Judges 1:1

Judah Takes the Lead

1:1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked ¹  the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?” ² 

Judges 1:28-30

1:28 Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.

1:29 The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.

1:30 The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol. ³  The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor.

Judges 1:32-33

1:32 The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them.

1:33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath. ⁴  They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites ⁵  living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.

Judges 1:35

1:35 The Amorites managed ⁶  to remain in Har Heres, ⁷  Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily, ⁸  the Amorites were forced to do hard labor.

¹ tn The Hebrew verb translated “asked” (שָׁאַל, sha’al) refers here to consulting the Lord through a prophetic oracle; cf. NAB “consulted.”

² tn Heb “Who should first go up for us against the Canaanites to attack them?”

³ tn Heb “the people living in Kitron and the people living in Nahalol.”

⁵ tn Heb “the people living in Beth Shemesh or the people living in Beth Anath.”

⁶ tn The term “Canaanites” is supplied here both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

⁷ tn Or “were determined.”

⁸ tn Or “Mount Heres”; the term הַר (har) means “mount” or “mountain” in Hebrew.

⁹ tn Heb “Whenever the hand of the tribe of Joseph was heavy.”