Judges 1:8
in Judges 1Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
KJV
Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
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This verse in Judges 1
Commentary
7 notes on this verseHad fought against Jerusalem - We read this verse in a parenthesis, because we suppose that it refers to the taking of this city by Joshua; for as he had conquered its armies and slew its king, Jos 10:26, it is probable that he took the city: yet we find that the Jebusites still dwelt in it, Jos 15:63; and that the men of Judah could not drive them out, which probably refers to the strong hold or fortress on Mount Zion, which the Jebusites held till the days of David, who took it, and totally destroyed the Jebusites.
This site's exposition
found Adoni-bezek and fought against him
on Judges 1:5-8
The captured king sentences himself, "As I have done to them, so God has repaid me", the one Canaanite in the book given a line of theology. Scripture names thumbs and big toes together elsewhere only where blood is put on them, at Exodus 29:20 and Leviticus 14:14. Jerusalem burns at verse 8, yet verse 21 finds the Jebusites still there, so the city was struck and not held.
This site's exposition
fought against Jerusalem and captured it
Adam Clarke reads this verse as a look back to Joshua's day, since Joshua had killed the city's king at Joshua 10:26. He explains the Jebusites of verse 21 by the fortress on Mount Zion, which they held until David took it. The city burned; the stronghold stood.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
19 And the L ORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. 20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak. We have here a further account of that glorious and successful campaign which Judah and Simeon made.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:46w-of-67
Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it,.... Which accounted for their carrying Adonibezek thither.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Similar inroads were made into the other unconquered parts of Judah's inheritance [Jud 1:9-11]. The story of Caleb's acquisition of Hebron is here repeated (Jos 15:16-19). [See on Jos 15:16.]
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Render “and the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it,” etc. With regard to the capture of Jerusalem there is some obscurity. It is here said to have been taken, smitten with the edge of the sword, and burned, by the children of Judah. In Jos 12:8, Jos 12:10 the Jebusite and the king of Jerusalem are enumerated among Joshua’s conquests, but without any distinct mention of the capture of the city; and in the marginal reference we read that the Jebusites were not expelled from Jerusalem, but dwelt with the children of Judah (compare Jdg 1:21). Further, we learn from Jdg 19:10-12 that Jerusalem was wholly a Jebusite city in the lifetime of Phinehas Jdg 20:28, and so it continued until the reign of David 2Sa 5:6-9. The conclusion is that Jerusalem was only taken once, namely, at the time here described, and that this was in the lifetime of Joshua; but that the children of Judah did not occupy it in sufficient force to prevent the return of the Jebusites, who gradually recovered complete possession. Set the city on fire - A phrase found only at Jdg 20:48; 2Ki 8:12, and Psa 74:7.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּלָּחֲמ֤וּ | vaiyilachamu | and they fought | H3898 → | 177 times |
| בְנֵֽי־ | venei- | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יְהוּדָה֙ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם | birushalim | against Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וַיִּלְכְּד֣וּ | vaiyilkedu | and they captured | H3920 → | 121 times |
| אוֹתָ֔הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וַיַּכּ֖וּהָ | vaiyakuha | and they struck it | H5221 → | 499 times |
| לְפִי־ | lefi- | to [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| חָ֑רֶב | charev | [the] sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעִ֖יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| שִׁלְּח֥וּ | shilechu | they sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| בָאֵֽשׁ׃ | vaesh | in <the> fire | H784 → | 378 times |
וַיִּלָּחֲמ֤וּand they fought
vaiyilachamuH3898 →177 times
בְנֵֽי־[the] descendants of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
יְהוּדָה֙Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םagainst Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
וַיִּלְכְּד֣וּand they captured
vaiyilkeduH3920 →121 times
אוֹתָ֔הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
וַיַּכּ֖וּהָand they struck it
vaiyakuhaH5221 →499 times
לְפִי־to [the] mouth of
lefi-H6310 →498 times
חָ֑רֶב[the] sword
charevH2719 →413 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הָעִ֖ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
שִׁלְּח֥וּthey sent
shilechuH7971 →845 times
בָאֵֽשׁ׃in <the> fire
vaeshH784 →378 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
7 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
Joshua 15:63But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 5:6–9
Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 1:21
The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.
- 1 Chronicles 11:4–8
Then David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus), where the Jebusites inhabited the land.
- Romans 7:14–21
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
- 2 Samuel 5:6–9
Through
Judges 1:21The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.
it leads to
- Joshua 15:63
But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.
- Joshua 18:11–28
The first lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:
- Judges 19:10–12
But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
- Joshua 15:63
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.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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 (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.