New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Judges 1
1
Joshua died. After that, the people of Israel spoke to the Lord. They asked him, "Who will go up first and fight for us against the people of Canaan?"
Reference
2
The Lord answered, "The tribe of Judah will go. I have handed the land over to them."
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 5:5
3
Then the men of Judah spoke to their fellow Israelites, the men of Simeon. They said, "Come up with us. Come into the territory Joshua gave us. Help us fight against the people of Canaan. Then we'll go with you into your territory." So the men of Simeon went with them.
Reference
4
When the men of Judah attacked, the Lord helped them. He handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They struck down 10,000 men at Bezek.
Reference
📍 Bezek 1
Parallel theme
1 Samuel 11:8
5
Judah found Adoni-Bezek there. They fought against him. They struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites.
📍 Bezek 1
People
6
But Adoni-Bezek ran away. Judah chased him and caught him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7
Adoni-Bezek said, "I cut off the thumbs and big toes of 70 kings. I made them pick up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." The men of Judah brought Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem. That's where he died.
Reference
8
The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and took it. They set the city on fire. They killed its people with their swords.
Reference
9
After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the people of Canaan who were living in the central hill country. They also fought against those who were living in the Negev Desert and the western hills.
10
Then the men of Judah marched out against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron. The men of Judah won the battle over Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.
Reference
11
From Hebron they marched out against the people who were living in Debir. It used to be called Kiriath Sepher.
Reference
Parallel theme
Joshua 15:15
12
Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah to be married. I'll give her to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher."
13
Othniel captured it. So Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him to be his wife. Othniel was the son of Kenaz. He was Caleb's younger brother.
Reference
Parallel theme
Judges 3:9
14
One day Acsah came to Othniel. She begged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb spoke to her. He said, "What can I do for you?"
15
She replied, "Do me a special favor. You have given me some land in the Negev Desert. Give me springs of water also." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
16
Moses' father-in-law was a Kenite. His family went up from Jericho. They went up with the people of Judah to the Desert of Judah. They went there to live among its people. Those people were living in the Negev Desert near Arad. Jericho was also known as The City of Palm Trees.
Reference
17
The men of Judah went with their fellow Israelites, the men of Simeon. They attacked the people of Canaan who were living in Zephath. They set the city apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. That's why the city was called Hormah.
Reference
📍 Zephath
Parallel theme
Numbers 21:3
18
The men of Judah took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron. They also took the territory that was around each of those cities.
Reference
19
The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took over the central hill country. But they weren't able to drive the people out of the flatlands. That's because those people used chariots that had some iron parts.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 41:10
Psalm 60:12
Romans 8:31
Matthew 1:23
Philippians 4:13
References Lord
Judges 1:2
20
Moses had promised to give Hebron to Caleb. So Hebron was given to Caleb. He drove the three sons of Anak out of it.
Reference
21
But the people of Benjamin failed to drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. So they live there with the people of Benjamin to this very day.
Reference
References Jerusalem
Joshua 15:63
22
The men of Joseph attacked Bethel. The Lord was with them.
Reference
References Lord
Judges 1:19
24
Those who were sent saw a man coming out of the city. They said to him, "Show us how to get into the city. If you do, we'll see that you are treated well."
25
So he showed them how to get in. The men of Joseph killed the people in the city with their swords. But they spared the man from Bethel. They also spared his whole family.
26
Then he went to the land of the Hittites. He built a city there. He called it Luz. That's still its name to this very day.
📍 Luz 2
27
But the tribe of Manasseh didn't drive out the people of Beth Shan. They didn't drive out the people of Taanach, Dor, Ibleam and Megiddo. And they didn't drive out the people of the settlements that are around those cities either. That's because the people of Canaan had made up their minds to continue living in that land.
Reference
28
Later, Israel became stronger. Then they forced the people of Canaan to work hard for them. But Israel never drove them out completely.
