1Y aconteció después de la muerte de Josué, que los hijos de Israel consultaron a Jehová, diciendo: ¿Quién será el primero en subir por nosotros a pelear contra los cananeos? 2Y Jehová respondió: Judá subirá; he aquí que yo he entregado la tierra en sus manos. 3Y Judá dijo a Simeón su hermano: Sube conmigo a mi suerte, y peleemos contra el cananeo, y yo también iré contigo a tu suerte. Y Simeón fue con él. 4Y subió Judá, y Jehová entregó en sus manos al cananeo y al ferezeo; y de ellos hirieron en Bezec diez mil hombres. 5Y hallaron a Adoni-bezec en Bezec, y pelearon contra él; e hirieron al cananeo y al ferezeo. 6Mas Adoni-bezec huyó; y le siguieron, y le prendieron, y le cortaron los pulgares de las manos y de los pies. 7Entonces dijo Adoni-bezec: Setenta reyes, cortados los pulgares de sus manos y de sus pies, recogían las migajas debajo de mi mesa; como yo hice, así me ha pagado Dios. Y le metieron en Jerusalén, donde murió. 8Y habían combatido los hijos de Judá a Jerusalén, y la habían tomado, y herido a filo de espada, y puesto a fuego la ciudad. 9Después los hijos de Judá descendieron para pelear contra el cananeo que habitaba en las montañas, y en el sur, y en el valle. 10Y partió Judá contra el cananeo que habitaba en Hebrón, la cual se llamaba antes Quiriat-arba; e hirieron a Sesai, y a Ahimán, y a Talmai. 11Y de allí fue a los que habitaban en Debir, que antes se llamaba Quiriat-sefer. 12Y dijo Caleb: El que hiriere a Quiriat-sefer, y la tomare, yo le daré a Acsa mi hija por esposa. 13Y la tomó Otoniel hijo de Cenaz, hermano menor de Caleb; y él le dio a Acsa su hija por esposa. 14Y sucedió que cuando ella vino a él, ella le persuadió para pedir a su padre un campo. Ella entonces se bajó del asno, y Caleb le dijo: ¿Qué quieres? 15Ella entonces le respondió: Dame una bendición, puesto que me has dado tierra de sequedal; dame también fuentes de aguas. Entonces Caleb le dio las fuentes de arriba, y las fuentes de abajo. 16Y los hijos del cineo, suegro de Moisés, subieron de la ciudad de las palmeras con los hijos de Judá, al desierto de Judá que está al sur de Arad; y fueron y habitaron con el pueblo. 17Y fue Judá a su hermano Simeón, e hirieron al cananeo que habitaba en Sefat, y la asolaron; y pusieron por nombre a la ciudad, Horma. 18Tomó también Judá a Gaza con su término, y a Ascalón con su término, y a Ecrón con su término. 19Y Jehová estaba con Judá, y echó a los de las montañas; mas no pudo echar a los que habitaban en los llanos, porque ellos tenían carros herrados. 20Y dieron Hebrón a Caleb, como Moisés había dicho; y él echó de allí a los tres hijos de Anac. 21Mas los hijos de Benjamín no echaron al jebuseo que habitaba en Jerusalén, y así el jebuseo habitó con los hijos de Benjamín en Jerusalén hasta hoy. 22También los de la casa de José subieron a Betel; y Jehová fue con ellos. 23Y los de la casa de José pusieron espías en Betel, la cual ciudad antes se llamaba Luz. 24Y los que espiaban vieron un hombre que salía de la ciudad, y le dijeron: Muéstranos ahora la entrada de la ciudad, y haremos contigo misericordia. 25Y él les mostró la entrada a la ciudad, y la hirieron a filo de espada; mas dejaron a aquel hombre con toda su familia. 26Y se fue el hombre a la tierra de los heteos, y edificó una ciudad, a la cual llamó Luz; y éste es su nombre hasta hoy. 27Tampoco Manasés echó 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 habitaban en Meguido y en sus aldeas; mas los cananeos quisieron habitar en esta tierra. 28Y sucedió que cuando Israel se hizo fuerte hizo al cananeo tributario, mas no lo echó del todo. 29Tampoco Efraín echó al cananeo que habitaba en Gezer; antes habitó el cananeo en medio de ellos en Gezer. 30Tampoco Zabulón echó a los que habitaban en Quitrón ni a los que habitaban en Naalal; mas el cananeo habitó en medio de él, y le fueron tributarios. 31Tampoco Aser echó a los que habitaban en Aco, ni a los que habitaban en Sidón, ni en Ahlab, ni en Aczib, ni en Helba, ni en Afec, ni en Rehob. 32Antes moró Aser entre los cananeos que habitaban en la tierra; pues no los echó. 33Tampoco Neftalí echó a los que habitaban en Bet-semes, ni a los que habitaban en Bet-anat, sino que moró entre los cananeos que habitaban en la tierra; sin embargo los moradores de Bet-semes y los moradores de Bet-anatles les fueron tributarios. 34Y los amorreos presionaron a los hijos de Dan hasta la montaña; y no los dejaron descender a la llanura. 35Y quiso el amorreo habitar en la montaña de Heres, en Ajalón y en Saalbim; sin embargo la mano de la casa de José prevaleció, y los hicieron tributarios. 36Y el término del amorreo fue desde la subida de Acrabim, desde la piedra, y 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.