Judges 1:1–6:40

Judah Takes the Lead

1:1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked1 the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?”2 1:2 The Lord said, “The men of Judah should take the lead.3 Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them.”4 1:3 The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon,5 “Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites.6 Then we7 will go with you into your allotted land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.

1:4 The men of Judah attacked,8 and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek. 1:5 They met9 Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought him. They defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites. 1:6 When Adoni-Bezek ran away, they chased him and captured him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes. 1:7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick up10 food scraps11 under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.”12 They brought him to Jerusalem,13 where he died. 1:8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They put the sword to it and set the city on fire.

1:9 Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands.14 1:10 The men of Judah attacked the Canaanites living in Hebron. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.) They killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. 1:11 From there they attacked the people of Debir.15 (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.) 1:12 Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Acsah as a wife.” 1:13 When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother,16 captured it, Caleb17 gave him his daughter Acsah as a wife.

1:14 One time Acsah18 came and charmed her father19 so she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” 1:15 She answered, “Please give me a special present.20 Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.21

1:16 Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah,22 located in the Negev.23 They went and lived with the people of Judah.24

1:17 The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeon25 and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They wiped out Zephath.26 So people now call the city Hormah.27 1:18 The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the territory surrounding each of these cities.28

1:19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They conquered29 the hill country, but they could not30 conquer the people living in the coastal plain, because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels.31 1:20 Caleb received32 Hebron, just as Moses had promised. He drove out the three Anakites. 1:21 The men of Benjamin, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem.33 The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day.34

Partial Success

1:22 When the men35 of Joseph attacked36 Bethel,37 the Lord was with them. 1:23 When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz), 1:24 the spies spotted38 a man leaving the city. They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you.” 1:25 He showed them a secret entrance into the city, and they put the city to the sword. But they let the man and his extended family leave safely. 1:26 He39 moved to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz, and it has kept that name to this very day.

1:27 The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan, Taanach, or their surrounding towns. Nor did they conquer the people living in Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo40 or their surrounding towns.41 The Canaanites managed42 to remain in those areas.43 1:28 Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.

1:29 The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.

1:30 The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol.44 The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor.

1:31 The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco or Sidon,45 nor did they conquer Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.46 1:32 The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them.

1:33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath.47 They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites48 living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.

1:34 The Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country. They did not allow them to live in49 the coastal plain. 1:35 The Amorites managed50 to remain in Har Heres,51 Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily,52 the Amorites were forced to do hard labor. 1:36 The border of Amorite territory ran from the Scorpion Ascent53 to Sela and on up.54

Confrontation and Repentance at Bokim

2:1 The Lord’s angelic messenger1 went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.2 I said, ‘I will never break my agreement3 with you, 2:2 but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’4 But you have disobeyed me.5 Why would you do such a thing?6 2:3 At that time I also warned you,7 ‘If you disobey,8 I will not drive out the Canaanites9 before you. They will ensnare you10 and their gods will lure you away.’ ”11

2:4 When the Lord’s messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.12 2:5 They named that place Bokim13 and offered sacrifices to the Lord there.

The End of an Era

2:6 When Joshua dismissed14 the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory,15 intending to take possession of the land. 2:7 The people worshiped16 the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men17 who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed18 all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.19 2:8 Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten. 2:9 The people20 buried him in his allotted land21 in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 2:10 That entire generation passed away;22 a new generation grew up23 that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel.24

A Monotonous Cycle

2:11 The Israelites did evil before25 the Lord by worshiping26 the Baals. 2:12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors27 who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods—the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped28 them and made the Lord angry. 2:13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars.29

2:14 The Lord was furious with Israel30 and handed them over to robbers who plundered them.31 He turned them over to32 their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies’ attacks.33 2:15 Whenever they went out to fight,34 the Lord did them harm,35 just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do.36 They suffered greatly.37

2:16 The Lord raised up leaders38 who delivered them from these robbers.39 2:17 But they did not obey40 their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped41 them. They quickly turned aside from the path42 their ancestors43 had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not.44 2:18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people45 from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them46 when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.47 2:19 When a leader died, the next generation48 would again49 act more wickedly than the previous one.50 They would follow after other gods, worshiping them51 and bowing down to them. They did not give up52 their practices or their stubborn ways.

