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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Judges 1:21 - 1:36
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Various Heathen Left in Canaan
v. 21. And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem, who returned to the city as soon as the armies of Judah and Simeon marched southward; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day. This notice is here inserted partly to show that the conquered city did not remain in the hands of Israel, partly to indicate that Judah had no intention of permanently occupying a city allotted to Benjamin.
v. 22. And the house of Joseph, the Manassites and Ephraimite, they also went up against Bethel, a strongly fortified city, whose men had marched to the assistance of Ai, Jos_8:17; and the Lord was with them.
v. 23. And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel, a scouting party. (Now the name of the city before was Luz, namely, in ancient times, when the country was still in the hands of the Canaanites. ) "As Jebus indicated particularly the fortress, Jerusalem the city—although the latter name also embraced both,—so a similar relation must be assumed to have existed between Bethel and Luz. Otherwise the border of Benjamin could not have run south of Luz, Jos_18:13, while nevertheless Bethel was reckoned among the cities of Benjamin, Jos_18:22. " (Lange. ) It was thus the old section of the city, the fortress part, against which the expedition was directed.
v. 24. And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, after they had vainly sought a suitable place for a successful assault, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, some way of entering it unawares, and we will show thee mercy, spare him and his family as a reward for this assistance.
v. 25. And when he showed them the entrance into the city, apparently some hidden passage, thus making it unnecessary to storm the city, they smote the city, all the inhabitants, with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family; he, like Rahab, saved the life of his entire family by his service to the army of the Lord.
v. 26. And the man went into the land of the Hittites, very likely in the mountains of the north or in Phenicia, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz; which is the name thereof unto this day.
v. 27. Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and her towns, on the border of the Jordan Valley, nor Taanach and her towns, farther to the west in the Plain of Esdraelon, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, on the coast of the Mediterranean, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, these two also being located in the beautiful Plain of Jezreel; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land, accepting the proposals or conditions of the conquerors.
v. 28. And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, this being true of all the tribes in general, and did not utterly drive them out. The children of Israel disregarded the command to exterminate the Canaanites, even when they were in a position to carry it out.
v. 29. Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer, a town four or five miles east of the present Joppa or Jeffa; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
v. 30. Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them and became tributaries, while they occupied their pastures and meadows.
v. 31. Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, on the coast of the Mediterranean, north of Carmel, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, the ancient capital of Philistia, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob, all of these in the foothills of the Lebanon or on the Phenician coast;
v. 32. but the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.
v. 33. Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributaries unto them.
v. 34. And the Amorites, in the lower part of the Plain of Sharon, along the Mediterranean, forced the children of Dan into the mountain; for they would not sulfer them to come down to the valley;
v. 35. but the Amorites would dwell in Mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, since they were provided with all the appliances of military art and had resisted even Judah; yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, rested very heavily upon the Amorites, so that they became tributaries.
v. 36. And the coast of the Amorites, at the time of the conquest of the land, was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward, from the Scorpion-height in the southeast over to the extreme southwest, where the mountains arise that fringe the Wilderness of Zin. From this entire country they had been driven and now retained only a small part of the Mediterranean lowland, just north of Philistia. The history, as here presented, has many analogies in the spiritual field. Many a Christian who started out with a willing mind has become weary of the continual battle, has permitted the enemies to reoccupy lost territory, and so has lost everything he had gained.