The book of Judges forms an important link in the history of the Israelites. It furnishes us with a lively description of a fluctuating and unsettled nation; a striking picture of the disorders and dangers which prevailed in a republic without magistracy; when the high-ways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through by-ways, (ch. 5,6;) when few prophets were appointed to control the people, and everyone did that which was right in his own eyes. (ch 17:6). It exhibits the contest of true religion with superstition; and displays the beneficial effects that flow from the former, and the miseries and evil consequences of impiety. It is a most remarkable history of the long-suffering of God towards the Israelites, in which we see the most signal instances of his justice and mercy alternately displayed: the people sinned, and were punished; they repented, and found mercy. These things are written for our warning: none should presume, for God is just; none need despair, for God is merciful. Independently of the internal evidence of the authenticity of this sacred book, the transactions it records are not only cited or alluded to by other inspired writers, but are further confirmed by the traditions current among heathen nations.

1 The acts of Judah and Simeon
4 Adonibezek justly requited
8 Jerusalem taken
10 Hebron taken
11 Othniel has Achsah to wife for taking of Debir
16 The Kenites dwell in Judah
17 Hormah, Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron taken
21 The acts of Benjamin
22 Of the house of Joseph, who take Beth-el
30 Of Zebulun
31 Of Asher
33 Of Naphtali
34 Of Dan

now Jos 24:29,30

asked Jud 20:18,28 Ex 28:30 Nu 27:21 1Sa 22:9,10 23:9,10

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

Ge 49:8-10 Nu 2:3 7:12 Ps 78:68-70 Heb 7:14 Re 5:5 19:11-16

3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

Simeon Ge 29:33 Jos 19:1

I likewise Jud 1:17 2Sa 10:11

4 And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

Lord De 7:2 9:3 Jos 10:8-10 11:6-8 1Sa 14:6,10 17:46,47 1Ki 22:6,15

Bezek. Eusebius and Jerome mention two villages of this name, near each other, about seventeen miles from Shechem, towards Scythopolis 1Sa 11:8

5 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6 But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

7 And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

their thumbs. Heb. the thumbs of their hands and of their feet. This was not an unusual act of cruelty in ancient times towards enemies.--AElian informs us, that in after ages 'the Athenians, at the instigation of Cleon, son of Cleoenetus, made a decree that all the inhabitants of the island of AEgina should have the thumb cut off from the right hand, so that they might ever after be disabled from holding a spear, yet might handle an oar.' It was a custom among those Romans who did not like a military life, to cut off their thumbs, that they might be incapable of serving in the army; and for the same reason, parents sometimes cut off the thumbs of their children. gathered. or, gleaned. as I have Ex 21:23-25 Le 24:19-21 1Sa 15:33 Isa 33:1 Mt 7:1,2 Lu 6:37,38 Ro 2:15 Jas 2:13 Re 13:10 16:6

8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

Jud 1:21 Jos 15:63

9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.

afterward Jos 10:36 11:21 15:13-20

valley. or, low country

10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

Kirjath-arba Jos 14:15

Sheshai Jud 1:20 Nu 13:22,33 Jos 15:13,14 Ps 33:16,17 Ec 9:11 Jer 9:23

11 And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher:

Debir Jos 10:38,39 15:15

12 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.

And Caleb. The whole of this account is found in Jos. 15:13-19, and seems to be inserted here by way of recapitulation. Jos 15:16,17 1Sa 17:25 18:23

to him. In ancient times fathers assumed an absolute right over their children, especially in disposing of them in marriage; and it was customary for a king or great man to promise his daughter in marriage to him who should take a city.

13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

Jud 3:9

14 And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou?

And it came Jos 15:18,19

and she lighted. Watitznach, 'she hastily or suddenly alighted,' as if she had forgotten something, or was about to return.

15 And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

a blessing Ge 33:11 1Sa 25:18,27 2Co 9:5 Heb 6:7 1Pe 3:9

a south land. Which was probably dry, or very ill watered. give me also springs of water. Let me have some fields with brooks, or wells already digged.

