Judges 1:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.

NIV: Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron--each city with its territory.

NASB: And Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.

CSB: Judah captured Gaza and its territory, Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory.

NLT: In addition, Judah captured the towns of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, along with their surrounding territories.

KJV: Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.

NKJV: Also Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.

Judah's campaign to drive the Canaanites from their allotted region in southern Israel continues (Judges 1:4–11, 16–17). This verse describes areas of the region known as the "lowland." Judah captures Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and their associated territories.

No details or significant events are added to this simple description. Bible scholars suggest that because nothing is mentioned, Judah must have thoroughly destroyed the people and their towns. Special mentions seem to be made when any of the Canaanite peoples are left alive and unconquered or as co-inhabitants of the land. God's instructions were for Israel to kill them all or drive them completely from the land (Deuteronomy 20:16–18). The reason for these unusually harsh instructions was the depraved evil of Canaanite culture and God's desire to keep Israel separate from it (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4–5).

Judges 1:1–20 describes the campaign of the tribes of Judah and Simeon, to drive out or destroy all the Canaanites from their large territory in southern Israel. It begins with victories over Bezek and Jerusalem. The report rehearses the former victories by Caleb and his family in the hill country. The campaign continues into the desert wilderness of the Negeb, where a group of descendants of Moses' father-in-law settles. Judah dominates the hill country but doesn't entirely evict the wicked Canaanites because of their iron chariots.

Judges 1 summarizes the early efforts of the tribes of Israel to drive the Canaanites from the land or to destroy them entirely (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). The process starts well with a string of successes by Judah and Simeon in the south. Then the news turns sour as one tribe after another is said to have failed to drive the Canaanites out of their allotted territories. Instead, they occupy certain territories, often allowing inhabitants of the land to live among them.

Judges 1 continues immediately from the death of Joshua (Joshua 24:29–30). It begins a new era for Israel, now referred to as the time of "the judges." In a series of reports, tribe by tribe, the narrator describes Israel's success or failure to drive the deeply wicked Canaanites (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4) from the land or to destroy them. Judah experiences much success, but it is unable to drive the inhabitants out of one region, at least. Every other tribe either fails utterly to remove the Canaanites, or only gradually grows strong enough to capture the territory.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).

Accessed 5/2/2024 9:07:14 PM