Shofetim 1:19

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).

Shofetim 1:19 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 1:19

And the Lord was with Judah
Encouraging, strengthening, succeeding, and giving the tribe victory over the Canaanites; the Targum is,

``the Word of the Lord was for the help of the house of Judah:''

and he drove out [the inhabitants of] the mountains;
the mountainous part of Judea, such as was about Jerusalem, and where Hebron stood, and other cities, see ( Joshua 15:48 ) which though fortified both by nature and man, yet God being with them, they were easily subdued:

but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley;
God forsaking them, because they were afraid of them, for a reason after mentioned, or through slothfulness, and being weary of fighting, or because they fell into some sins, which occasioned the divine displeasure; so the Targum,

``after they had sinned, they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley:''

because they had chariots of iron;
but this was no reason why they could not drive them out, if God was with them, who could as easily have delivered these into their hands, as the inhabitants of the mountains; but is the reason why they were afraid to fight with them, and to attempt to drive them out, and which they themselves gave why they did not.

Shofetim 1:19 In-Context

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).

20 And they gave Chevron unto Kalev, just as Moshe promised; and he expelled from there the three Bnei Anak.

21 And the Bnei Binyamin did not drive out the Yevusi that inhabited Yerushalayim; and the Yevusi dwell with the Bnei Binyamin in Yerushalayim unto this day.