Judges 1:16
in Judges 1Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live among the people.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt with the people.
KJV
And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
⋯
This verse in Judges 1
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law - For an account of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, see Exodus 18:1-27 (note); Num 10:29 (note), etc. The city of palm trees - This seems to have been some place near Jericho, which city is expressly called the city of palm trees, Deu 34:3; and though destroyed by Joshua, it might have some suburbs remaining where these harmless people had taken up their residence.
This site's exposition
the children of the Kenite
on Judges 1:16-18
The Kenites are the family of Moses' father in law, invited into Israel's portion at Numbers 10:29 to 32, and they settle in the south without taking a tribe's inheritance. Their presence in the land is what makes Heber the Kenite's tent possible at 4:11, where Jael drives the nail. The city of palm trees they come up from is Jericho, called by that name again at 3:13 and at Deuteronomy 34:3. Gaza, Askelon and Ekron are three of the five Philistine capitals, and all three are in Philistine hands through the rest of Judges and the books of Samuel, so what verse 18 records as taken did not stay taken.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
22 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the L ORD was with them. 23 And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.) 24 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee mercy.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:91%@v22-24
They had iron chariots, and therefore it was thought not safe to attack them: but had not Israel God on their side, whose chariots are thousands of angels ( Ps. lxviii. 17 ), before whom these iron chariots would be but as stubble to the fire? Had not God expressly promised by the oracle (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
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.
And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
If he might not himself, his posterity did accept the invitation of Moses (Nu 10:32) to accompany the Israelites to Canaan. Their first encampment was in the "city of palm trees"--not Jericho, of course, which was utterly destroyed, but the surrounding district, perhaps En-gedi, in early times called Hazezon-tamar (Ge 14:7), from the palm-grove which sheltered it.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The children of the Kenite - See Num 24:21 note. The city of palm trees - Jericho (see the marginal reference). The rabbinical story is that Jericho, with 500 cubits square of land, was given to Hobab. The use of the phrase “city of palm trees” for “Jericho,” is perhaps an indication of the influence of Joshua’s curse Jos 6:26. Tbe very name of Jericho was blotted out. There are no palm trees at Jericho now, but Josephus mentions them repeatedly, as well as the balsam trees.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Arid land. A man barren of anything gainful, as he contains nothing but Torah. 16 Temurah,:a.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבְנֵ֣י | uvenei | and [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| קֵינִי֩ | keini | [the] Kenite | H7017 → | 12 times |
| חֹתֵ֨ן | choten | [the] father-in-law of | H2859 → | 33 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֜ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| עָל֨וּ | ʾalu | they went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| מֵעִ֤יר | meir | from [the] city of | H5899 → | 8 times |
| הַתְּמָרִים֙ | hatemarim | the palm trees | H5899 → | 8 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| מִדְבַּ֣ר | midbar | [the] wilderness of | H4057 → | 270 times |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֖ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּנֶ֣גֶב | benegev | [is] in [the] Negev | H5045 → | 112 times |
| עֲרָ֑ד | ʾarad | Arad | H6166 → | |
| וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב | vaiyeshev | and he dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| הָעָֽם׃ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
וּבְנֵ֣יand [the] descendants of
uveneiH1121 →4930 times
קֵינִי֩[the] Kenite
keiniH7017 →12 times
חֹתֵ֨ן[the] father-in-law of
chotenH2859 →33 times
מֹשֶׁ֜הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
עָל֨וּthey went up
ʾaluH5927 →890 times
מֵעִ֤ירfrom [the] city of
meirH5899 →8 times
הַתְּמָרִים֙the palm trees
hatemarimH5899 →8 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] descendants of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
מִדְבַּ֣ר[the] wilderness of
midbarH4057 →270 times
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
אֲשֶׁ֖רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּנֶ֣גֶב[is] in [the] Negev
benegevH5045 →112 times
עֲרָ֑דArad
ʾaradH6166 →
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁבand he dwelt
vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
הָעָֽם׃the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 34:3the Negev, and the region from the Valley of Jericho (the City of Palms) all the way to Zoar.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 28:15
Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the naked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed…
- Judges 3:13
After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.
- 2 Chronicles 28:15
Through
Judges 4:11Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent by the great tree of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.
it leads to
- Joshua 19:33
Their border started at Heleph and the great tree of Zaanannim, passing Adami-nekeb and Jabneel as far as Lakkum and ending at the Jordan.
- Numbers 10:29
Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said: ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us,…
- Joshua 19:33
Through
1 Samuel 15:6And he warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt, go on and get away from the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away…
it leads to
- Numbers 10:29–32
Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said: ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us,…
- Judges 4:11
Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent by the great tree of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.
- Exodus 18:19
Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.
- Numbers 10:29–32
Through
Numbers 21:1When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked Israel and captured some prisoners.
it leads to
- Numbers 33:40
Now the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.
- Numbers 33:40
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Judges
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.