Albert Barnes Commentary Judges 1
Albert Barnes Commentary
Judges 1
Albert Barnes Commentary
Judges 1
"And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel asked of Jehovah, saying, Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" — Judges 1:1 (ASV)
After the death of Joshua - But from Judges 1:1 to Judges 2:9 is a consecutive narrative, ending with the death of Joshua. Hence, the events in this chapter and in Judges 2:1-6 are to be taken as belonging to the lifetime of Joshua. See the note on Judges 2:11.
Asked the Lord - The phrase is only found in Judges and Samuel. It was the privilege of the civil ruler to apply to the high priest to consult for him the Urim and Thummim (marginal reference). (Joshua 18:1, 18:10; Joshua 19:51). Here it was not Phinehas, as Josephus concludes from placing these events after the death of Joshua, but Eleazar, through whom the children of Israel inquired “who” (or, rather), “which tribe of us shall go up!”
"And Jehovah said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand." — Judges 1:2 (ASV)
And the Lord said - that is, answered by Urim and Thummim. The land was the portion which fell to Judah by lot, not the whole land of Canaan . The priority given to Judah is a plain indication of divine direction. It points to the birth of our Lord of the tribe of Judah. Judah associated Simeon with him (Judges 1:3) because their lots were intermingled (Joshua 19:1).
"And Judah went up; and Jehovah delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they smote of them in Bezek ten thousand men." — Judges 1:4 (ASV)
The Canaanites and the Perizzites - See Genesis 12:6, note; Genesis 13:7, note. Bezek may be the name of a district. It has not yet been identified.
"And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered [their food] under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there." — Judges 1:7 (ASV)
Seventy kings - We may infer from this number of conquered kings that the internal wars of the Canaanites were among the causes which, under God’s Providence, weakened their resistance to the Israelites. Adoni-Bezek’s cruelty to the subject kings was the cause of his receiving this chastisement (compare to the marginal references). The loss of the thumb would make a man unfit to handle a sword or a bow; the loss of his big toe would impede his speed.
"And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire." — Judges 1:8 (ASV)
The passage states, and the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it, etc. With regard to the capture of Jerusalem, there is some obscurity. It is here said to have been taken, struck with the edge of the sword, and burned, by the children of Judah. In (Joshua 12:8), (Joshua 12:10) the Jebusite and the king of Jerusalem are enumerated among Joshua’s conquests, but without any distinct mention of the capture of the city; and in the marginal reference we read that the Jebusites were not expelled from Jerusalem, but lived with the children of Judah .
Further, we learn from (Judges 19:10–12) that Jerusalem was wholly a Jebusite city in the lifetime of Phinehas (Judges 20:28), and so it continued until the reign of David (2 Samuel 5:6–9). The conclusion is that Jerusalem was only taken once, namely, at the time here described, and that this was in the lifetime of Joshua; but that the children of Judah did not occupy it in sufficient force to prevent the return of the Jebusites, who gradually recovered complete possession.
Set the city on fire - A phrase found only at (Judges 20:48); (2 Kings 8:12), and (Psalms 74:7).
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