16 And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.

the Kenite Jud 4:11,17 Nu 10:29-32 24:21,22 1Sa 15:6 1Ch 2:15 Jer 35:2

Moses Ex 3:1 4:18 18:1,7,12,14-17,27 Nu 10:29

city of palm Jud 3:13 De 34:3 2Ch 28:16

which Nu 21:1 Jos 12:14

they went Nu 10:29-32 1Sa 15:6

17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.

And Judah Jud 1:3

Zephath 2Ch 14:10

Hormah Nu 14:45 21:3 Jos 19:4

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

Also Judah. There is the following remarkable variation here in the Septuagint: But Judah did not possess Gaza, nor the coasts thereof; nor Askelon, nor the coasts thereof; nor Ekron, nor the coasts thereof; nor Ashdod, nor the coasts thereof.' Procopius and Augustine read the same; and Josephus says that the Israelites only took Askelon and Ashdod, but not Gaza or Ekron; and from ch. 3:3, and the whole succeeding history, it appears that these cities were not in the possession of the Israelites, but of the Philistines. Gaza Jud 3:3 16:1,2,21 Ex 23:31 Jos 11:22 13:3 15:45-47 1Sa 6:17

19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

the Lord Nu 1:2 6:12,13 Ge 39:2,21 Jos 1:5,9 14:12 2Sa 5:10 2Ki 18:7 Ps 46:7,11 60:12 Ec 9:11 Isa 7:14 8:10 41:10,14,15 Mt 1:23 Ro 8:31

he drave, or he possessed the mountain. but could. Not because the iron chariots were too strong for Omnipotence, or because he refused to help them; but because their courage and faith failed when they saw them. Jud 1:27-32 Jos 7:12 Mt 14:30,31 17:19,20 Php 4:13

chariots Ex 14:7 Jos 11:1-9 17:16-18 Ps 46:9

20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.

they gave Nu 14:24 De 1:36 Jos 14:9-14 15:13,14 21:11,12

the three sons Nu 1:10 13:22

21 And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

Jud 19:10-12 Jos 15:63 18:11-28 2Sa 5:6-9

22 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them.

the house Nu 1:10,32 Jos 14:4 16:1-4 1Ch 7:29 Re 7:8

the Lord Jud 1:19 Ge 49:24 2Ki 18:7

23 And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)

sent Jud 18:2 Jos 2:1 7:2

Luz Ge 28:19 35:6 48:3

24 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee mercy.

we will Jos 2:12-14 1Sa 30:15

25 And when he showed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.

they smote Jos 6:22-25

26 And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day.

the land 2Ki 7:6 2Ch 1:17

27 Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

Manasseh Jos 17:11-13

Taanach Jud 5:19 Jos 21:25

the Canaanites Ex 23:32 De 7:2 1Sa 15:9 Ps 106:34,35 Jer 48:10

28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.

29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

Jos 16:10 1Ki 9:16

30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.

Kitron. The Talmudists say Kitron is 'tzippor,' that is, Sepphoris, or Diocaesarea, a celebrated city of Galilee, now the village Safoury, situated in the plain of Esdraelon, twenty miles north-west from Tiberias, according to Benjamin of Tudela. Nahalol Jos 19:15

31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:

Asher Jos 19:24-30

Accho, the Ptolemais of the Greeks and Romans, and called Saint John of Acre by the Crusaders, is situated of the Mediterranean, in a fine plain, at the north angle of a bay to which it gives name, and which extends in a semicircle of three leagues as far as Carmel, and nine leagues from Tyre. Zidon. Another celebrated city of Phoenicia, now Saide, situated in a fine country on the Mediterranean, 400 stadia from Berytus, and 200 north from Tyre, according to Strabo, one day's journey from Paneas, according to Josephus, and sixty-six miles from Damascus, according to Abulfeda. Achzib. or, Ecdippa, now Zib, nine miles north, from Accho.

32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.

Ps 106:34,35

33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.

Naphtali Jos 19:32-38

he dwelt Jud 1:32

became Jud 1:30,35 Ps 18:24

34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:

Jud 18:1 Jos 19:47

35 But the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries.

Aijalon Jud 12:12 Jos 10:12

Shaalbim Jos 19:42 1Ki 4:9

prevailed. Heb. was heavy

36 And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

from the going. or, Maalehacrabbim Nu 34:4 Jos 15:2