Shofetim 1:17

17 And Yehudah went with Shim’on his brother, and they struck down the Kena’ani that inhabited Tzephat, and utterly destroyed it. And the shem of the Ir was called Chormah.

Shofetim 1:17 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 1:17

And Judah went with Simeon his brother
Having subtitled his Canaanites which were in his own lot, according to his promise, he went with his brother Simeon, or the tribe of Simeon, into their lot to reduce those that were in that:

and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly
destroyed it:
where and what this city was is not certain; there was a place of this name in upper Galilee, mentioned in Jewish writings ^F16, which cannot be meant here; and we read of the valley of Zephathah, ( 2 Chronicles 14:10 ) ; which might have its name from hence, and if so it was near Mareshah:

and the name of the city was called Hormah;
from the destruction made of it, and of the country about it; for now what had been vowed by Israel in the wilderness, when near Arad, was fulfilled, ( Numbers 21:1-3 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Juchasin, fol. 68. 1.

Shofetim 1:17 In-Context

15 And she said unto him, Give me bracha; since thou hast given me eretz hanegev; give me also gullot mayim. And Kalev gave her the upper gullot and the lower gullot.

16 And the Bnei Keni, khoten Moshe, went up out of the Ir HaTemarim with the Bnei Yehudah into the midbar of Yehudah, which lieth in the Negev of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.

17 And Yehudah went with Shim’on his brother, and they struck down the Kena’ani that inhabited Tzephat, and utterly destroyed it. And the shem of the Ir was called Chormah.

18 Also Yehudah took Azah (Gaza) and the territory thereof, and Askelon and the territory thereof, and Ekron and the territory thereof.

19 And Hashem was with Yehudah; and he possessed the inhabitants of the hill country; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the [broad] valley [areas], because they had chariots of barzel (iron).