A Divine Decision

2:20 The Lord was furious with Israel.53 He said, “This nation54 has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors55 by disobeying me.56 2:21 So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. 2:22 Joshua left those nations57 to test58 Israel. I wanted to see59 whether or not the people60 would carefully walk in the path61 marked out by62 the Lord, as their ancestors63 were careful to do.” 2:23 This is why64 the Lord permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately;65 he did not hand them over to Joshua.

3:1 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel—he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.1 3:2 He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war.2 3:3 These were the nations:3 the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath.4 3:4 They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses.5

3:5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3:6 They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites;6 they worshiped7 their gods as well.

Othniel: A Model Leader

3:7 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight.8 They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.9 3:8 The Lord was furious with Israel10 and turned them over to11 King …

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1	tn The Hebrew verb translated “asked” (שָׁאַל, sha’al) refers here to consulting the Lord through a prophetic oracle; cf. NAB “consulted.”
2	tn Heb “Who should first go up for us against the Canaanites to attack them?”
3	tn Heb “Judah should go up.”
4	tn The Hebrew exclamation הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally, “Behold”), translated “Be sure of this,” draws attention to the following statement. The verb form in the following statement (a Hebrew perfect, indicating completed action from the standpoint of the speaker) emphasizes the certainty of the event. Though it had not yet taken place, the Lord speaks of it as a “done deal.”
5	tn Heb “Judah said to Simeon, his brother.”
6	tn Heb “Come up with me into our allotted land and let us attack the Canaanites.”
7	tn Heb “I.” The Hebrew pronoun is singular, agreeing with the collective singular “Judah” earlier in the verse. English style requires a plural pronoun here, however.
8	tn Heb “Judah went up.”
9	tn Or “found.”
10	tn Elsewhere this verb usually carries the sense of “to gather; to pick up; to glean,” but “lick up” seems best here in light of the peculiar circumstances described by Adoni-Bezek.
11	tn The words “food scraps” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
12	tn Heb “Just as I did, so God has repaid me.” Note that the phrase “to them” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what is meant.
13	map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
14	tn Or “foothills”; Heb “the Shephelah.”
15	tn Heb “they went from there against the inhabitants of Debir.” The LXX reads the verb as “they went up,” which suggests that the Hebrew text translated by the LXX read וַיַּעַל (vayya’al) rather than the MT’s וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh). It is possible that this is the text to be preferred in v. 11. Cf. Josh 15:15.
16	tn “Caleb’s younger brother” may refer to Othniel or to Kenaz (in which case Othniel was Caleb’s nephew; so CEV).
17	tn Heb “he”; the referent (Caleb) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18	tn Heb “she”; the referent (Acsah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19	tn Heb “him.” The pronoun could refer to Othniel, in which case one would translate, “she incited him [Othniel] to ask her father for a field.” This is problematic, however, for Acsah, not Othniel, makes the request in v. 15. The LXX has “he [Othniel] urged her to ask her father for a field.” This appears to be an attempt to reconcile the apparent inconsistency and probably does not reflect the original text. If Caleb is understood as the referent of the pronoun, the problem disappears. For a fuller discussion of the issue, see P. G. Mosca, “Who Seduced Whom? A Note on Joshua 15:18//Judges 1:14,” CBQ 46 (1984): 18–22. The translation takes Caleb to be the referent, specified as “her father.”
20	tn Elsewhere the Hebrew word בְרָכָה (vérakhah) is often translated “blessing,” but here it refers to a gift (as in Gen 33:11; 1 Sam 25:27; 30:26; and 2 Kgs 5:15).
21	tn Some translations regard the expressions “springs of water” (גֻּלֹּת מָיִם, gullot mayim) and “springs” (גֻּלֹּת) as place names here (cf. NRSV).
22	tc Part of the Greek ms tradition lacks the words “of Judah.”
23	tn Heb “[to] the Desert of Judah in the Negev, Arad.”
24	tn The phrase “of Judah” is supplied here in the translation. Some ancient textual witnesses read, “They went and lived with the Amalekites.” This reading, however, is probably influenced by 1 Sam 15:6 (see also Num 24:20–21).
25	tn Heb “Judah went with Simeon, his brother.”
26	tn Heb “it”; the referent (the city of Zephath) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27	sn The name Hormah (חָרְמָה, khormah) sounds like the Hebrew verb translated “wipe out” (חָרַם, kharam).
