Judges 1:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The LORD said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”

NIV: The LORD answered, 'Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.'

NASB: The Lord said, 'Judah shall go up; behold, I have handed the land over to him.'

CSB: The Lord answered, "Judah is to go. I have handed the land over to him."

NLT: The Lord answered, 'Judah, for I have given them victory over the land.'

KJV: And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

NKJV: And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”

Joshua has died (Joshua 24:29–31), and a new era in God's relationship with His people Israel has begun. The Israelites no longer have a single national leader to direct them. Instead, as a people under covenant with God, they are meant to directly follow God's will in all things.

The mission before them now is clear and simple: Each tribe is to take full possession of their own territories, clearing out the remaining Canaanites from the land God has promised to them. If they are faithful to obey God and worship Him only, He will grant them continued success in defeating their enemies. Even before Joshua, the people had been told about the deep evil of the Canaanite culture, and how crucial it was not to take on their customs (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4).

Israel's campaigns after Joshua's death start well. They have asked God which of the tribes should go up first against the Canaanites. The Lord answers directly: Judah (Genesis 49:8–9) should lead the way. God has given the land belonging to the tribe of Judah into Judah's hand. In other words, Yahweh is promising yet another impressive series of victories over Israel's enemies.

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).