Why does Juda fail to destroy the valley’s inhabitants after taking the hill country?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

They have many chariots armed with scythes. Challoner explains separately that Juda fears the hooked and scythed chariots and lacks confidence in God. The chapter also records other tribes leaving named inhabitants in place, sometimes under tribute.

Chapter breakdown

After Josue’s death, Israel asks the Lord who should go first against the Chanaanite and lead the war. The Lord names Juda and says he has delivered the land into Juda’s hands. Juda asks Simeon, his brother, to fight with him in his lot, promising to go with Simeon into his lot in return. Simeon goes. The Lord delivers the Chanaanite and Pherezite into their hands; they kill ten thousand at Bezec. They find and fight Adonibezec there and defeat the Chanaanite and Pherezite. Adonibezec flees, but they pursue, capture him and cut off his fingers and toes. He says seventy kings with their fingers and toes cut off gathered food left under his table, and that God has repaid him as he had done. They bring him to Jerusalem, where he dies.

Juda besieges Jerusalem, takes it, puts it to the sword and burns the whole city. Challoner’s separate note says the city has two parts, Jebus and Salem, one in Juda’s tribe and the other in Benjamin’s. He says that after Juda took and burned it, the Jebusites quickly rebuilt it, as may be gathered from verse 21, and held it until King David took it.

Juda goes down to fight Chanaanites in the mountains, south and plains, then advances against those in Hebron, formerly Cariath-Arbe, and kills Sesai, Ahiman and Tholmai. Challoner’s separate note says the Hebron expedition is the same as the one related at Jos. 15.24 and is repeated to give a short account of Juda’s achievements against the Chanaanites. From Hebron, Juda goes to Dabir’s inhabitants. Its old name, Cariath-Sepher, means the city of letters. Challoner suggests that perhaps it was named for a famous school or library there. Caleb promises his daughter Axa in marriage to whoever takes Cariath-Sepher and lays it waste. Othoniel son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb, takes it, and Caleb gives him Axa. As she goes on her way, her husband urges her to ask her father for a field. She sighs while sitting on her ass, and Caleb asks what troubles her. She asks for a blessing: since he gave her dry land, she also asks for watery land. Caleb gives her the upper and lower watery ground.

The children of the Cinite, Moses’s kinsman, go from the city of palms with Juda’s children into the wilderness of Juda’s lot south of Arad and dwell with him. Challoner’s separate note identifies the Cinite as Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, also called Cinoeus. It says his children came with Israel, settled among them in Chanaan and embraced their worship and religion. The Rechabites came from these descendants; the note points to Jeremias 35. It identifies the city of palms as Jericho, named for its many palm trees.

Juda goes with his brother Simeon. Together they defeat and kill the Chanaanites in Sephaath; the city is named Horma, meaning Anathema. Juda takes Gaza, Ascalon and Accaron with their surrounding territories. Challoner says separately that these are three principal Philistine cities, famous in sacred and secular history. They are taken at this time, but because Israel does not put garrisons in them, the Philistines soon recover them. The Lord is with Juda, who possesses the hill country but cannot destroy the valley’s inhabitants because they have many chariots armed with scythes. Challoner separately attributes this failure to cowardly fear of their chariots with hooks and scythes and lack of confidence in God. Hebron is given to Caleb as Moses said, and Caleb destroys the three sons of Enac there.

Benjamin’s sons do not destroy the Jebusites of Jerusalem; the Jebusite dwells with Benjamin there until this present day. Joseph’s house goes against Bethel, formerly Luza, and the Lord is with them. During the siege they see a man leaving the city and promise mercy if he shows its entrance. He does so. They strike the city with the sword but let the man and all his kindred go. He goes to Hetthim’s land, builds a city and calls it Luza, the name it has until this day.