28	tn Heb “The men of Judah captured Gaza and its surrounding territory, Ashkelon and its surrounding territory, and Ekron and its surrounding territory.”
29	tn Or “seized possession of”; or “occupied.”
30	tc Several textual witnesses support the inclusion of this verb.
31	tn Regarding the translation “chariots with iron-rimmed wheels,” see Y. Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, 255, and the article by R. Drews, “The ‘Chariots of Iron’ of Joshua and Judges,” JSOT 45 (1989): 15–23.
32	tn Heb “they gave to Caleb.”
33	map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
34	sn The statement to this very day reflects the perspective of the author, who must have written prior to David’s conquest of the Jebusites (see 2 Sam 5:6–7).
35	tn Heb “house.” This is a metonymy for the warriors from the tribe.
36	tn Heb “went up.”
37	map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
38	tn Heb “saw.”
39	tn Heb “the man.”
40	map For location see Map1-D4; Map2-C1; Map4-C2; Map5-F2; Map7-B1.
41	tn Heb “The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan and its surrounding towns, Taanach and its surrounding towns, the people living in Dor and its surrounding towns, the people living in Ibleam and its surrounding towns, or the people living in Megiddo and its surrounding towns.”
42	tn Or “were determined.”
43	tn Heb “in this land.”
44	tn Heb “the people living in Kitron and the people living in Nahalol.”
45	map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
46	tn Heb “The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco, the people living in Sidon, Ahlab, Acco, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.”
47	tn Heb “the people living in Beth Shemesh or the people living in Beth Anath.”
48	tn The term “Canaanites” is supplied here both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
49	tn Heb “come down into.”
50	tn Or “were determined.”
51	tn Or “Mount Heres”; the term הַר (har) means “mount” or “mountain” in Hebrew.
52	tn Heb “Whenever the hand of the tribe of Joseph was heavy.”
53	tn Or “the Ascent of Scorpions” (עַקְרַבִּים [’aqrabbim] means “scorpions” in Hebrew).
54	tn Or “Amorite territory started at the Pass of the Scorpions at Sela and then went on up.”
1	* Ex 14:19 Ex 23:20
2	tn Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.”
3	tn Or “covenant” (also in the following verse).
4	tn Heb “their altars.”
5	tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
6	tn Heb “What is this you have done?”
7	tn Heb “And I also said.” The use of the perfect tense here suggests that the messenger is recalling an earlier statement (see Josh 23:12–13). However, some translate, “And I also say,” understanding the following words as an announcement of judgment upon those gathered at Bokim.
8	tn The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12–13.
9	tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10	tn The meaning of the Hebrew word צִדִּים (tsiddim) is uncertain in this context. It may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “snare.” If so, a more literal translation would be “they will become snares to you.” Normally the term in question means “sides,” but this makes no sense here. On the basis of Num 33:55 some suggest the word for “thorns” has been accidentally omitted. If this word is added, the text would read, “they will become [thorns] in your sides” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).
11	tn Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”
12	tn Heb “lifted their voices and wept.”
13	sn Bokim means “weeping ones” and is derived from the Hebrew verb בָּכָא (bakha’, “to weep”).
14	tn Or “sent away.”
15	tn Heb “the Israelites went each to his inheritance.”
16	tn Or “served”; or “followed.”
17	tn Or perhaps “elders,” which could be interpreted to mean “leaders.”
18	tn Heb “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the old men who outlived him, who had seen.”
19	tn Heb “the great work of the Lord which he had done for Israel.”
20	tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
21	tn Heb “in the territory of his inheritance.”
22	tn Heb “All that generation were gathered to their fathers.”
23	tn Heb “arose after them.”
24	tn Heb “that did not know the Lord or the work which he had done for Israel.” The expressions “personally experienced” and “seen” are interpretive.
25	tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
26	tn Or “serving”; or “following.”
27	tn Or “fathers.”
28	tn Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse).
29	tn Some English translations simply transliterate the plural Hebrew term (“Ashtaroth,” cf. NAB, NASB), pluralize the transliterated Hebrew singular form (“Ashtoreths,” cf. NIV), or use a variation of the name (“Astartes,” cf. NRSV). sn The Ashtars were local manifestations of the goddess Astarte.
30	tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”
31	tn Heb “robbers who robbed them.” (The verb שָׁסָה [shasah] appears twice in the verse.) sn The expression robbers who plundered them is a derogatory reference to the enemy nations, as the next line indicates.
