Judges 1

 

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּיהוָה לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲלֶה־לָּנוּ אֶל־הַכְּנַעֲנִי בַּתְּחִלָּה   1:1

לְהִלָּחֶם בּוֹ׃

Judg. 1:1   And it came to pass after the death of Joshua that the children of Israel consulted with the Lord saying, “Who will go up for us against the Canaanite in the beginning to fight with him?”

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה יְהוּדָה יַעֲלֶה הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי אֶת־הָאָרֶץ בְּיָדוֹ׃   1:2

Judg. 1:2   And the Lord said, “Judah will go up.  Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה לְשִׁמְעוֹן אָחִיו עֲלֵה אִתִּי בְגוֹרָלִי וְנִלָּחֲמָה בַּכְּנַעֲנִי וְהָלַכְתִּי גַם־אֲנִי אִתְּךָ בְּגוֹרָלֶךָ   1:3

וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ שִׁמְעוֹן׃

Judg. 1:3   And Judah said to Simeon, his brother, “Come up with me in my lot and we will fight with the Canaanite, and likewise I will go with you in your lot.”  So Simeon went with him.

וַיַּעַל יְהוּדָה וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי בְּיָדָם וַיַּכּוּם בְּבֶזֶק עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ׃   1:4

Judg. 1:4   And Judah went up and the Lord delivered the Canaanite and the Perizzite into their hand, and they smote ten thousand men of them in Bezek.

וַיִּמְצְאוּ אֶת־אֲדֹנִי בֶזֶק בְּבֶזֶק וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ בּוֹ וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְאֶת־הַפְּרִזִּי׃   1:5

Judg. 1:5   And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and they fought with him and they smote the Canaanite and the Perizzite.

וַיָּנָס אֲדֹנִי בֶזֶק וַיִּרְדְּפוּ אַחֲרָיו וַיֹּאחֲזוּ אֹתוֹ וַיְקַצְּצוּ אֶת־בְּהֹנוֹת יָדָיו וְרַגְלָיו׃   1:6

Judg. 1:6   But Adoni-bezek fled, and they pursued after him and caught him.  Then they cut off the thumbs of his hands and his great toes.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲדֹנִי־בֶזֶק שִׁבְעִים מְלָכִים בְּהֹנוֹת יְדֵיהֶם וְרַגְלֵיהֶם מְקֻצָּצִים הָיוּ מְלַקְּטִים תַּחַת שֻׁלְחָנִי   1:7

כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי כֵּן שִׁלַּם־לִי אֱלֹהִים וַיְבִיאֻהוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיָּמָת שָׁם׃

Judg. 1:7   And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings, thumbs of their hands and their great toes cut off were gleanings under my table!  As I have done, so God has repaid to me.”  Then they brought him to Jerusalem and he died there.

וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ בְנֵי־יְהוּדָה בִּירוּשָׁלִַם וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אוֹתָהּ וַיַּכּוּהָ לְפִי־חָרֶב וְאֶת־הָעִיר שִׁלְּחוּ בָאֵשׁ׃   1:8

Judg. 1:8   And the children of Judah fought with Jerusalem and took it, and they smote it by the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

וְאַחַר יָרְדוּ בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה לְהִלָּחֵם בַּכְּנַעֲנִי יוֹשֵׁב הָהָר וְהַנֶּגֶב וְהַשְּׁפֵלָה׃   1:9

Judg. 1:9   And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight with the Canaanite inhabitants of the hill country and of the south and of the lowland.

וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אֶל־הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּחֶבְרוֹן וְשֵׁם־חֶבְרוֹן לְפָנִים קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־שֵׁשַׁי וְאֶת־   1:10

אֲחִימַן וְאֶת־תַּלְמָי׃

Judg. 1:10   And Judah went to the Canaanite who dwelled in Hebron -- and the name of Hebron before this was Kiriath-arba -- and they smote Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

וַיֵּלֶךְ מִשָּׁם אֶל־יוֹשְׁבֵי דְּבִיר וְשֵׁם־דְּבִיר לְפָנִים קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר׃   1:11

Judg. 1:11   And he went from there to the inhabitants of Debir -- and the name of Debir before this was Kiriath-sepher.

וַיֹּאמֶר כָּלֵב אֲשֶׁר־יַכֶּה אֶת־קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר וּלְכָדָהּ וְנָתַתִּי לוֹ אֶת־עַכְסָה בִתִּי לְאִשָּׁה׃  1:12

Judg. 1:12   And Caleb said, Whoever will smite Kiriath-sepher and take it, then I will give Achsah, my daughter, to him for a wife.

See Josh.15:13.