29
The tribe of Ephraim didn't drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer. So they continued to live there among them.
Reference
30
The tribe of Zebulun didn't drive out the Canaanites who were living in Kitron and Nahalol. So they remained among them. But Zebulun forced the Canaanites to work hard for them.
Reference
📍 Locations
Parallel theme
Joshua 19:15
31
The tribe of Asher didn't drive out the people who were living in Acco and Sidon. They didn't drive out the people of Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek and Rehob.
📍 Locations
32
So the people of Asher lived among the Canaanites who were in the land.
33
The tribe of Naphtali didn't drive out the people who were living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath. So the people of Naphtali lived among the Canaanites who were in the land. The people of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to work hard for them.
34
The Amorites made the people of Dan stay in the central hill country. They didn't let them come down into the flatlands.
Reference
35
The Amorites made up their minds to stay in Mount Heres. They also stayed in Aijalon and Shaalbim. But the power of the tribes of Joseph grew. Then the Amorites were forced to work hard for them.
Reference
📍 Locations
Parallel theme
Joshua 19:42
36
The border of the Amorites started at Scorpion Pass. It went to Sela and even past it.
Reference
📍 Sela
Parallel theme
Numbers 34:4
Summary of Judges 1
Judges chapter 1 begins after the death of Joshua and gives an account of Israel as the tribes continue to attempt to take possession of the land God has given them. Joshua had been Israel's leader in battle and had led them successfully in many of the campaigns to take the land of Canaan, but there was still much that was inhabited. The chapter then serves as a prelude to the events that will follow in the rest of the book of Judges.
Following the death of Joshua, the people of Israel asked the Lord who should go first against the Canaanites. The Lord said that Judah should lead, and Judah learned that God had given them the land into their hands. The tribe then went to war against the Canaanites and Perizzites and defeated ten thousand men at Bezek.
At Bezek the Israelites captured Adonibezek, the king who had ruled there. He had previously treated seventy kings cruelly, cutting off their thumbs and great toes and making them gather food under his table. When the Israelites captured him, they also made Adonibezek to gather food under their table.
Adonibezek recognized this as justice, and said that God had repaid him for what he had done to others. He was then brought to Jerusalem, where he died.
Judah went on the attack and fought the city of Jerusalem. They captured it and burned it. The tribe then fought the Canaanites living in the hill country, the south, and the lowlands.
Caleb appears in the story, having received Hebron as his inheritance, as promised. The descendants of Judah fought against Hebron and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, who were the three descendants of Anak. They were among the people who had caused fear among the previous generation of Israelite spies.
From Hebron, the Israelites attacked Debir, which was also called Kirjathsepher. Caleb offered his daughter Achsah in marriage to whoever captured the city. Othniel, the son of Kenaz and Caleb's younger relative, captured Debir and received Achsah as his wife.
Achsah then asked her father for a field. Upon receiving it, she also asked for springs of water because the land was dry. Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. The brief account serves to illustrate the settlement of the land and the practical needs that come with receiving an inheritance.
The chapter then provides an account of further victories by Judah and Simeon. Judah went with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zephath, and the city was destroyed and renamed Hormah. The tribe also captured Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron with their surrounding territories.
The Lord was with Judah, and the tribe took possession of the hill country. However, the Israelites were not so successful elsewhere. The chapter introduces a major problem that will become increasingly important in Judges, which is that the Israelites did not completely drive the people living in the land out.
The descendants of the Kenite (Moses' father-in-law family) went up from the city of palm trees with Judah and settled among the people in the wilderness of Judah near Arad. They were able to live among the people without becoming a major source of conflict.
The tribe of Simeon also received territory within the inheritance of Judah. The two tribes worked together in several campaigns, but as the chapter continues, the pattern of incomplete conquest becomes more evident.
