Chapter 1:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
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| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Judges 1
The conquests made by Judah and Simeon, ver. 1-20. Benjamin
failed, ver. 21. The house of Joseph took Bethel, ver. 22-26. But Manasseh
did not drive out the Canaanites, ver. 27, 28. Nor Ephraim, ver. 29. Nor Zebulun, ver. 30. Nor Asher, ver. 31, 32. Nor Naphtali, ver. 33. Nor Daniel, ver. 34-36.
Verse 1. After the death - 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 consequently the necessity of enlarging
their quarters, they renew the war. They do not inquire who shall
be captain general to all the tribes; but what tribe shall first
undertake the expedition, that by their success the other tribes
may be encouraged to make the like attempt upon the Canaanites
in their several lots.
Verse 2. Judah - The tribe of Judah is chosen for the first enterprise,
because they were both most populous, and so most needing
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 strong in
those parts, and therefore to be suppressed, before they grew too
strong for them.
Verse 3. To Simeon - As nearest to him both by relation, being his
brother by both parents, and by habitation. The Canaanites -
Specially so called, because they are distinguished from the
Perizzites, ver. 4.
Verse 4. In Bezek - Not in the city, for that was not yet taken, ver. 5, but
in the territory of it.
Verse 5. Adoni-bezek - The Lord or king of Bezek; as his name
signifies. In Bezek - Whither he fled when he lost the field.
Against him - That is, against the city wherein he had encamped
himself, and the rest of his army.
Verse 6. Great toes - And this they did, either by the direction of God, or
upon notice of his former tyranny and cruelty.
Verse 7. Threescore and ten - Which is not strange in those times and
places. For it is well known, that 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 were more numerous there, 'till the
greater devoured many of the less. Under my table - An act of
barbarous inhumanity thus to insult over the miserable, joined
with abominable luxury.
Verse 8. And took - Yet some of the inhabitants retired into the castle,
and held out there 'till David's time.
Verse 10. Judah went - Under the conduct of Caleb, as is recorded, ver.
14, &c., for that relation, and this, are doubtless one and the same
expedition, and it is mentioned there by anticipation.
Verse 16. Moses's father-in-law - That is, of Jethro, so called from the
people whom he descended, Num. xxiv, 21, 22. And, whatsoever
he did, it is evident, that his posterity came into Canaan with the
Israelites, and were there seated with them, see chap. iv, 11, 17; v,
24; 1 Sam. xv, 6; 1 Chron. ii, 1-54, 55. City of palm-trees - That
is, from Jericho, so called, Deut. xxxiv, 3, not the city which was
destroyed, but the territory belonging to it, where it seems they
were seated, in a most pleasant, and fruitful, and safe place,
according to the promise made by Moses to their father, Num. x,
29-32, and whence they might remove, either to avoid the
neighbouring Canaanites; or out of love to the children of Judah.
South of Arad - In the southern part of the land of Canaan, where
Arad was, Num. xxi, 1. They went - That is some of them, for
others of them dwelt in a contrary quarter, in the most northern
part of the land. Among the people - Hebrew. that people, namely,
those children of Judah that lived there.
Verse 17. Judah went with Simeon - According to his promise, ver. 3,
and the laws of justice and gratitude. Hormah - Either,
1. The same place so called, Num. xxi, 3, and so what was there
vowed, is here executed: or,
2. Some other place called by the same name upon the like
occasion, which was frequent among the Hebrew. This seems
more probable.
Verse 18. Judah took - It is only said, they took the cities, and probably
contented themselves with making them tributary; but it is not
said that they slew the people, as they ought to have done; and as
it is said of the other cities here. And the people being thus spared,
did by God's just judgment recover their strength, and expel the
Jews out of their cities. It is farther observable, that Ekron here
taken, was one of Dan's cities, ver. 43, and it was taken here by
Judah and Simeon, partly out of love for their brother Daniel, and
partly to secure their new conquests, and other adjoining
territories, from such potent neighbours.
Verse 19. Could not drive - Because of their unbelief, whereby 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.
Verse 22. House of Joseph - That is, the tribe of Ephraim.
Verse 24. The entrance - On which side it is weakest, that we might best
invade and take it.
Verse 25. His family - Together with his estate, as the following verse
manifests.
Verse 26. The Hittites - Where the Hittites seated themselves after they
were driven out of Canaan, which seems to be northward from
Canaan, and near upon it.
Verse 27. Manasseh - That is, that half of this tribe which dwelt in
Canaan.
Verse 29. In Gezer - Which they possessed 'till Solomon's time, 1 Kings
ix, 16.
Verse 34. The valley - That is, into the plain country; which was the
occasion of that expedition for the getting new quarters, of which
we read ver. 47, 48 and chap. xviii, 1-31.
Verse 35. House of Joseph - That is, of the Ephraimites, who helped
their brethren the Danites against the Amorites.
Verse 36. Akrabbim - Which was in the southern part of Canaan, Josh.
xv, 2, 3, from whence it went up towards the north. This is added to
shew the great power and large extent of this people.
Chapter 1:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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