Bible Strands

Judges 1:9

Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the foothills.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator records the military movements of the tribe of Judah immediately after their capture of Jerusalem. This account follows the initial conquest narrative and precedes their campaign against Hebron.

The words — The verb יָֽרְדוּ֙ (ya.re.Du) literally means "they went down," describing the tribe's descent from the central highlands. The noun בַּֽ/כְּנַעֲנִ֑י (ba./ke.na.'a.Ni) identifies the opposing population as the Canaanites who dwelt (יוֹשֵׁ֣ב, yo.Shev) in the specified regions.

The thread — This campaign against the hill country, Negev, and foothills echoes Joshua’s earlier operations in the same terrain (Joshua 10:36; Joshua 11:21; Joshua 15:13). The narrative continues the territorial conquest sequence initiated in Joshua 15.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition of the tribe’s continued military obligation to clear designated territories. It requires the reader to track the sequential fulfillment of the conquest mandate without assuming immediate or total success.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאַחַ֗רve./'a.Charand/ afterיָֽרְדוּ֙ya.re.Duthey went downבְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] descendants ofיְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahJudahלְהִלָּחֵ֖םle./hi.la.Chemto/ fightבַּֽכְּנַעֲנִ֑יba./ke.na.'a.Niagainst the/ Canaanite[s]יוֹשֵׁ֣בyo.Shev[who] dweltהָהָ֔רha./Harof the/ hill countryוְהַנֶּ֖גֶבve./ha./Ne.gevand/ the/ Negevוְהַשְּׁפֵלָֽה׃ve./ha./she.fe.Lahand/ the/ Shephelah

King James Version

And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.

Cross-references