Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 1:2
And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
2 21. The conquests of Judah
2 . the land ] Not the whole land, but the part which had fallen to Judah’s lot.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And the Lord said – i. e. answered by Urim and Thummim. The land was the portion which fell to Judah by lot, not the whole land of Canaan (see Jdg 3:11). The priority given to Judah is a plain indication of divine direction. It points to the birth of our Lord of the tribe of Judah. Judah associated Simeon with him Jdg 1:3 because their lots were intermingled Jos 19:1.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. The Lord said, Judah shall go up] They had inquired of the Lord by Phinehas the high priest; and he had communicated to them the Divine counsel.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Not a person so called, but the tribe of Judah, as is manifest from Jdg 1:3,4,8,9, which 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; and because the Canaanites were numerous and strong in those parts, and therefore where in time to be suppressed, before they grew too strong for them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. the Lord said, Judah shall goupThe predicted pre-eminence (Ge49:8) was thus conferred upon Judah by divine direction, and itsappointment to take the lead in the ensuing hostilities was of greatimportance, as the measure of success by which its arms were crowned,would animate the other tribes to make similar attempts against theCanaanites within their respective territories.
I have delivered the landinto his handnot the whole country, but the district assignedfor his inheritance.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Lord said,…. By an articulate voice, which it is probable was the usual way of answering by Urim and Thummim:
Judah shall go up; not Judah in person, who was long ago dead, but the tribe of Judah; it was the will of the Lord that that tribe should engage first with the Canaanites, being the principal one, and the most numerous, powerful, and valiant, and perhaps had the greatest number of Canaanites among them; and who succeeding, would inspire the other tribes with courage, and fill their enemies with a panic:
behold, I have delivered the land into his hands; that part of it which belonged to that tribe as yet unsubdued, the conquest of which they are assured of for their encouragement.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) The Lord said.The answer is given to the priest by the Urim, and he announces it to the people.
Judah shall go up.The phrase go up is used in a military sense (Jos. 6:5). The question had not been, Who shall be our leader? but, Which tribe shall fight first? The reason why Judah is chosen is from the eminence and power of the tribe, which was also the most numerous at both of the censuses taken in the wilderness (Num. 1:26; Num. 26:19-22). Jacobs blessing on the tribe had been, Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies (Gen. 49:8). (Comp. Num. 34:19; Jos. 15:1.) In the arrangement of the camp, Judah was stationed at the east, with Issachar and Zebulon, and always started first on the march (Num. 2:3-9), with its lion-standard, which was a symbol of its lion-courage (Gen. 49:9; Rev. 5:5). The same answer is given by Urim in Jdg. 20:18.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Judah The tribe; the individual had long been dead.
Deu 1:35. This designation of Judah to the pre-eminence was in substance a repetition of the prophetic blessing of dying Jacob: “Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be upon the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.” Gen 49:8. But although God thus clearly designated Judah for the leadership, the tribe failed to understand that from among its thousands a personal leader and national executive should be sought, and measures at once be taken to organize a strong central government, and realize as soon as possible the ideal presented in the book of the Law. Here was Judah’s divine call, but the tribe neglected it, entered into a league with Simeon, andthrough all the period of the Judges kept sinking into comparative insignificance. In Samson’s time this tribe seems to have been the most cowardly in Israel, and utterly afraid to resist the Philistine conquerors.
Compare Jdg 15:11, note. Not until David attained the throne did Judah recover from the effects of the failure to improve fully this divine call.
I have delivered It was the divine purpose that the ultimate and complete conquest of the Promised Land should be wrought by Judah’s sceptre, but it was not done till the days of David.
The land Not only the lot of Judah, but the whole land of Canaan.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And Yahweh said, “Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand ” ’
“And Yahweh said.” This would be through the Urim and Thummim (Exo 28:30; Num 27:21). Questions would be phrased and then the Urim and Thummim used to obtain the answer ‘yes’ or ‘no reply’. There is no example of a ‘no’ answer from the Urim and Thummim anywhere, although it is possible that that also was obtainable. One suggestion is that each had one side with ‘yes on it and the other with ‘no’ on it. When they were thrown down in the Tabernacle ‘before Yahweh’, if two yeses came up the answer was ‘yes’. If two noes came up the answer was ‘no’. If one of each the answer was ‘no reply’.
“Judah shall go up.” This was not Judah in person, for he was long ago dead, but this meant the tribe of Judah. This way of speaking of the tribe as though it were a person is commonly found in the narrative (compare ‘Israel’). Judah was one of the most numerous and powerful tribes and destined to leadership in Israel (see Gen 49:8-12).
“Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.” That is, the part which had been assigned to them, part of which still remained to be conquered. They were assured that Yahweh had already determined on their success. God was with them. Although always, of course, conditionally on obedience.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 1:2. Judah shall go up This was the most numerous and most valiant of the tribes, Gen 49:8.; and is commanded to go up, says Houbigant, because those nations were to be subdued which were in the lot of this tribe, as appears from the third verse, Come up to me into my lot.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jdg 1:2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
Ver. 2. And the Lord said, ] viz., By the ministry of the high priest.
Judah shall go up.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
Ver. 2. Mercy unto you, &c. ] Mercy from the Father, peace from the Son, and love from the Holy Ghost.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos (App-6). Some codices. with three early printed editions, read “and behold”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Gen 49:8-10, Num 2:3, Num 7:12, Psa 78:68-70, Heb 7:14, Rev 5:5, Rev 19:11-16
Reciprocal: Gen 46:12 – Judah Jdg 1:19 – the Lord Jdg 20:18 – Judah Jdg 20:28 – Go up 1Ki 8:44 – whithersoever 1Ch 5:2 – Judah 2Ch 6:34 – by the way Pro 20:18 – and
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
God selected Judah to lead the rest of the tribes into battle. Judah asked Simeon to go with him and promised to help him conquer his lot if he would help conquer that of Judah. They killed 10,000 Canaanites and Perizzites in Bezek and captured their king, Adoni-bezek. His thumbs and great toes were cut off so that he could not flee nor take up arms. Though his punishment may seem harsh to us, he saw it as just retribution, saying, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.” His imagery was like a dog eating under the master’s table and describes the worst possible humiliation. Israel led him to Jerusalem, where he died ( Jdg 1:2-8 ).
God blessed the efforts of Judah and Simeon as they conquered the mountains of their two lots. They failed to conquer the inhabitants of the valleys because the people who lived there had iron tipped chariots ( Jdg 1:9-19 ). Other failures to drive out the nations are recorded in Judges 1:21, 27, 29, 30, 31-32, 33 and 34 . Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh did destroy the people of Bethel.
Spies captured a man of that city and got him to show them another way into the city, with the promise they would spare his family. They conquered Bethel and slew all in it but that man. He went into the land of the Hittites and built a city named Luz, after his former place of abode ( Jdg 1:22-26 ). Manasseh, Naphtali and Dan did also force some of the nations to pay tribute to them, but they remained there as a thorn in Israel’s side because they were not driven out (1:28, 33, 35-36).
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Jdg 1:2. Judah The tribe of Judah is chosen for the first enterprise, because they were both most populous, and so most needed 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 it was necessary they should be suppressed before they grew too strong for them.