The house of Joseph attacked Bethel. They sent men to spy out the city, and captured a man who showed them the entrance into the city. Because he helped them, they spared him and his family. He later went to the land of the Hittites and built a city that he called Luz, which became its name.
Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of several towns. Instead, when Israel became stronger, the Canaanites were placed under forced labor. The same pattern occurred with Ephraim. The Canaanites living in Gezer were not driven out, but they remained there among the Israelites.
Zebulun also failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol. The Canaanites remained among them and were eventually put under forced labor.
Asher experienced an even greater failure in taking complete possession of its territory. The tribe did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Zidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. Instead, the Asherites lived among the Canaanites who occupied the land.
Naphtali likewise did not drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and Bethanath. The Canaanites remained in the land, although the people of Naphtali eventually placed them under forced labor.
Dan had difficulty in taking possession of its territory. The Amorites forced the people of Dan into the hill country and would not allow them to occupy the valley.
The Amorites continued living in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim. Eventually, the house of Joseph became stronger and placed some of the Amorites under forced labor.
The chapter ends with a clear summary of the situation. Israel had entered the land and had many victories, but the conquest was incomplete. Tribe after tribe failed to remove the inhabitants completely from the territories assigned to them.
Judah has won many battles, and other tribes have had their successes, but the remaining Canaanites would live among the Israelites and become a source of temptation and conflict. God had warned Israel not to follow the gods and practices of the people living in Canaan, but the failure to remove these influences will make it more difficult.
Judges 1 shows that the situation was not simply a matter of the Israelites being too weak to win every battle. In several cases, the Israelites became strong enough to control the Canaanites and put them under forced labor, but they did not entirely remove them.
The repeated words of the chapter make this clear, that tribe after tribe "did not drive out" the inhabitants.
This serves to contrast with the earlier victories in Joshua, which Israel experiences repeatedly. In Judges 1, the focus turns to what happened after the victories. The land is available, but the tribes have to continue taking possession of it. They fail to complete the task and it will have consequences.
Judges 1 introduces people and places that will remain important in Israel's history. Caleb and Othniel are connected to early victories, while Jerusalem, Hebron, Bethel, Gaza and others are part of the record of tribal campaigns. Othniel, in particular, becomes important because he will later be the first judge of Israel.
The final message is mixed. Israel has experienced success and has gained substantial territory, but the work is incomplete. Judah has won many battles, but the remaining Canaanites have not been removed from the land as commanded.
Judges chapter 1 serves as a transition between the leadership of Joshua and the problems that will follow. Joshua is dead, the tribes are living in their inherited territories and there is no single leader guiding the nation. The remaining inhabitants of Canaan serve as opportunities for conflict and compromise. The chapter quietly sets up the problem that will affect the rest of Judges, which is that Israel has the land, but has not completely separated itself from the people and influences surrounding it.
Following the death of Joshua, the people of Israel asked the Lord who should go first against the Canaanites. The Lord said that Judah should lead, and Judah learned that God had given them the land into their hands. The tribe then went to war against the Canaanites and Perizzites and defeated ten thousand men at Bezek.
At Bezek the Israelites captured Adonibezek, the king who had ruled there. He had previously treated seventy kings cruelly, cutting off their thumbs and great toes and making them gather food under his table. When the Israelites captured him, they also made Adonibezek to gather food under their table.
Adonibezek recognized this as justice, and said that God had repaid him for what he had done to others. He was then brought to Jerusalem, where he died.
Judah went on the attack and fought the city of Jerusalem. They captured it and burned it. The tribe then fought the Canaanites living in the hill country, the south, and the lowlands.
Caleb appears in the story, having received Hebron as his inheritance, as promised. The descendants of Judah fought against Hebron and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, who were the three descendants of Anak. They were among the people who had caused fear among the previous generation of Israelite spies.
From Hebron, the Israelites attacked Debir, which was also called Kirjathsepher. Caleb offered his daughter Achsah in marriage to whoever captured the city. Othniel, the son of Kenaz and Caleb's younger relative, captured Debir and received Achsah as his wife.