וַיִּלְכְּדָהּ עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן־קְנַז אֲחִי כָלֵב הַקָּטֹן מִמֶּנּוּ וַיִּתֶּן־לוֹ אֶת־עַכְסָה בִתּוֹ לְאִשָּׁה׃   1:13

Judg. 1:13   And Othniel son of Kenaz, a relative of Caleb, younger than he, took it and he gave Achsah, his daughter, to him for a wife.

וַיְהִי בְּבוֹאָהּ וַתְּסִיתֵהוּ לִשְׁאוֹל מֵאֵת־אָבִיהָ הַשָּׂדֶה וַתִּצְנַח מֵעַל הַחֲמוֹר וַיֹּאמֶר־לָהּ כָּלֵב מַה־   1:14

לָּךְ׃

Judg. 1:14   And it came to pass when she came, that she persuaded him to ask a field from her father, and she came down from off the ass, and Caleb said to her, “What shall be for you?”

וַתֹּאמֶר לוֹ הָבָה־לִּי בְרָכָה כִּי אֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב נְתַתָּנִי וְנָתַתָּה לִי גֻּלֹּת מָיִם וַיִּתֶּן־לָהּ כָּלֵב אֵת גֻּלֹּת   1:15

עִלִּית וְאֵת גֻּלֹּת תַּחְתִּית׃

Judg. 1:15   And she said to him, “Give to me a gift for the land of the south you have sent me to, and give to me springs of water.”  And Caleb gave the upper springs and the lower springs to her.

וּבְנֵי קֵינִי חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה עָלוּ מֵעִיר הַתְּמָרִים אֶת־בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה מִדְבַּר יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בְּנֶגֶב עֲרָד וַיֵּלֶךְ   1:16

וַיֵּשֶׁב אֶת־הָעָם׃

Judg. 1:16   And the children of Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses, came up from the city of palm trees with the children of Judah of the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad, and he went and dwelled with the people.

Apparently we have here still another name for Jethro.

וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אֶת־שִׁמְעוֹן אָחִיו וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי יוֹשֵׁב צְפַת וַיַּחֲרִימוּ אוֹתָהּ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שֵׁם־   1:17

הָעִיר הָעִיר חָרְמָה׃

Judg. 1:17   And Judah went with Simeon, his brother, and they smote the Canaanite inhabiting Zephath and utterly destroyed it.  And the name of the city was called Hormah.

וַיִּלְכֹּד יְהוּדָה אֶת־עַזָּה וְאֶת־גְּבוּלָהּ וְאֶת־אַשְׁקְלוֹן וְאֶת־גְּבוּלָהּ וְאֶת־עֶקְרוֹן וְאֶת־גְּבוּלָהּ׃   1:18

Judg. 1:18   And Judah took Gaza and its territory and Ashkelon and its territory and Ekron and its territory.

וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת־יְהוּדָה וַיֹּרֶשׁ אֶת־הָהָר כִּי לֹא לְהוֹרִישׁ אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵי הָעֵמֶק כִּי־רֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל לָהֶם׃   1:19

Judg. 1:19   And the Lord was with Judah and he possessed the hill country, but was not able to dispossess the inhabitants of the valley because chariots of iron were theirs.

וַיִּתְּנוּ לְכָלֵב אֶת־חֶבְרוֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה וַיּוֹרֶשׁ מִשָּׁם אֶת־שְׁלֹשָׁה בְּנֵי הָעֲנָק׃   1:20

Judg. 1:20   And they gave Hebron to Caleb as Moses had spoken, and he drove out the three sons of Anak from there.

וְאֶת־הַיְבוּסִי יֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֹא הוֹרִישׁוּ בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן וַיֵּשֶׁב הַיְבוּסִי אֶת־בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן בִּירוּשָׁלִַם עַד   1:21

הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃

Judg. 1:21   And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusite inhabiting Jerusalem, so the Jebusite has dwelled with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem up to this day.

From this verse we can roughly date the writing of at least this chapter.  David took the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusite as implied in 2Sam 5:6.  Then the Benjamites probably were no longer in the city.  So this was most likely written sometime before the time frame of that episode in 2Sam Chapter 5.

וַיַּעֲלוּ בֵית־יוֹסֵף גַּם־הֵם בֵּית־אֵל וַיהוָה עִמָּם׃   1:22

Judg. 1:22   And the house of Joseph went up, both of them, against Beth-el, and the Lord was with them.

וַיָּתִירוּ בֵית־יוֹסֵף בְּבֵית־אֵל וְשֵׁם־הָעִיר לְפָנִים לוּז׃   1:23

Judg. 1:23   And the house of Joseph spied out on Beth-el -- and the name of the city before this was Luz.

וַיִּרְאוּ הַשֹּׁמְרִים אִישׁ יוֹצֵא מִן־הָעִיר וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ הַרְאֵנוּ נָא אֶת־מְבוֹא הָעִיר וְעָשִׂינוּ עִמְּךָ חָסֶד׃   1:24

Judg. 1:24   And the watchers saw a man coming out from the city and they said to him, “Show us, please, the entrance of the city, and we will deal with you kindly.”

