Judges 1:18

18 Judah captured Gaza and its territory, Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory.^[a]

Judges 1:18 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 1:18

Also Judah took Gaza, with the coast thereof
Which by lot fell to that tribe, ( Joshua 15:47 ) ; it was not till now subdued:

and Ashkelon with the coast thereof;
which, according to our countryman Sandys ^F17, was ten miles from Gaza:

and Ekron with the coast thereof;
this also is the lot that fell to Judah, but was afterwards given to the tribe of Dan, ( Joshua 15:45 ) ( 19:43 ) ; for whom Judah now fought and took it; but in a short time all these places were retaken, and possessed by the Philistines, and were three of their five principalities which they ever after retained, see ( Judges 3:3 ) ( 1 Samuel 6:16 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Travels, p. 118. Ed. 5.

Judges 1:18 In-Context

16 The descendants of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, had gone up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah, which was in the Negev of Arad. They went to live among the people.

17 Judah went with his brother Simeon, struck the Canaanites who were living in Zephath, and completely destroyed the town. So they named the town Hormah.

18 Judah captured Gaza and its territory, Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory.

19 The Lord was with Judah and enabled them to take possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out the people who were living in the valley because those people had iron chariots.

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

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX reads Judah did not inherit Gaza and its borders nor Ashkelon and its borders nor Ekron and its borders or Azotus and its surrounding lands