Focused Passage

Judges 1:16-21

Incomplete Conquest and the Seeds of Covenant Decline

From inquiry and victory to repetition of failure: Israel begins dependent on the LORD, Judah leads with notable successes, but the chapter widens into a tribal inventory of incomplete obedience, forced labor, coexistence, and territorial pressure.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

16Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live among the people.

17Then the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. So it was called Hormah.

18And Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron—each with its territory.

19The LORD was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plains because they had chariots of iron.

20Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak.

21The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

Now the descendantsוּבְנֵ֣יH1121Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural constructof Moses’מֹשֶׁ֜הH4872Noun - proper - masculine singularfather-in-lawחֹתֵ֨ןH2859Noun - masculine singular constructthe Keniteקֵינִי֩H7017Noun - proper - masculine singularwent upעָל֨וּH5927Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralwithאֶת־H854Prepositionthe menבְּנֵ֣יH1121Noun - masculine plural constructof Judahיְהוּדָ֔הH3063Noun - proper - masculine singularfrom the Cityמֵעִ֤ירH5892Noun - feminine singularof Palmsהַתְּמָרִים֙H8558Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singularto the Wildernessמִדְבַּ֣רH4057Noun - masculine singular constructof Judahיְהוּדָ֔הH3063Noun - proper - masculine singular-אֲשֶׁ֖רH834Pronoun - relativein the Negevבְּנֶ֣גֶבH5045Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singularnear Aradעֲרָ֑דH6166Noun - proper - feminine singularThey wentוַיֵּ֖לֶךְH1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularto liveוַיֵּ֥שֶׁבH3427Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularamongאֶת־H854Prepositionthe peopleהָעָֽם׃H5971Article | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, Jericho
Verse 17

Original words

Then the men of Judahיְהוּדָה֙H3063Noun - proper - masculine singularwentוַיֵּ֤לֶךְH1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularwithאֶת־H854Prepositiontheir brothersאָחִ֔יוH251Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularthe Simeonitesשִׁמְע֣וֹןH8095Noun - proper - masculine singularattackedוַיַּכּ֕וּH5221Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe Canaanitesהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖יH3669Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularlivingיוֹשֵׁ֣בH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularin Zephathצְפַ֑תH6857Noun - proper - feminine singularand devoted [the city] to destructionוַיַּחֲרִ֣ימוּH2763Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural-אוֹתָ֔הּH853Direct object marker | third person feminine singularSo [it] was calledוַיִּקְרָ֥אH7121Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object marker-שֵׁם־H8034Noun - masculine singular construct. . .הָעִ֖ירH5892Article | Noun - feminine singularHormahחָרְמָֽה׃H2767Noun - proper - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
  • Hormah means destruction.
Verse 18

Original words

And Judahיְהוּדָה֙H3063Noun - proper - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markeralso capturedוַיִּלְכֹּ֤דH3920Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularGazaעַזָּ֣הH5804Noun - proper - feminine singular-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker-גְּבוּלָ֔הּH1366Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular-וְאֶֽת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerAshkelonאַשְׁקְל֖וֹןH831Noun - proper - feminine singular-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker-גְּבוּלָ֑הּH1366Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerand Ekronעֶקְר֖וֹןH6138Noun - proper - feminine singulareach withוְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerits territoryגְּבוּלָֽהּ׃H1366Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew; LXX But Judah did not capture
Verse 19

Original words

The LORDיְהוָה֙H3068Noun - proper - masculine singularwasוַיְהִ֤יH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularwithאֶתּ־H854PrepositionJudahיְהוּדָ֔הH3063Noun - proper - masculine singularand they took possessionוַיֹּ֖רֶשׁH3423Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerof the hill countryהָהָ֑רH2022Article | Noun - masculine singularbutכִּ֣יH3588Conjunctionthey could notלֹ֤אH3808Adverb - Negative particledrive outלְהוֹרִישׁ֙H3423Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe inhabitantsיֹשְׁבֵ֣יH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural constructof the plainsהָעֵ֔מֶקH6010Article | Noun - masculine singularbecauseכִּי־H3588Conjunctionthey hadלָהֶֽם׃Preposition | third person masculine pluralchariotsרֶ֥כֶבH7393Noun - masculine singular constructof ironבַּרְזֶ֖לH1270Noun - masculine singular
Verse 20

Original words

-אֶת־H853Direct object markerJust asכַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖רH834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relativeMosesמֹשֶׁ֑הH4872Noun - proper - masculine singularhad promisedדִּבֶּ֣רH1696Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singularJudah gaveוַיִּתְּנ֤וּH5414Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralHebronחֶבְר֔וֹןH2275Noun - proper - feminine singularto Calebלְכָלֵב֙H3612Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularwho drove outוַיּ֣וֹרֶשׁH3423Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-מִשָּׁ֔םH8033Preposition-m | Adverb[the descendants of] the threeשְׁלֹשָׁ֖הH7969Number - masculine singularsonsבְּנֵ֥יH1121Noun - masculine plural constructof Anakהָעֲנָֽק׃H6061Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object marker
Verse 21

Original words

The Benjamitesבְּנֵ֣יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .בִנְיָמִ֑ןH1144Noun - proper - masculine singularhoweverוְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerfailed toלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particledrive outהוֹרִ֖ישׁוּH3423Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common pluralthe Jebusitesהַיְבוּסִי֙H2983Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularlivingיֹשֵׁ֣בH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularin Jerusalemיְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֔םH3389Noun - proper - feminine singularSo toעַ֖דH5704Prepositionthisהַזֶּֽה׃סH2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singulardayהַיּ֥וֹםH3117Article | Noun - masculine singularthe Jebusitesהַיְבוּסִ֜יH2983Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularliveוַיֵּ֨שֶׁבH3427Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular[there]בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םH3389Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singularamongאֶת־H854Prepositionthe Benjamitesבְּנֵ֤יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .בִנְיָמִן֙H1144Noun - proper - masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.