Manasses does not destroy Bethsan and Thanac with their villages, or Dor, Jeblaam and Mageddo’s inhabitants with their villages; the Chanaanite begins to dwell with them. When Israel grows strong, it makes them tributaries and will not destroy them. Ephraim does not slay the Chanaanite in Gazer but dwells with him. Zabulon does not destroy Cetron and Naalol’s inhabitants; the Chanaanite lives among them and becomes tributary. Aser does not destroy the inhabitants of Accho, Sidon, Ahalab, Achazib, Helba, Aphec and Rohob; Aser lives amid the Chanaanites of that land and does not slay them. Nephthali does not destroy Bethsames and Bethanath’s inhabitants and lives amid the Chanaanites; the Bethsamites and Bethanites pay tribute to him.

The Amorrhite confines Dan’s children to the mountain and gives them no place to go down into the plain. He dwells in mount Hares, meaning potsherds, in Aialon and Salebim. Joseph’s house bears heavily on him, and he becomes tributary to it. Challoner’s separate note identifies “he” in the dwelling statement as the Amorrhite. The Amorrhite’s border runs from the ascent of the scorpion, the rock and the higher places.

The story inside

Israel asks who will lead after Josue’s death, and the Lord names Juda. Juda and Simeon undertake the stated reciprocal campaign, with the recorded victory at Bezec and capture of Adonibezec. Juda’s account continues through Jerusalem, Hebron, Dabir and the reward to Othoniel, including Axa’s particular request and Caleb’s answer. Later entries distinguish victories from places where inhabitants remain. Joseph’s house takes Bethel after a man shows the entrance and spares him and his kindred as promised. The lists then give each tribe’s particular non-destruction, dwelling or tribute outcome, ending with Dan confined by the Amorrhite. Challoner’s notes provide separate explanations about cities, kinship, repeated material and Juda’s valley failure; they do not supply a shared tax motive for every tribe.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Juda and Simeon’s agreement is reciprocal. Juda asks help in his lot and promises help in Simeon’s, and Simeon goes with him. The later record says Juda also goes with Simeon at Sephaath; the account gives these actions without adding a political theory.
2
Challoner’s explanations need their full limits. The school or library at Dabir is only suggested, while Jerusalem’s rebuilding is inferred from verse 21. His garrison and fear explanations belong to separate notes and should not be turned into Scripture or an explanation of every remaining population.
3
The ending distinguishes outcomes by tribe and place. Manasses’s list includes villages; Aser dwells amid inhabitants it does not slay; several other entries name tribute; Dan is blocked from the plain. Keeping those details avoids replacing the recorded differences with one invented motive.

