'I HAVE GIVEN THE LAND INTO THEIR HANDS'

Passage: Judges 1:1-26

Key verse: 2

NIV

Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites(A)

1 After the death(B) of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first(C) to fight against the Canaanites?(D)”

2 The Lord answered, “Judah(E) shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.(F)”

3 The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites(G) went with them.

4 When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites(H) into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.(I) 5 It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek(J) and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. 6 Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

7 Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back(K) for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem,(L) and he died there.

8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem(M) also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

9 After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country,(N) the Negev(O) and the western foothills. 10 They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron(P) (formerly called Kiriath Arba(Q)) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.(R) 11 From there they advanced against the people living in Debir(S) (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).

12 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 13 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

14 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him[a] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

15 She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.(T)

16 The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law,(U) the Kenite,(V) went up from the City of Palms[b](W) with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.(X)

17 Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites(Y) their fellow Israelites and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed[c] the city. Therefore it was called Hormah.[d](Z) 18 Judah also took[e] Gaza,(AA) Ashkelon(AB) and Ekron—each city with its territory.

19 The Lord was with(AC) the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country,(AD) but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron.(AE) 20 As Moses had promised, Hebron(AF) was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak.(AG) 21 The Benjamites, however, did not drive out(AH) the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem;(AI) to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

22 Now the tribes of Joseph(AJ) attacked Bethel,(AK) and the Lord was with them. 23 When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz),(AL) 24 the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.(AM)” 25 So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared(AN) the man and his whole family. 26 He then went to the land of the Hittites,(AO) where he built a city and called it Luz,(AP) which is its name to this day.

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Footnotes
  1. Judges 1:14 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate Othniel, he urged her
  2. Judges 1:16 That is, Jericho
  3. Judges 1:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  4. Judges 1:17 Hormah means destruction.
  5. Judges 1:18 Hebrew; Septuagint Judah did not take
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Continuing Conquest of Canaan

1 After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel (A)inquired of the Lord, (B)“Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” 2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.” 3 And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. (C)And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him. 4 Then Judah went up and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek. 5 They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. 7 And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off (D)used to pick up scraps under my table. (E)As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 (F)And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. 9 And afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in (G)the hill country, in the Negeb, and in (H)the lowland. 10 (I)And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (J)(now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they defeated (K)Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher. 12 And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife.” 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, (L)Caleb's younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 14 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16 And the descendants of the (M)Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah (N)from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near (O)Arad, (P)and they went and settled with the people. 17 (Q)And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called (R)Hormah.[a] 18 Judah also (S)captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 (T)And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the (U)hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had (V)chariots of iron. 20 (W)And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it (X)the three sons of Anak. 21 But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, (Y)so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, (Z)and the Lord was with them. 23 And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. ((AA)Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.) 24 And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the way into the city, (AB)and we will deal kindly with you.” 25 And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. 26 And the man went to (AC)the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz. That is its name to this day.

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Footnotes
  1. Judges 1:17 Hormah means utter destruction
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES The book of Judges covers the time between Joshua and Samuel. Moses had given Israel God's word regarding laws and worship. They had no national leader succession, just tribal leaders. The national leaders whom God raised up were called judges. Twelve judges are mentioned: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah (with Barak over the army), Gideon (followed by Abimelek, an apostate king), Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. Judges records the demise of Israel, falling further from God. There is a recurring pattern: (1) Israel is unfaithful to God, (2) God sends an oppressor against them, (3) they cry out to God, and (4) God raises up a judge who delivers them. After a time of peace, they fall away from God and the cycle repeats. Their lawless lives are described by the repeated phrase: 'In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit' (17:6). Gideon voices the truth that God's people should accept and live by: 'I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you' (8:23). The judges were not heroes in an ideal sense. They were full of weaknesses. But they did exercise moments of faith in God to conquer kingdoms and administer justice (Heb 11:32-33). God used them to save his people because of his own purpose and promises. One day God would send the perfect, righteous leader for his people-the Messiah, Jesus Christ. As we read Judges, let's remember that God is faithful and sovereign and the true Hero of his people. 'I HAVE GIVEN THE LAND INTO THEIR HANDS' 1. The Lord was with Judah (1-19a) Joshua fought the Lord's battles to secure the Promised Land, and allotted the twelve tribes their portions of land. But they still had to drive out the Canaanites (Jos 23:4-13). The Israelite leaders prayed (1), the tribe of Judah obeyed, teaming up with the tribe of Simeon (2-3), and the Lord gave them victory (4). They exacted justice upon Adoni-Bezek (6-7). They took Jerusalem and the cities in the south and west. The story of Caleb giving his daughter Aksah in marriage to Othniel (the first judge) and some springs of water is repeated here (Jos 15:15-19). Then Judah helped Simeon to gain more territory. The Lord was with Judah when they followed God's direction. 2. Seeds of defeat (19b-26) Judah couldn't expel enemies who had iron chariots. Benjamin couldn't defeat the Jebusites, who lived among them. A man from Bethel betrayed his town to the tribes of Joseph, but he went and built the town Luz. These and other vestiges of Canaanites would cause trouble later for Israel, since they didn't join Israel.

Prayer: Lord God, you give victory to all who follow your direction without compromise. Help me to listen and follow your will, rather than what is convenient.

One Word: Take with faith what God wants to give