Judges 1:17
in Judges 1Then the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. So it was called Hormah.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.
KJV
And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.
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This verse in Judges 1
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Hormah - See Num 21:1 note. The destruction then vowed was now accomplished. This is another decisive indication that the events here related belong to Joshua’s lifetime. This would be about six years after the vow.
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
Judah went with Simeon - According to his promise, ver. 3, and the laws of justice and gratitude. 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.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-3-anchored-17-17
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
And Judah went with Simeon his brother,....
The Kenites gained a settlement in the tribe of Judah, choosing it there rather than in any other tribe, because it was the strongest, and there they hoped to be safe and quiet,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Hormah--destroyed in fulfilment of an early vow of the Israelites (see on Nu 21:2). The confederate tribes, pursuing their incursions in that quarter, came successively to Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron, which they took.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The city was called Hormah - This appears to be the same transaction mentioned Num 21:1 (note), etc., where see the notes.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| יְהוּדָה֙ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| שִׁמְע֣וֹן | shimon | Simeon | H8095 → | 44 times |
| אָחִ֔יו | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וַיַּכּ֕וּ | vaiyaku | and they attacked | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י | hakenaani | the Canaanite[s] | H3669 → | 73 times |
| יוֹשֵׁ֣ב | yoshev | [who] dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| צְפַ֑ת | tzefat | of Zephath | H6857 → | |
| וַיַּחֲרִ֣ימוּ | vaiyacharimu | and they totally destroyed | H2763 → | |
| אוֹתָ֔הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וַיִּקְרָ֥א | vaiyikra' | and he called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שֵׁם־ | shem- | [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| הָעִ֖יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| חָרְמָֽה׃ | charemah | Hormah | H2767 → |
וַיֵּ֤לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
יְהוּדָה֙Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
שִׁמְע֣וֹןSimeon
shimonH8095 →44 times
אָחִ֔יוbrother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
וַיַּכּ֕וּand they attacked
vaiyakuH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖יthe Canaanite[s]
hakenaaniH3669 →73 times
יוֹשֵׁ֣ב[who] dwelt
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
צְפַ֑תof Zephath
tzefatH6857 →
וַיַּחֲרִ֣ימוּand they totally destroyed
vaiyacharimuH2763 →
אוֹתָ֔הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
וַיִּקְרָ֥אand he called
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שֵׁם־[the] name of
shem-H8034 →864 times
הָעִ֖ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
חָרְמָֽה׃Hormah
charemahH2767 →
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
Numbers 14:45Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them all the way to Hormah.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:44
Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir all the way to Hormah.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 21:3
And the LORD heard Israel’s plea and delivered up the Canaanites. Israel devoted them and their cities to destruction; so they named the place Hormah.
- Numbers 14:43
For there the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, He will not be with you.”
- Deuteronomy 1:44
Through
Numbers 21:3And the LORD heard Israel’s plea and delivered up the Canaanites. Israel devoted them and their cities to destruction; so they named the place Hormah.
it leads to
- Numbers 14:45
Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them all the way to Hormah.
- Psalms 10:17
You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear,
- Psalms 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
- Numbers 14:45
Through
Judges 1:3Then the men of Judah said to their brothers the Simeonites, “Come up with us to our allotted territory, and let us fight against the Canaanites. And we likewise will go with you to…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 10:11
“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.
- Joshua 19:1
The second lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Simeon:
- 2 Samuel 10:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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.