Achsah then asked her father for a field. Upon receiving it, she also asked for springs of water because the land was dry. Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. The brief account serves to illustrate the settlement of the land and the practical needs that come with receiving an inheritance.
The chapter then provides an account of further victories by Judah and Simeon. Judah went with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zephath, and the city was destroyed and renamed Hormah. The tribe also captured Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron with their surrounding territories.
The Lord was with Judah, and the tribe took possession of the hill country. However, the Israelites were not so successful elsewhere. The chapter introduces a major problem that will become increasingly important in Judges, which is that the Israelites did not completely drive the people living in the land out.
The descendants of the Kenite (Moses' father-in-law family) went up from the city of palm trees with Judah and settled among the people in the wilderness of Judah near Arad. They were able to live among the people without becoming a major source of conflict.
The tribe of Simeon also received territory within the inheritance of Judah. The two tribes worked together in several campaigns, but as the chapter continues, the pattern of incomplete conquest becomes more evident.
The house of Joseph attacked Bethel. They sent men to spy out the city, and captured a man who showed them the entrance into the city. Because he helped them, they spared him and his family. He later went to the land of the Hittites and built a city that he called Luz, which became its name.
Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of several towns. Instead, when Israel became stronger, the Canaanites were placed under forced labor. The same pattern occurred with Ephraim. The Canaanites living in Gezer were not driven out, but they remained there among the Israelites.
Zebulun also failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol. The Canaanites remained among them and were eventually put under forced labor.
Asher experienced an even greater failure in taking complete possession of its territory. The tribe did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Zidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. Instead, the Asherites lived among the Canaanites who occupied the land.
Naphtali likewise did not drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and Bethanath. The Canaanites remained in the land, although the people of Naphtali eventually placed them under forced labor.
Dan had difficulty in taking possession of its territory. The Amorites forced the people of Dan into the hill country and would not allow them to occupy the valley.
The Amorites continued living in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim. Eventually, the house of Joseph became stronger and placed some of the Amorites under forced labor.
The chapter ends with a clear summary of the situation. Israel had entered the land and had many victories, but the conquest was incomplete. Tribe after tribe failed to remove the inhabitants completely from the territories assigned to them.
Judah has won many battles, and other tribes have had their successes, but the remaining Canaanites would live among the Israelites and become a source of temptation and conflict. God had warned Israel not to follow the gods and practices of the people living in Canaan, but the failure to remove these influences will make it more difficult.
Judges 1 shows that the situation was not simply a matter of the Israelites being too weak to win every battle. In several cases, the Israelites became strong enough to control the Canaanites and put them under forced labor, but they did not entirely remove them.
The repeated words of the chapter make this clear, that tribe after tribe "did not drive out" the inhabitants.
This serves to contrast with the earlier victories in Joshua, which Israel experiences repeatedly. In Judges 1, the focus turns to what happened after the victories. The land is available, but the tribes have to continue taking possession of it. They fail to complete the task and it will have consequences.
Judges 1 introduces people and places that will remain important in Israel's history. Caleb and Othniel are connected to early victories, while Jerusalem, Hebron, Bethel, Gaza and others are part of the record of tribal campaigns. Othniel, in particular, becomes important because he will later be the first judge of Israel.
The final message is mixed. Israel has experienced success and has gained substantial territory, but the work is incomplete. Judah has won many battles, but the remaining Canaanites have not been removed from the land as commanded.
Judges chapter 1 serves as a transition between the leadership of Joshua and the problems that will follow. Joshua is dead, the tribes are living in their inherited territories and there is no single leader guiding the nation. The remaining inhabitants of Canaan serve as opportunities for conflict and compromise. The chapter quietly sets up the problem that will affect the rest of Judges, which is that Israel has the land, but has not completely separated itself from the people and influences surrounding it.