act of retributive justice, and as such it was regarded by Adoni-bezek himself, whose conscience read his atrocious crimes in their punishment.
7 Threescore and ten kings--So great a number will not appear strange, when it is considered that anciently every ruler of a city or large town was called a king. It is not improbable that in that southern region of Canaan, there might, in earlier times, have been even more till a turbulent chief like Adoni-bezek devoured them in his insatiable ambition.
8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it--The capture of this important city, which ranks among the early incidents in the war of invasion (
Josh 15:63), is here noticed to account for its being in the possession of the Judahites; and they brought Adoni-bezek thither [
Judg 1:7], in order, probably, that his fate being rendered so public, might inspire terror far and wide. Similar inroads were made into the other unconquered parts of Judah's inheritance [
Judg 1:9-
Judg 1:11]. The story of Caleb's acquisition of Hebron is here repeated (
Josh 15:16-
Josh 15:19). [See on
Josh 15:16.]
16 the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah--called "the Kenite," as probably descended from the people of that name (
Num 24:21-
Num 24:22). If he might not himself, his posterity did accept the invitation of Moses (
Num 10:32) to accompany the Israelites to Canaan. Their first encampment was in the "city of palm trees"--not Jericho, of course, which was utterly destroyed, but the surrounding district, perhaps En-gedi, in early times called Hazezon-tamar (
Gen 14:7), from the palm-grove which sheltered it. Thence they removed for some unknown cause, and associating themselves with Judah, joined in an expedition against Arad, in the southern part of Canaan (
Num 21:1). On the conquest of that district, some of this pastoral people pitched their tents there, while others migrated to the north (
Judg 4:17).
17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother--The course of the narrative is here resumed from
Judg 1:9, and an account given of Judah returning the services of Simeon (
Judg 1:3), by aiding in the prosecution of the war within the neighboring tribes.
slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath--or Zephathah (
2Chr 14:10), a valley lying in the southern portion of Canaan.
Hormah--destroyed in fulfilment of an early vow of the Israelites (see on
Num 21:2). The confederate tribes, pursuing their incursions in that quarter, came successively to Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron, which they took. But the Philistines seem soon to have regained possession of these cities.
19 the Lord was with Judah; . . . but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley--The war was of the Lord, whose omnipotent aid would have ensured their success in every encounter, whether on the mountains or the plains, with foot soldiers or cavalry. It was distrust, the want of a simple and firm reliance on the promise of God, that made them afraid of the iron chariots (see on
Josh 11:4-
Josh 11:9).
21 the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem--Judah had expelled the people from their part of Jerusalem (
Judg 1:8). The border of the two tribes ran through the city--Israelites and natives must have been closely intermingled.
22 SOME CANAANITES LEFT. (
Judg 1:22-
Judg 1:26)
the house of Joseph--the tribe of Ephraim, as distinguished from Manasseh (
Judg 1:27).
24 the spies . . . said, . . . Show us, . . . the entrance into the city--that is, the avenues to the city, and the weakest part of the walls.
we will show thee mercy--The Israelites might employ these means of getting possession of a place which was divinely appropriated to them: they might promise life and rewards to this man, though he and all the Canaanites were doomed to destruction (
Josh 2:12-
Josh 2:14); but we may assume the promise was suspended on his embracing the true religion, or quitting the country, as he did. If they had seen him to be firmly opposed to either of these alternatives, they would not have constrained him by promises any more than by threats to betray his countrymen. But if they found him disposed to be serviceable, and to aid the invaders in executing the will of God, they might promise to spare him.
26 Luz--(See on
Gen 12:7;
Gen 28:18).
27 The same course of subjugation was carried on in the other tribes to a partial extent, and with varying success. Many of the natives, no doubt, during the progress of this exterminating war, saved themselves by flight and became, it is thought, the first colonists in Greece, Italy, and other countries. But a large portion made a stout resistance and retained possession of their old abodes in Canaan. In other cases, when the natives were vanquished, avarice led the Israelites to spare the idolaters, contrary to the express command of God; and their disobedience to His orders in this matter involved them in many troubles which this book describes.