JDG

Judges 1 - Summary

Original Summary

Read Judges Chapter 1 Summary

After Joshua's death, Judah and Simeon lead the conquest, capturing Jerusalem, defeating Adoni-bezek who had cut off seventy kings' thumbs and big toes, and taking Hebron and Debir where Othniel wins Caleb's daughter Achsah by capturing Kiriath-sepher. The Kenites settle in the Negeb, and Judah captures Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron with their territories, though they cannot drive out the valley inhabitants because of iron chariots. The catalog of incomplete conquest continues: Benjamin fails against the Jebusites in Jerusalem; Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan all allow Canaanites to remain, some eventually pressing them into forced labor rather than driving them out.

Original

Characters in This Chapter

Places in This Chapter

Position in Book

Incomplete ConquestChapters 1-2

Israel's failure to drive out the Canaanites and the beginning of the cycle of apostasy.

The JudgesChapters 3-16
Moral and Spiritual DeclineChapters 17-21

Bible Bites

A left-handed hero the enemy never saw coming

The judge Ehud was left-handed, so he hid his sword on his right thigh, the side guards never checked (Judges 3:15-21). His 'weakness' became the very reason his surprise attack succeeded. The Bible loves an unlikely hero.

Judges 3:15-21