The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Book 07: Judges

THE BOOK OF JUDGES

This Book is called JUDGES, because it contains the history of what
passed under the government of the judges, who ruled Israel before they
had kings. The writer of it, according to the more general opinion, was
the prophet Samuel.

Judges Chapter 1

The expedition and victory of Juda against the Chanaanites: who are
tolerated in many places.

1:1. After the death of Josue, the children of Israel consulted the
Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the Chanaanite, and
shall be the leader of the war?

1:2. And the Lord said: Juda shall go up: behold I have delivered the
land into his hands.

1:3. And Juda said to Simeon, his brother: Come up with me into my lot,
and fight against the Chanaanite, that I also may go along with thee
into thy lot. And Simeon went with him.

1:4. And Juda went up, and the Lord delivered the Chanaanite, and the
Pherezite into their hands: and they slew of them in Bezec ten thousand
men.

1:5. And they found Adonibezec in Bezec, and fought against him, and
they defeated the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite.

1:6. And Adonibezec fled: and they pursued after him and took him, and
cut off his fingers and toes.

1:7. And Adonibezec said: Seventy kings, having their fingers and toes
cut off, gathered up the leavings of the meat under my table: as I have
done, so hath God requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and
he died there.

1:8. And the children of Juda besieging Jerusalem, took it, and put it
to the sword, and set the whole city on fire.

Jerusalem... This city was divided into two; one part was called Jebus,
the other Salem: the one was in the tribe of Juda, the other in the
tribe of Benjamin. After it was taken and burnt by the men of Juda, it
was quickly rebuilt again by the Jebusites, as we may gather from ver.
21; and continued in their possession till it was taken by king David.

1:9. And afterwards they went down and fought against the Chanaanite,
who dwelt in the mountains, and in the south, and in the plains.

1:10. And Juda going forward against the Chanaanite, that dwelt in
Hebron, (the name whereof was in former times Cariath-Arbe) slew Sesai,
and Ahiman, and Tholmai:

Hebron... This expedition against Hebron, etc. is the same as is
related, Jos. 15.24. It is here repeated, to give the reader at once a
short sketch of all the achievements of the tribe of Juda against the
Chanaanites.

1:11. And departing from thence, he went to the inhabitants of Dabir,
the ancient name of which was Cariath-Sepher, that is, the city of
letters.

The city of letters... Perhaps so called from some famous school, or
library, kept there.

1:12. And Caleb said: He that shall take Cariath-Sepher, and lay it
waste, to him will I give my daughter Axa to wife.

1:13. And Othoniel, the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb,
having taken it, he gave him Axa his daughter to wife.

1:14. And as she was going on her way, her husband admonished her to ask
a field of her father. And as she sighed sitting on her ass, Caleb said
to her: What aileth thee?

1:15. But she answered: Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a dry
land: give me also a watery land So Caleb gave her the upper and the
nether watery ground.

1:16. And the children of the Cinite, the kinsman of Moses, went up from
the city of palms, with the children of Juda, into the wilderness of his
lot, which is at the south side of Arad, and they dwelt with him.

The Cinite... Jethro the father in law of Moses was called Cinoeus, or
the Cinite; and his children who came along with the children of Israel
settled themselves among them in the land of Chanaan, embracing their
worship and religion. From these the Rechabites sprung, of whom see Jer.
35.-Ibid. The city of palms... Jericho, so called from the abundance of
palm trees.

1:17. And Juda went with Simeon, his brother, and they together defeated
the Chanaanites that dwelt in Sephaath, and slew them. And the name of
the city was called Horma, that is, Anathema.

1:18. And Juda took Gaza, with its confines, and Ascalon, and Accaron,
with their confines.

Gaza, etc... These were three of the principal cities of the
Philistines, famous both in sacred and profane history. They were taken
at this time by the Israelites: but as they took no care to put
garrisons in them, the Philistines soon recovered them.

1:19. And the Lord was with Juda, and he possessed the hill country: but
was not able to destroy the inhabitants of the valley, because they had
many chariots armed with scythes.