Test your recall

What does Juda promise Simeon in return for help, and how do the valley chariots and the specific later tribute or dwelling entries qualify the chapter’s victories?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 25011–25040
Judges Chapter 1 The expedition and victory of Juda against the Chanaanites: who are tolerated in many places. 1:1. After the death of Josue, the children of Israel consulted the Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the Chanaanite, and shall be the leader of the war? 1:2. And the Lord said: Juda shall go up: behold I have delivered the land into his hands. 1:3. And Juda said to Simeon, his brother: Come up with me into my lot, and fight against the Chanaanite, that I also may go along with thee into thy lot. And Simeon went with him. 1:4. And Juda went up, and the Lord delivered the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite into their hands: and they slew of them in Bezec ten thousand men. 1:5. And they found Adonibezec in Bezec, and fought against him, and they defeated the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite. 1:6. And Adonibezec fled: and they pursued after him and took him, and cut off his fingers and toes. 1:7. And Adonibezec said: Seventy kings, having their fingers and toes cut off, gathered up the leavings of the meat under my table: as I have done, so hath God requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
Lines 25042–25050
1:8. And the children of Juda besieging Jerusalem, took it, and put it to the sword, and set the whole city on fire. Jerusalem.... This city was divided into two; one part was called Jebus, the other Salem: the one was in the tribe of Juda, the other in the tribe of Benjamin. After it was taken and burnt by the men of Juda, it was quickly rebuilt again by the Jebusites, as we may gather from ver. 21; and continued in their possession till it was taken by king David.
Lines 25052–25083
1:9. And afterwards they went down and fought against the Chanaanite, who dwelt in the mountains, and in the south, and in the plains. 1:10. And Juda going forward against the Chanaanite, that dwelt in Hebron, (the name whereof was in former times Cariath-Arbe) slew Sesai, and Ahiman, and Tholmai: Hebron.... This expedition against Hebron, etc. is the same as is related, Jos. 15.24. It is here repeated, to give the reader at once a short sketch of all the achievements of the tribe of Juda against the Chanaanites. 1:11. And departing from thence, he went to the inhabitants of Dabir, the ancient name of which was Cariath-Sepher, that is, the city of letters. The city of letters.... Perhaps so called from some famous school, or library, kept there. 1:12. And Caleb said: He that shall take Cariath-Sepher, and lay it waste, to him will I give my daughter Axa to wife. 1:13. And Othoniel, the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb, having taken it, he gave him Axa his daughter to wife. 1:14. And as she was going on her way, her husband admonished her to ask a field of her father. And as she sighed sitting on her ass, Caleb said to her: What aileth thee? 1:15. But she answered: Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a dry land: give me also a watery land So Caleb gave her the upper and the nether watery ground.
Lines 25085–25095
1:16. And the children of the Cinite, the kinsman of Moses, went up from the city of palms, with the children of Juda, into the wilderness of his lot, which is at the south side of Arad, and they dwelt with him. The Cinite.... Jethro the father in law of Moses was called Cinoeus, or the Cinite; and his children who came along with the children of Israel settled themselves among them in the land of Chanaan, embracing their worship and religion. From these the Rechabites sprung, of whom see Jer. 35.—Ibid. The city of palms.... Jericho, so called from the abundance of palm trees.
Lines 25097–25117
1:17. And Juda went with Simeon, his brother, and they together defeated the Chanaanites that dwelt in Sephaath, and slew them. And the name of the city was called Horma, that is, Anathema. 1:18. And Juda took Gaza, with its confines, and Ascalon, and Accaron, with their confines. Gaza, etc.... These were three of the principal cities of the Philistines, famous both in sacred and profane history. They were taken at this time by the Israelites: but as they took no care to put garrisons in them, the Philistines soon recovered them. 1:19. And the Lord was with Juda, and he possessed the hill country: but was not able to destroy the inhabitants of the valley, because they had many chariots armed with scythes. Was not able, etc.... Through a cowardly fear of their chariots armed with hooks and scythes, and for want of confidence in God. 1:20. And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, who destroyed out of it the three sons of Enac.
Lines 25119–25136
1:21. But the sons of Benjamin did not destroy the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem: and the Jebusite hath dwelt with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this present day. 1:22. The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 1:23. For when they were besieging the city, which before was called Luza, 1:24. They saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him: Shew us the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy. 1:25. And when he had shewed them, they smote the city with the edge of the sword: but that man, and all his kindred, they let go: 1:26. Who being sent away, went into the land of Hetthim, and built there a city, and called it Luza: which is so called until this day.
Lines 25138–25160
1:27. Manasses also did not destroy Bethsan, and Thanac, with their villages; nor the inhabitants of Dor, and Jeblaam, and Mageddo, with their villages. And the Chanaanite began to dwell with them. 1:28. But after Israel was grown strong, he made them tributaries, and would not destroy them. 1:29. Ephraim also did not slay the Chanaanite that dwelt in Gazer, but dwelt with him. 1:30. Zabulon destroyed not the inhabitants of Cetron, and Naalol: but the Chanaanite dwelt among them, and became their tributary. 1:31. Aser also destroyed not the inhabitants of Accho, and of Sidon, of Ahalab, and of Achazib, and of Helba, and of Aphec, and of Rohob: 1:32. And he dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanites, the inhabitants of that land, and did not slay them. 1:33. Nephthali also destroyed not the inhabitants of Bethsames, and of Bethanath: and he dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanites, the inhabitants of the land, and the Bethsamites and Bethanites were tributaries to him.
Lines 25162–25174
1:34. And the Amorrhite straitened the children of Dan in the mountain, and gave them not a place to go down to the plain: 1:35. And he dwelt in the mountain Hares, that is, of potsherds, in Aialon and Salebim. And the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy upon him, and he became tributary to him. He dwelt.... That is, the Amorrhite. 1:36. And the border of the Amorrhite was from the ascent of the scorpion, the rock, and the higher places.