וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּה' לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲלֶה לָּנוּ אֶל הַכְּנַעֲנִי בַּתְּחִלָּה לְהִלָּחֶם בּוֹ

It was after the death of Joshua; the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying: Who of all the tribes will go up first against the Canaanites for us, to make war against them? Since the nation no longer functioned as a single unit, the people wanted to know which tribe should begin the task of purifying the land from their enemies.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' יְהוּדָה יַעֲלֶה הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי אֶת הָאָרֶץ בְּיָדוֹ

The Lord said: The tribe of Judah will go up; behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה לְשִׁמְעוֹן אָחִיו עֲלֵה אִתִּי בְגוֹרָלִי וְנִלָּחֲמָה בַּכְּנַעֲנִי וְהָלַכְתִּי גַם אֲנִי אִתְּךָ בְּגוֹרָלֶךָ – וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ שִׁמְעוֹן

The tribe of Judah said to the tribe of Simeon his brother: Come up with me to my portion, and we will make war against the Canaanites, and I too will go with you to your portion. Simeon went with him. Judah requested military cooperation from Simeon in their campaign to conquer their territory. There was a natural bond between the two tribes due to geographical contiguity, as Simeon’s portion was incorporated within the inheritance of Judah, and at least part of Simeon’s land was actually taken from Judah’s large portion.

וַיַּעַל יְהוּדָה וַיִּתֵּן ה' אֶת הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי בְּיָדָם וַיַּכּוּם בבֶזֶק עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ

Judah went up and initiated war, and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizites into their hand, and they, the men of Judah, smote them in the city of Bezek, where the battle was waged, a total of ten thousand men.

וַיִּמְצְאוּ אֶת אֲדֹנִי בֶזֶק בְּבֶזֶק וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ בּוֹ וַיַּכּוּ אֶת הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְאֶת הַפְּרִזִּי

More details of the war are now provided: They found Adoni Bezek, the master [adon] or ruler of the city, in Bezek and they made war against him, and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizites who opposed them.

וַיָּנָס אֲדֹנִי בֶזֶק וַיִּרְדְּפוּ אַחֲרָיו וַיֹּאחֲזוּ אֹתוֹ וַיְקַצְּצוּ אֶת בְּהֹנוֹת יָדָיו וְרַגְלָיו

Adoni Bezek fled, and they pursued him. They seized him and severed his thumbs and his big toes. This was done mainly to demean him, but also to prevent any possibility of effective countermeasures on his part.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲדֹנִי בֶזֶק שִׁבְעִים מְלָכִים בְּהֹנוֹת יְדֵיהֶם וְרַגְלֵיהֶם מְקֻצָּצִים הָיוּ מְלַקְּטִים תַּחַת שֻׁלְחָנִי כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי כֵּן שִׁלַּם לִי אֱלֹהִים וַיְבִיאֻהוּ ירוּשָׁלִַם וַיָּמָת שָׁם

Adoni Bezek said: Seventy kings, rulers of minor city-states, with their thumbs and big toes severed, would gather morsels of food beneath my table. At the height of my power, I myself humbled seventy kings in this manner, leaving them destitute and disgraced under my table. As I did, so has God repaid me. Adoni Bezek was an important ruler, who had triumphed in several wars, and therefore he had a relatively large army at his disposal. When Israel defeated him, they did to him as he had done to others. They brought him to Jerusalem, which is near Bezek, and he died there. Jerusalem was not yet an Israelite city (see verse 21); perhaps this is why they brought Adoni Bezek there.

וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ בְנֵי יְהוּדָה בִּירוּשָׁלִַם וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אוֹתָהּ וַיַּכּוּהָ לְפִי חָרֶב וְאֶת הָעִיר שִׁלְּחוּ בָאֵשׁ

The children of Judah made war against Jerusalem, and they captured it, smote it by the sword, and set the city on fire.

וְאַחַר יָרְדוּ בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה לְהִלָּחֵם בַּכְּנַעֲנִי יוֹשֵׁב הָהָר וְהַנֶּגֶב וְהַשְּׁפֵלָה

Afterward, the children of Judah went down to make war against the Canaanites, inhabitants of the highlands, the South, and the lowlands, the areas under their control.

וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אֶל הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּחֶבְרוֹן וְשֵׁם חֶבְרוֹן לְפָנִים קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע וַיַּכּוּ אֶת שֵׁשַׁי וְאֶת אֲחִימַן וְאֶת תַּלְמָי

Judah went against the Canaanites who resided in Hebron; the name of Hebron beforehand was Kiryat Arba, and they smote Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the giants who dwelt in the city.

וַיֵּלֶךְ מִשָּׁם אֶל יוֹשְׁבֵי דְּבִיר וְשֵׁם דְּבִיר לְפָנִים קִרְיַת סֵפֶר

He, the tribe of Judah, went from there against the inhabitants of Devir, and the name of Devir beforehand was Kiryat Sefer.

וַיֹּאמֶר כָּלֵב אֲשֶׁר יַכֶּה אֶת קִרְיַת סֵפֶר וּלְכָדָהּ וְנָתַתִּי לוֹ אֶת עַכְסָה בִתִּי לְאִשָּׁה

Caleb, the leader of the tribe, who had received the city of Hebron and its environs as his private inheritance, said: He who smites Kiryat Sefer, a relatively small city near Hebron, and captures it, I will give him Akhsa my daughter as a wife.

וַיִּלְכְּדָהּ עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן קְנַז אֲחִי כָלֵב הַקָּטֹן מִמֶּנּוּ וַיִּתֶּן לוֹ אֶת עַכְסָה בִתּוֹ לְאִשָּׁה

Otniel son of Kenaz, a great man and a mighty warrior (see 3:7–11), who was also Caleb’s much younger step-brother, captured it; and he, Caleb, gave him Akhsa his daughter as a wife.

וַיְהִי בְּבוֹאָהּ וַתְּסִיתֵהוּ לִשְׁאוֹל מֵאֵת אָבִיהָ הַשָּׂדֶה וַתִּצְנַח מֵעַל הַחֲמוֹר וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ כָּלֵב מַה לָּךְ

It was when she arrived and met with Otniel, her new husband, that she urged him to request the field, a certain plot of land, from her father, his older brother. Perhaps Otniel felt that he was not entitled to another field, as he had already received Caleb’s daughter as a wife, and possibly some other portion of land as well. Consequently, when they visited Caleb, or when they departed from him, Akhsa took the initiative: She alighted from the donkey and went down on her knees, and Caleb said to her: What do you want? What is your request?

וַתֹּאמֶר לוֹ הָבָה לִּי בְרָכָה כִּי אֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב נְתַתָּנִי וְנָתַתָּה לִי גֻּלֹּת מָיִם וַיִּתֶּן לָהּ כָּלֵב אֵת גֻּלֹּת עִלִּית וְאֵת גֻּלֹּת תַּחְתִּית

She said to him: Give me an extra blessing, or a gift, as you have given me the southern land, a dry region that lacks water. This description probably applies to the city of Devir as well. Give me springs or sources of water, which can be used for irrigation. Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs, two springs in the region of Hebron.

וּבְנֵי קֵינִי חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה עָלוּ מֵעִיר הַתְּמָרִים אֶת בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה מִדְבַּר יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בְּנֶגֶב עֲרָד וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיֵּשֶׁב אֶת הָעָם

The chapter provides another detail that involves the children of Judah: The children of the Kenite, Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the city of the date palms, after they had lived there for a time, with the children of Judah, and they turned to the wilderness of Judah that is south of Arad; they, the Kenites, went and settled with the people, the tribe of Judah.

וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אֶת שִׁמְעוֹן אָחִיו וַיַּכּוּ אֶת הַכְּנַעֲנִי יוֹשֵׁב צְפַת וַיַּחֲרִימוּ אוֹתָהּ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שֵׁם הָעִיר חָרְמָה

After they had captured Hebron and Devir, and settled in that territory, the tribe of Judah went with the tribe of Simeon his brother to assist them in their own conquests, as per their agreement (see verse 3). And they smote the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the city of Tzefat and they utterly destroyed [vayah·] it. They killed its inhabitants, but they did not plunder the city. He called the name of the city Horma, due to the destruction [ḥerem] they wrought there.

