Judges 1:2
in Judges 1“Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
KJV
And the Lord said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
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This verse in Judges 1
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAnd in the Book of Joshua, son of Nave, when the land of promise was divided by lot among the other tribes, the tribe of Judah took its own portion of the land without casting lots, and first of all. And, moreover, "After the death of Joshua the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanite, leading our fighting against him? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up. Behold, I have given the land into his hands."
This site's exposition
the Israelites inquired of the LORD
on Judges 1:1-4
Albert Barnes notes that the phrase "inquired of the LORD" occurs only in Judges and the books of Samuel. The answer names Judah, whose "hand shall be on the necks of your enemies" at Genesis 49:8. Simeon comes along because Joshua 19:9 places Simeon's inheritance "within Judah’s portion".
This site's exposition
Judah shall go up
Adam Clarke holds that Israel asked through Phinehas the high priest, who passed on the divine answer. Matthew Henry notes that Judah received its lot first and so fights first. He sees Christ, the Lion of Judah, going before them.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Judah was first served; the lot came up for Judah first, and therefore Judah must first fight. Judah was the tribe out of which our Lord was to spring: so that in Judah, Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, went before them. Christ engaged the powers of darkness first, and foiled them, which animates us for our conflicts; and it is in him that we are more than conquerors.
Judah - The tribe of Judah 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 the Lord said,....
Yet they suffered their fears to prevail against their faith, they could not trust God under any disadvantages, and therefore durst not face the iron chariots, but meanly withdrew their forces, when with one bold stroke they might have completed their victories; and it proved of pernicious consequence.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
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
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites? To the territories for which lots were cast. By Yehoshua, Elazar, and the tribal chieftains (Yehoshua,:1,2). Chapters 14–19 (there) list in detail the territories alloted to the various tribes when the lots were cast. but are as yet unconquered.
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
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| יְהוּדָ֣ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| יַעֲלֶ֑ה | yaaleh | he will go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| הִנֵּ֛ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| נָתַ֥תִּי | natati | I have given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ | beyado | in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
יְהוּדָ֣הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
יַעֲלֶ֑הhe will go up
yaalehH5927 →890 times
הִנֵּ֛הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
נָתַ֥תִּיI have given
natatiH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֖רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
בְּיָדֽוֹ׃in hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 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
Revelation 5:5Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 23:5–6
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Romans 15:12
And once more, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”
- Romans 1:3
regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh,
- Isaiah 11:1
Through
Hebrews 7:14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.
it leads to
- Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
- Luke 3:33
the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
- Micah 5:2
Through
Numbers 2:3On the east side, toward the sunrise, the divisions of Judah are to camp under their standard:
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 2:10
Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of the descendants of Judah.
- 1 Chronicles 2:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
On this verse
On this chapter
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 on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Eusebius of Caesarea, THE PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 8.1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.