וַיַּרְאֵם אֶת־מְבוֹא הָעִיר וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־הָעִיר לְפִי־חָרֶב וְאֶת־הָאִישׁ וְאֶת־כָּל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ שִׁלֵּחוּ׃   1:25

Judg. 1:25   And he showed them the entrance of the city and they smote the city by the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go.

וַיֵּלֶךְ הָאִישׁ אֶרֶץ הַחִתִּים וַיִּבֶן עִיר וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמָהּ לוּז הוּא שְׁמָהּ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃   1:26

Judg. 1:26   And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city, and he called its name Luz; that is its name up to this day.

וְלֹא־הוֹרִישׁ מְנַשֶּׁה אֶת־בֵּית־שְׁאָן וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת־תַּעְנַךְ וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת־ (ישב) [יֹשְׁבֵי]   1:27

דוֹר וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵי יִבְלְעָם וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵי מְגִדּוֹ וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶיהָ וַיּוֹאֶל הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָשֶׁבֶת

בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת׃

Judg. 1:27   And Manasseh did not dispossess Beth-shean and its towns, or Taanach and its towns, or the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, or the inhabitants of Ibleam or its towns, or the inhabitants of Megiddo or its towns, as the Canaanite was determined to remain in that land.

The word in the top line in parentheses is missing a yad, which would make the word plural.  The correction is within the brackets.

וַיְהִי כִּי־חָזַק יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָמַס וְהוֹרֵישׁ לֹא הוֹרִישׁוֹ׃   1:28

Judg. 1:28   And it came to pass when Israel became strong, that it set the Canaanite to task-work, but in no way expelled him.

וְאֶפְרַיִם לֹא הוֹרִישׁ אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּגָזֶר וַיֵּשֶׁב הַכְּנַעֲנִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ בְּגָזֶר׃   1:29

Judg. 1:29   And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanite who dwelled in Gezer, so the Canaanite dwelled in his midst in Gezer.

זְבוּלֻן לֹא הוֹרִישׁ אֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵי קִטְרוֹן וְאֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵי נַהֲלֹל וַיֵּשֶׁב הַכְּנַעֲנִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ וַיִּהְיוּ לָמַס׃   1:30

Judg. 1:30   Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanite dwelled in his midst and they were for task-work.

אָשֵׁר לֹא הוֹרִישׁ אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵי עַכּוֹ וְאֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵי צִידוֹן וְאֶת־אַחְלָב וְאֶת־אַכְזִיב וְאֶת־חֶלְבָּה וְאֶת־   1:31

אֲפִיק וְאֶת־רְחֹב׃

Judg. 1:31   Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Zidon, or of Achlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob,

וַיֵּשֶׁב הָאָשֵׁרִי בְּקֶרֶב הַכְּנַעֲנִי יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ כִּי לֹא הוֹרִישׁוֹ׃   1:32

Judg. 1:32   and the Asherite dwelled in the midst of the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, for he did not drive him out.

נַפְתָּלִי לֹא־הוֹרִישׁ אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵי בֵית־שֶׁמֶשׁ וְאֶת־יֹשְׁבֵי בֵית־עֲנָת וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּקֶרֶב הַכְּנַעֲנִי יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ   1:33

וְיֹשְׁבֵי בֵית־שֶׁמֶשׁ וּבֵית עֲנָת הָיוּ לָהֶם לָמַס׃

Judg. 1:33   Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, and he dwelled in the midst of the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were for task-work for them.

וַיִּלְחֲצוּ הָאֱמֹרִי אֶת־בְּנֵי־דָן הָהָרָה כִּי־לֹא נְתָנוֹ לָרֶדֶת לָעֵמֶק׃   1:34

Judg. 1:34   And the children of Dan forced the Amorites to the hill country, for they did not allow to come down to the valley.

וַיּוֹאֶל הָאֱמֹרִי לָשֶׁבֶת בְּהַר־חֶרֶס בְּאַיָּלוֹן וּבְשַׁעַלְבִים וַתִּכְבַּד יַד בֵּית־יוֹסֵף וַיִּהְיוּ לָמַס׃   1:35

Judg. 1:35   But the Amorite was determined to remain in Har-heres, in Aijalon and in Shaalbim.  But the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, and they became for task-work.

וּגְבוּל הָאֱמֹרִי מִמַּעֲלֵה עַקְרַבִּים מֵהַסֶּלַע וָמָעְלָה׃   1:36

Judg. 1:36   And the territory of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the Cela and upward.

 

[Return to Judges Chapters]    [Prev.:  Josh. 24]    [Next:  Judg. 2]