וַיִּלְכֹּד יְהוּדָה אֶת עַזָּה וְאֶת גְּבוּלָהּ וְאֶת אַשְׁקְלוֹן וְאֶת גְּבוּלָהּ וְאֶת עֶקְרוֹן וְאֶת גְּבוּלָהּ

Next the children of Judah turned to the coastal lands. Judah captured Gaza and its border, and Ashkelon and its border, and Ekron and its border, three Philistine cities.

וַיְהִי ה' אֶת יְהוּדָה וַיֹּרֶשׁ אֶת הָהָר כִּי לֹא לְהוֹרִישׁ אֶת יֹשְׁבֵי הָעֵמֶק כִּי רֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל לָהֶם

The Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the highlands. It is possible that the Philistines had previously extended their territorial control into a portion of the Judean hills. At this stage, the tribe of Judah was able to regain that land from them, but no more than that, for he could not dispossess the inhabitants of the valleys, because they had iron chariots. The Philistines’ iron chariots gave them an immense advantage, and the tribe of Judah was not strong enough to withstand them in battle. Consequently, the Philistines remained dominant on the coastal plains, including in the region of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, but their border shrank slightly due to the military pressure applied by Judah.

וַיִּתְּנוּ לְכָלֵב אֶת חֶבְרוֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה וַיּוֹרֶשׁ מִשָּׁם אֶת שְׁלֹשָׁה בְּנֵי הָעֲנָק

The chapter completes the picture of Judah’s control over the hilly region: They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had spoken, and he dispossessed from there the three sons of the giant, as stated above (verse 10).

וְאֶת הַיְבוּסִי יֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֹא הוֹרִישׁוּ בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן וַיֵּשֶׁב הַיְבוּסִי אֶת בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן בִּירוּשָׁלִַם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

However, the children of Benjamin did not dispossess the Yevusites, inhabitants of Jerusalem, part of which belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, while another portion of the city was included in the inheritance of Judah; but the Yevusites resided with the children of Benjamin and some of the tribe of Judah in Jerusalem, to this day.

וַיַּעֲלוּ בֵית יוֹסֵף גַּם הֵם בֵּית אֵל וַה' עִמָּם

The house of Joseph also went up against Beit El to conquer that city; and the Lord was with them.

וַיָּתִירוּ בֵית יוֹסֵף בְּבֵית אֵל וְשֵׁם הָעִיר לְפָנִים לוּז

The house of Joseph sent spies to scout Beit El; the name of the city beforehand was Luz. This probably does not refer to the very same place, but to a city located in close proximity. According to one opinion, the city of Luz was adjacent to the sacred site of Beit El.

וַיִּרְאוּ הַשֹּׁמְרִים אִישׁ יוֹצֵא מִן הָעִיר וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ הַרְאֵנוּ נָא אֶת מְבוֹא הָעִיר וְעָשִׂינוּ עִמְּךָ חָסֶד

The sentries that the house of Joseph had sent saw a man emerging from the city, and they said to him: Show us now the way into the city, and we will act benevolently with you.

וַיַּרְאֵם אֶת מְבוֹא הָעִיר וַיַּכּוּ אֶת הָעִיר לְפִי חָרֶב וְאֶת הָאִישׁ וְאֶת כָּל מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ שִׁלֵּחוּ

He showed them the way into the city, and they smote the city by the sword, but the man and his entire family they released in reward for his assistance.

וַיֵּלֶךְ הָאִישׁ אֶרֶץ הַחִתִּים וַיִּבֶן עִיר וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמָהּ לוּז הוּא שְׁמָהּ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

The man went to the land of the Hitites, north of Syria, in the region of modern-day Turkey, and he built a city there, and he called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.

וְלֹא הוֹרִישׁ מְנַשֶּׁה אֶת בֵּית שְׁאָן וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת תַּעְנַךְ וְאֶת בְּנֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת יוֹשְׁבֵי דוֹר וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת יוֹשְׁבֵי יִבְלְעָם וְאֶת בְּנֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת יוֹשְׁבֵי מְגִדּוֹ וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֶיהָ וַיּוֹאֶל הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָשֶׁבֶת בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת

Manasseh did not dispossess the inhabitants of the city of Beit She’an and its environs, its nearby towns, or Taanakh and its environs, or the inhabitants of Dor and its environs, or the inhabitants of Yivle’am and its environs, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its environs. All of these places were large, fortified cities, and the tribe of Manasseh was not strong enough at the time to conquer them. The Canaanites persisted [vayo’el] to dwell in that land, despite the fact that it was no longer Canaanite land. Alternatively, the word vayo’el means that the Canaanites were resolved to dwell in the land.

וַיְהִי כִּי חָזַק יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָמַס וְהוֹרֵישׁ לֹא הוֹרִישׁוֹ

It was at a later stage, when Israel became strong, that it subjected the Canaanites to tribute. It was able to impose its rule upon the Canaanites, but it did not dispossess them, and the Canaanites remained in the land.

וְאֶפְרַיִם לֹא הוֹרִישׁ אֶת הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּגָזֶר וַיֵּשֶׁב הַכְּנַעֲנִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ בְּגָזֶר

Ephraim did not dispossess the Canaanites who reside in Gezer, and the Canaanites resided in their midst in Gezer, for many generations.

זְבוּלֻן לֹא הוֹרִישׁ אֶת יוֹשְׁבֵי קִטְרוֹן וְאֶת יוֹשְׁבֵי נַהֲלֹל וַיֵּשֶׁב הַכְּנַעֲנִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ וַיִּהְיוּ לָמַס

Zebulun did not dispossess the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, and the Canaanites resided in these cities in their midst, and were subject to tribute.

אָשֵׁר לֹא הוֹרִישׁ אֶת יֹשְׁבֵי עַכּוֹ וְאֶת יוֹשְׁבֵי צִידוֹן וְאֶת אַחְלָב וְאֶת אַכְזִיב וְאֶת חֶלְבָּה וְאֶת אֲפִיק וְאֶת רְחֹב

Asher did not dispossess the inhabitants of Ako, or the inhabitants of Sidon, Ahlav, Akhziv, Helba, Afik, and Rehov, which were large cities located mainly in the coastal region. These cities occupied key areas of the portion of Asher, but in practice Asher failed to take possession of its inheritance.

וַיֵּשֶׁב הָאָשֵׁרִי בְּקֶרֶב הַכְּנַעֲנִי יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ כִּי לֹא הוֹרִישׁוֹ

The Asherites settled in the midst of the Canaanites, inhabitants of the land. The description of the Canaanites as the inhabitants of the land indicates that in that region the Canaanites had the upper hand, and were numerically superior as well, for they did not dispossess them.

נַפְתָּלִי לֹא הוֹרִישׁ אֶת יֹשְׁבֵי בֵית שֶׁמֶשׁ וְאֶת יֹשְׁבֵי בֵית עֲנָת וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּקֶרֶב הַכְּנַעֲנִי יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ וְיֹשְׁבֵי בֵית שֶׁמֶשׁ וּבֵית עֲנָת הָיוּ לָהֶם לָמַס

Naphtali did not dispossess the inhabitants of Beit Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beit Anat. He, Naphtali, lived in the midst of the Canaanites, inhabitants of the land; and in this case, too, the inhabitants of Beit Shemesh and of Beit Anat were ultimately subjected by them to tribute.

וַיִּלְחֲצוּ הָאֱמֹרִי אֶת בְּנֵי דָן הָהָרָה כִּי לֹא נְתָנוֹ לָרֶדֶת לָעֵמֶק

The Emorites pressed the children of Dan to the highlands, as they did not allow them to descend to the valleys. Not only did the Philistines in the coastal region prevent the tribe of Dan from expanding their borders, but the Emorites, who were possibly allies of the Philistines in that region, also caused difficulties for Dan.

וַיּוֹאֶל הָאֱמֹרִי לָשֶׁבֶת בְּהַר חֶרֶס בְּאַיָּלוֹן וּבְשַׁעַלְבִים וַתִּכְבַּד יַד בֵּית יוֹסֵף וַיִּהְיוּ לָמַס

The Emorites persisted to live in Har Heres, in Ayalon, and in Shaalvim, but after a while the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed over the Emorites, and they were subjected to tribute.

וּגְבוּל הָאֱמֹרִי מִמַּעֲלֵה עַקְרַבִּים מֵהַסֶּלַע וָמָעְלָה

The border of the Emorites was from Maaleh Akrabim, from the rock upward.