The big picture
After Joshua’s death, Israel asks who should lead the continuing campaign. Judah begins with victories, but the chapter gradually replaces reports of driving out the inhabitants with repeated notices that Israel did not drive them out. The change in language prepares the spiritual and social crisis that follows.
Scripture beside the summary
Judges · King James Version · 36Judges 1:1-7
Judah seeks direction and advances with Simeon
Judah asks the LORD who should go first, joins with Simeon, defeats opposing forces, and captures Adoni-bezek. The opening combines dependence on divine direction with the harsh realities of ancient warfare.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD , saying, Who shall go up…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I…” Naming Simeon and Canaanites keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Judges 1:1-7
King James Version1Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD , saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?
2And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
3And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.
4And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
5And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
7And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
Judges 1:8-21
Victories, inheritance, and the first stated limit
Judah fights in Jerusalem and the hill country, Caleb’s household secures Hebron and Debir, Achsah asks for springs, and Benjamin fails to remove the Jebusites from Jerusalem.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword…” Naming Jerusalem and Judah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher:” Naming Debir and Kirjath keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
“And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it…” Naming Canaanites and Hormah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.” The number three makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with…” Naming Benjamin and Jebusites keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
The account moves rapidly through places, but verses 12 through 15 slow down for Achsah. She acts within her household setting, urges the request for a field, and directly asks her father for water sources. The upper and lower springs make the inheritance usable. Her words show that receiving land and sustaining life on it are not the same task.
Judges 1:8-21
King James Version8Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
9And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.
10And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
11And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher:
12And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
13And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
14And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou?
15And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.
16And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
17And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.
18Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
19And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.
20And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.
21And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.
Judges 1:22-36
Compromise spreads through the tribes
Joseph’s house captures Bethel with help from a local man, but Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan leave Canaanite populations or territory in place. Forced labor replaces removal in several locations.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el: and the LORD was with them.” Naming Beth and Joseph keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go…” The line’s distinctive content terms include city, edge, entrance. Its relationship to verses 24 and 26 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
“Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor…” Naming Accho and Achzib keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the…” Naming Amorites and Dan keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.” Naming Akrabbim and Amorites keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
The Bethel episode echoes the pattern of receiving help from someone inside a city, but the man and his family depart and build another city named Luz. The result is more complicated than a clean transfer of the land. The old name and civic identity continue elsewhere.
Judges 1:22-36
King James Version22And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el: and the LORD was with them.
23And the house of Joseph sent to descry Beth-el. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)
24And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.
25And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
26And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day.
27Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
28And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
29Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.
31Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:
32But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.
33Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributaries unto them.
34And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:
35But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries.
36And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Judges 1:1 begins with “Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD , saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to…”
Where the chapter turns
Judges 1:14 forms a natural hinge: “And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What…”
The final note
Judges 1:36 leaves the reader with “And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words inhabitants, Canaanites, Judah, city, drive, children help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Who receives the image and the blessing?
Both male and female in verses 27-28. Human worth precedes achievement.
What limits human dominion?
The world belongs to its Creator and is already declared good. Compare the charge to tend and keep in 2:15.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.