32	tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”
33	tn The word “attacks” is supplied in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
34	tn The expression “to fight” is interpretive.
35	tn Heb “the Lord’s hand was against them for harm.”
36	tn Heb “just as he had said and just as he had sworn to them.”
37	tn Or “they experienced great distress.”
38	tn Or more traditionally, “judges” (also in vv. 17, 18 [3×], 19). Since these figures carried out more than a judicial function, also serving as rulers and (in several instances) as military commanders, the translation uses the term “leaders.”
39	tn Heb “and they delivered them from the hand of the ones robbing them.”
40	tn Or “did not listen to.”
41	tn Or “bowed before.”
42	tn Or “way [of life].”
43	tn Or “fathers.”
44	tn Heb “… walked, obeying the Lord’s commands. They did not do this.”
45	tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
46	tn The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
47	tn Heb “the ones oppressing them and afflicting them.” The synonyms “oppressing” and “afflicting” are joined together in the translation as “harsh oppressors” to emphasize the cruel character of their enemies.
48	tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
49	tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated.
50	tn Heb “their fathers.” sn The statement the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one must refer to the successive sinful generations after Joshua, not Joshua’s godly generation (cf. vv. 7, 17).
51	tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”
52	tn Or “drop.”
53	tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”
54	tn Heb “Because this nation.”
55	tn Heb “my covenant which I commanded their fathers.”
56	tn Heb “and has not listened to my voice.” The expression “to not listen to [God’s] voice” is idiomatic here for disobeying him.
57	tn The words “Joshua left those nations” are interpretive. The Hebrew text of v. 22 simply begins with “to test.” Some subordinate this phrase to “I will no longer remove” (v. 21). In this case the Lord announces that he has now decided to leave these nations as a test for Israel. Another possibility is to subordinate “to test” to “He said” (v. 20; see B. Lindars, Judges 1–5, 111). In this case the statement recorded in vv. 20b–21 is the test in that it forces Israel to respond either positively (through repentance) or negatively to the Lord’s declaration. A third possibility (the one reflected in the present translation) is to subordinate “to test” to “left unconquered” (v. 21). In this case the Lord recalls that Joshua left these nations as a test. Israel has failed the test (v. 20), so the Lord announces that the punishment threatened earlier (Josh 23:12–13; see also Judg 2:3) will now be implemented. As B. G. Webb (Judges [JSOTSup], 115) observes, “The nations which were originally left as a test are now left as a punishment.” This view best harmonizes v. 23, which explains that the Lord did not give all the nations to Joshua, with v. 22. (For a grammatical parallel, where the infinitive construct of נָסָה [nasah] is subordinated to the perfect of עָזַב [’azav], see 2 Chr 32:31.)
58	tn The Hebrew text includes the phrase “by them,” but this is somewhat redundant in English and has been omitted from the translation for stylistic reasons.
59	tn The words “I [i.e., the Lord] wanted to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
60	tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
61	tn Or “way [of life].”
62	tn “The words “marked out by” are interpretive.
63	tn Or “fathers.”
64	tn The words “this is why” are interpretive.
65	tn Or “quickly.”
1	tn Heb “did not know the wars of Canaan.”
2	tn The Hebrew syntax of v. 2 is difficult. The Hebrew text reads literally, “only in order that the generations of the Israelites might know, to teach them war—only those who formerly did not know them.” sn The stated purpose for leaving the nations (to teach the subsequent generations … how to conduct holy war) seems to contradict 2:22 and 3:4, which indicate the nations were left to test Israel’s loyalty to the Lord. However, the two stated purposes can be harmonized. The willingness of later generations to learn and engage in holy war would measure their allegiance to the Lord (see B. G. Webb, Judges [JSOTSup], 114–15).
3	tn The words “These were the nations,” though not present in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarity.
4	tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.”
5	tn Heb “to know if they would hear the commands of the Lord which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”
6	tn Heb “to their sons.”
7	tn Or “served”; or “followed” (this term occurs in the following verse as well).
8	tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”
9	sn The Asherahs were local manifestations of the Canaanite goddess Asherah.
10	tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned (or raged) against Israel.”
11	tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”

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