Judges 1:22

22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel; and the Lord was with 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 Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said; and he drove out from it the three sons of Anak.

21 But the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived in Jerusalem among the Benjaminites to this day.

22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel; and the Lord was with them.

23 The house of Joseph sent out spies to Bethel (the name of the city was formerly Luz).

24 When the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, "Show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you."