Charles Ellicott Commentary Judges 1:22

"And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el; and Jehovah was with them." — Judges 1:22 (ASV)

The house of Joseph. —Ephraim and Manasseh. The narrative now leaves the conquest of southern for that of central Palestine (Joshua 16-17).

Beth-el. —The position of this town on the “highway” between Hebron and Shechem—the main thoroughfare of Palestine (Judges 20:31; Judges 21:19)—gave it great importance, as did also its sacred connection with events in the life of Abraham (Genesis 12:8–9; Genesis 13:3–4; Genesis 12:8) and Jacob (Genesis 28:10–17).

For its subsequent history, see Judges 20:18-26, and the history of the northern kingdom, Hosea 10:8; Amos 5:21–23; Amos 7:10; 1 Kings 12:13; 2 Kings 2:3, etc. It is now the wretched village of Beitin.

Bethel belonged properly to Benjamin (Joshua 18:22), but possibly, as in the case of Jerusalem, the border of Ephraim and Benjamin separated the upper from the lower town.