# Judges 01 đź“–: Incomplete Conquest of Canaan
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Judah Takes the Lead
[[#Verse 01.]] After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?”Â
[[#Verse 02.]] The Lord said, “The men of Judah should take the lead. Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them.”Â
[[#Verse 03.]] The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon, “Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites. Then we will go with you into your allotted land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.
[[#Verse 04.]] The men of Judah attacked, and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed 10,000 men at Bezek.Â
[[#Verse 05.]] They met Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought him. They defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites.Â
[[#Verse 06.]]Â When Adoni-Bezek ran away, they chased him and captured him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick up food scraps under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.Â
[[#Verse 08.]]Â The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They put the sword to it and set the city on fire.
[[#Verse 09.]] Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the foothills.Â
[[#Verse 10.]]Â The men of Judah attacked the Canaanites living in Hebron. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.) They killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.Â
[[#Verse 11.]] From there they attacked the people of Debir. (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.)Â
[[#Verse 12.]] Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife.”Â
[[#Verse 13.]] When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it, Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah as a wife.
[[#Verse 14.]] One time Achsah came and charmed her father so she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?”Â
[[#Verse 15.]] She answered, “Please give me a special present. 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.
[[#Verse 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 wilderness of Judah, located in the Negev. They went and lived with the people of Judah.
[[#Verse 17.]] The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeon and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They wiped out Zephath. So people now call the city Hormah.
[[#Verse 18.]]Â The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the territory surrounding each of these cities.
[[#Verse 19.]] The Lord was with the men of Judah. They conquered the hill country, but they could not conquer the people living in the coastal plain, because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels.Â
[[#Verse 20.]] Caleb received Hebron, just as Moses had promised. He drove out the three Anakites.Â
[[#Verse 21.]]Â The men of Benjamin, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day.
### Partial Success
[[#Verse 22.]] When the men of Joseph attacked Bethel, the Lord was with them.Â
[[#Verse 23.]]Â When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz),Â
[[#Verse 24.]] the spies spotted a man leaving the city. They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you.”
[[#Verse 24]] the spies spotted a man leaving the city. They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you.”Â
[[#Verse 25.]]Â 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.Â
[[#Verse 26.]] He moved to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz, and it has kept that name to this very day.
[[#Verse 27.]] The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shean, Taanach, or their surrounding towns. Nor did they conquer the people living in Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo or their surrounding towns. The Canaanites managed to remain in those areas.Â
[[#Verse 28.]]Â Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.
[[#Verse 29.]]Â The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.
[[#Verse 30.]] The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol. The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor.
[[#Verse 31.]]Â The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco or Sidon, nor did they conquer Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.
[[#Verse 32.]]Â The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them.
[[#Verse 33.]] The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath. They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.
[[#Verse 34.]] The Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country. They did not allow them to live in the coastal plain.Â
[[#Verse 35.]] The Amorites managed to remain in Har Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily, the Amorites were forced to do hard labor.Â
[[#Verse 36.]] The border of Amorite territory ran from the Scorpion Ascent to Sela and on up.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
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## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Judges opens "after Joshua died" (1:1), just as Joshua opens after the death of Moses (Joshua 1:1).
2. Adoni-Bezek means "lord of Bezek." He admitted he had cut off the thumbs and big toes of seventy kings (1:7).
3. Cutting off thumbs and big toes left a warrior unable to grip a weapon well or move quickly in battle.
4. Othniel, son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz, captured Debir, formerly called Kiriath Sepher, which means "city of the book" (1:11-13).
5. Achsah asked her father Caleb for springs of water (1:15), a valuable gift in the dry Negev.
6. The Kenites, descendants of Moses' father-in-law, settled among the people of Judah (1:16).
7. Judah attacked and burned Jerusalem (1:8), yet the Jebusites kept living there (1:21) until David captured the city (2 Samuel 5:6-9).
8. Iron chariots (1:19) were the most advanced military technology of the day and were most effective on flat plains.
9. The chapter moves from success in the south to failure in the north, ending with Dan pushed back into the hill country (1:34).
10. The house of Joseph took Bethel, once called Luz, after a man showed them the way into the city (1:22-26).
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the faithful Leader who finishes what Israel left undone. Judah went up first at God's word (1:1-2), and Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, will put every enemy under His feet (Revelation 5:5; 1 Corinthians 15:25).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. Israel asked the Lord who should go up first (1:1). How do you seek God's direction before starting something new?
2. Several tribes did not drive out the Canaanites (1:27-33). What sins or habits are you tempted to tolerate instead of removing?
3. Judah could not drive out the people of the plains because they had iron chariots (1:19). Where do you let obstacles shrink your trust in God's promises?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verses 1-2: Israel asks the Lord who should go first, and He chooses Judah.
- đź“– verse 19: The Lord was with Judah, yet they did not drive out the people of the plains with iron chariots.
- đź“– verse 28: Israel grows strong but puts the Canaanites to forced labor instead of driving them out.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[Joshua 23#Verse 12.|Joshua 23:12-13]] - Compromise with the nations would become a snare.
- đź”— [[Numbers 33#Verse 55.|Numbers 33:55]] - Those left in the land become thorns in your sides.
- đź”— [[Deuteronomy 07#Verse 01.|Deuteronomy 7:1-4]] - God commands Israel to drive out the nations.
- đź”— [[Joshua 15#Verse 16.|Joshua 15:16-19]] - Caleb gives Achsah the springs.
- đź”— [[Hebrews 12#Verse 01.|Hebrews 12:1]] - Lay aside every sin that entangles us.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[Judges 01 - SOAP|Compromise Always Leads to Future Destruction]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes