Judges 1:22

Success of the House of Joseph

22 The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with^[a] them.

Judges 1:22 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 1:22

And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel,
&c.] Which lay upon the borders of the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, ( Joshua 16:1 Joshua 16:2 ) ; and though it seems to have been taken when Ai was, ( Joshua 8:17 ) ; yet it appears that it was now in the possession of the Canaanites; wherefore the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh being desirous of enlarging their borders after the example of Judah, went against this place in order to take it:

and the Lord [was] with them;
the Word of the Lord, as the Targum, directing, assisting, and succeeding them in their attempt.

Judges 1:22 In-Context

20 Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, just as Moses had promised. Then Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak who lived there.

21 At the same time the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites have lived among the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to this day.

22 The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them.

23 They sent spies to Bethel (the town was formerly named Luz).

24 The spies saw a man coming out of the town and said to him, "Please show us how to get into town, and we will treat you well."

Footnotes

• [a]. Gn 39:2,21; Jos 6:27; Jdg 2:18; 1 Sm 18:12