Judg 1:21-36 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Judg 1:21-36: 1:21-36 The tribes of Israel failed to keep the covenant; their complacency was rebellion against the Lord, as the rest of the book of Judges shows. 1:21 Though the tribe of Benjamin produced more than its share of heroes (e.g., Ehud, Saul), it was also the nadir of covenant unfaithfulness, in contrast to Judah (see 20:18 ). Like Judah in its first battle (1:4-8 ), Benjamin faced challenges from a great people dwelling in a great city, but Benjamin settled for sharing the city with them. Reference to the Lord’s personal presence is absent (cp. 1:19 , 22 ). The Jebusite city remained in Canaanite hands until David’s day. • The phrase to this day highlights either ongoing historical circumstances (here and 6:24 ) or the survival of certain customs to a later time (1:26 ; 10:4 ; 15:19 ; 18:12 ).

Summary for Judg 1:21-36: 1:21-36 ^a The tribes of Israel failed to keep the covenant; their complacency was rebellion against the Lord, as the rest of the book of Judges shows. 1:21 ^b Though the tribe of Benjamin produced more than its share of heroes (e.g., Ehud, Saul), it was also the nadir of covenant unfaithfulness, in contrast to Judah (see 20:18 ^c). Like Judah in its first battle (1:4-8 ^d), Benjamin faced challenges from a great people dwelling in a great city, but Benjamin settled for sharing the city with them. Reference to the Lord’s personal presence is absent (cp. 1:19 ^e, 22 ^f). The Jebusite city remained in Canaanite hands until David’s day.

• The phrase to this day highlights either ongoing historical circumstances (here and 6:24 ^g) or the survival of certain customs to a later time (1:26 ^h; 10:4 ⁱ; 15:19 ^j; 18:12 ^k).
Summary for Judg 1:22-36: 1:22-36 ^l Two references to the descendants of Joseph (1:22 ^m, 35 ⁿ) frame this litany of the northern tribes’ failures to drive out the enemy. 1:22 ^o The Lord was with the descendants of Joseph (the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh), but only in their united attack on Bethel, a place sacred to Israelite memories from the days of Jacob (Gen 28:19 ^p). They failed in attacks made separately (Judg 1:27-29 ^q).

• Bethel is associated with the battle against Ai (Josh 7:2 ^r) and is listed in the summary statement of kings that Israel had defeated (Josh 12:16 ^s).
1:24 ^t To have mercy (Hebrew khesed) has the overtones of making a covenant (see also 8:35 ^u, “loyalty”).
1:26 ^v The land of the Hittites was probably a general name for North Syria, not the Hittite Kingdom of Anatolia (now Turkey). Nothing is known of the new Luz.
1:27 ^w This chain of Canaanite cities stretched from Dor on the Mediterranean to Beth-shan in the Jordan Valley and effectively cut off the northern tribes from those south of the Jezreel Valley. Likewise, a number of the cities listed in the south (1:35 ^x) probably cut Judah off from the northern tribes.
1:34 ^y Dan’s failure to take the land represents total infidelity and led to the complete abandonment of a portion of the Promised Land (chs 17–18 ^z).