_A.M. 2579. B.C. 1425._ The conquests made by Judah and Simeon, Judges 1:1. Benjamin failed, Judges 1:21. The house of Joseph took Beth-el, Judges 1:22. But Manasseh did not drive out the Canaanites, Judges 1:27; Judges 1:28; nor Ephraim, Judges 1:29; nor Zebulun, Judges 1:30; nor Asher, Judges 1:3... [ Continue Reading ]
_After the death of Joshua_ Not long after it; for Othniel, the first judge, lived in Joshua's time. _Asked the Lord_ Being assembled together at Shiloh, they inquired of the high-priest by the Urim and the Thummim. _Against the Canaanites first_ Finding their people multiply exceedingly, and conseq... [ Continue Reading ]
_Judah_ The tribe of Judah is chosen for the first enterprise, because they were both most populous, and so most needed enlargement; and withal most valiant, and therefore most likely to succeed; for God chooseth fit means for the work which he designs. Moreover, the Canaanites were numerous and str... [ Continue Reading ]
_Judah said unto Simeon_ As nearest to him, both by relation, being his brother by both parents, and by habitation. _Come up with me against the Canaanites_ Which people, with the Perizzites, still possessed a considerable part of the lot which fell to Judah. _And I will likewise go with thee_ To dr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Judah went up_ The people of that tribe were principally concerned in this expedition, and therefore are only mentioned, though those of the tribe of Simeon went up with them. _And the Lord delivered,_ &c. We meet with no such pious expression (which occurs often here) in any heathen writer. In the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Adoni-bezek in Bezek_ He was the king or lord of that place, as his name imports, and, as it appears, he had fled into it for safety when he had lost the field. _They fought against him_ That is, against the city wherein he had taken refuge, and against the rest of his army. _Cut off his thumbs and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Threescore and ten kings_ Anciently each ruler of a city or great town was called a king, and had kingly power in that place; and many such kings we meet with in Canaan; and it is probable that, some years before, kings had been more numerous there, till the greater destroyed many of the less. Add... [ Continue Reading ]
_Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and taken it_ Yet some of the inhabitants retired into the castle, and held out there till David's time. _Judah went against the Canaanites in Hebron_ Under the conduct of Caleb, as is recorded Joshua 15:14, &c., for that relation and this are doubtless one and t... [ Continue Reading ]
_The children of the Kenite_ Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, seems to have been called a Kenite from the people from whom he was descended, Numbers 24:21. His posterity, it appears, came into Canaan with the Israelites, and were settled there with them. _Went up from the city of palm-trees_ That is,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Judah went with Simeon_ According to their promise, Judges 1:3, and the laws of justice and gratitude: having finished, as far as they were able, the conquest of what belonged to the tribe of Judah, they went to assist the Simeonites to acquire the possession of what was comprehended in their lot.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Judah also took Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron_ These three cities were in the country of the Philistines, upon the sea-coast, and the Israelites did not hold them long before the Philistines recovered them again. For as the Israelites contented themselves with taking these cities, and making the people... [ Continue Reading ]
_Could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley_ Because of their unbelief, through which they distrusted God's power to destroy those who had chariots of iron, and so gave way to their own fear and sloth, whereby God was provoked to withdraw his helping hand.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The house of Joseph_ That is, the tribe of Ephraim. _Show us the entrance into the city_ That is, where it may be most easily entered. For they did not inquire the way to the gate, which, no doubt, was common and plain enough; but for the weakest part, where the walls were lowest, or most out of re... [ Continue Reading ]
_The man went and built a city_ Which is an argument that the children of Ephraim dismissed him and his family, with all their goods and estate. _The land of the Hittites_ Where the Hittites fixed themselves after they were driven out of Canaan, which seems to have been northward from Canaan, and no... [ Continue Reading ]
_Neither did Manasseh_, &c. That is, that half of this tribe which dwelt in Canaan. _Beth-shean_ A place near Jordan, Joshua 17:11. _Taanach_ Of which see Joshua 12:21. _Dor_ A great town, with large territories, Joshua 11:2; Joshua 12:23. _Megiddo_ A royal city, Joshua 12:21; Joshua 17:11. _But the... [ Continue Reading ]
_When Israel was strong they put the Canaanites to tribute_ Herein they violated the law, whereby they were enjoined to destroy or expel that people when they were able. And as they were strong enough to impose tribute on them, they undoubtedly might have driven them entirely out of the land. But it... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 1:29. _Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites_ So far from it, that it appears they did not so much as exact any tribute from them, but made a covenant of friendship with them, which was a still greater crime. _The Canaanites dwelt in Gezer_ Which they possessed till Solomon's time; 1 K... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites_ This manner of speaking seems to imply that these Canaanites still remained the lords of the country, and that the Asherites were only permitted to dwell among the Canaanites, who certainly appear to have paid them no tribute, and to have owed them no subje... [ Continue Reading ]
_They would not suffer them to come down into the valley _ That is, into the plain country; which was the occasion of that expedition for the obtaining of territory elsewhere, of which we read Joshua 19:47, and Judges 18:2. _The hand of the house of Joseph prevailed_ That is, of the Ephraimites, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_From the going up to Akrabbim_ Which was in the southern part of Canaan, Joshua 15:2, from whence it went up toward the north. This is added to show the great power and large extent of this people.... [ Continue Reading ]