Judges 1:22 kjv
And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them.
Judges 1:22 nkjv
And the house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
Judges 1:22 niv
Now the tribes of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
Judges 1:22 esv
The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
Judges 1:22 nlt
The descendants of Joseph attacked the town of Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
Judges 1 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 21:22 | "...God is with you in all that you do." | God's active presence recognized by others. |
| Gen 26:3 | "I will be with you and will bless you..." | God promises His presence to Isaac for blessing. |
| Gen 39:2-3 | "The Lord was with Joseph... the Lord was with him and prospered him..." | Divine presence brings success to Joseph. |
| Exod 3:12 | "...I will be with you..." | God's promise of presence to Moses for his mission. |
| Deut 20:1 | "...do not be afraid... For the Lord your God is with you..." | Encouragement in battle because God is present. |
| Josh 1:5 | "...as I was with Moses, so I will be with you..." | God's pledge to Joshua for successful conquest. |
| Josh 1:9 | "...for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." | Divine omnipresence and active help for Joshua. |
| Judg 1:19 | "The Lord was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the hill country... But could not drive out..." | Partial success vs. failure when chariots oppose; context of God's presence. |
| Judg 6:12 | "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." | Angel's assurance to Gideon of divine backing. |
| 1 Sam 3:19 | "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall..." | God's presence validating Samuel's prophetic ministry. |
| 2 Kgs 18:7 | "So the Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went..." | God's presence leads to King Hezekiah's prosperity. |
| Ps 46:7 | "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." | God's active presence as strength and refuge. |
| Isa 41:10 | "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God..." | God's assuring presence despite challenges. |
| Jer 1:8 | "...for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord." | God's protective presence for Jeremiah. |
| Hag 1:13 | "'I am with you,' declares the Lord." | God's promise to Haggai, bringing comfort and resolve. |
| Matt 1:23 | "'Behold, the virgin shall conceive...and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us)." | Fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus' name, signifying God's ultimate presence. |
| Matt 28:20 | "...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." | Jesus' promise of enduring presence to His disciples. |
| Acts 7:9 | "...and God was with him," | Joseph's deliverance attributed to God's presence. |
| Rom 8:31 | "What then shall we say... If God is for us, who can be against us?" | God's favoring presence as the basis of believers' security. |
| Phil 4:13 | "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." | Empowerment through Christ's indwelling presence. |
| Num 1:32-35 | Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh numbered among Israel. | Identity of "house of Joseph" as Ephraim & Manasseh. |
| Gen 28:19 | "He called the name of that place Bethel..." | Jacob names Bethel after a divine encounter. |
| Josh 16:1-2 | Description of the boundaries for the children of Joseph. | Locates Joseph's territory near Bethel. |
| Judg 1:21 | "But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites..." | Contrast of success and failure in conquest. |
Judges 1 verses
Judges 1 22 Meaning
Judges 1:22 signifies that the descendants of Joseph—comprising the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh—undertook a military expedition against the fortified city of Bethel, and their success in this venture was unequivocally attributed to the active presence and empowering assistance of Yahweh. This statement serves as a theological marker, highlighting that divine favor and involvement are the true determinants of victory and the fulfillment of God's command to possess the land, rather than human strength alone.
Judges 1 22 Context
Judges chapter 1 serves as an introduction to the book, setting the stage for the chaotic period that follows Joshua's death. It provides a tribal-by-tribal account of Israel's initial, yet largely incomplete, efforts to conquer and possess the Promised Land. The preceding verses (Judg 1:1-20) detail Judah and Simeon's mixed success, followed by the failure of Benjamin to dislodge the Jebusites from Jerusalem (Judg 1:21). Verse 22 then shifts to the "house of Joseph," whose successful campaign against Bethel is singled out as a highlight. Historically, this period reflects the nascent stage of the Israelite confederacy struggling to fulfill the Mosaic command to dispossess the Canaanites. Culturally, success in battle was often attributed to the efficacy of one's deity; this verse implicitly offers a polemic, asserting Yahweh's unparalleled power as the true source of victory, contrasting with the limited power of local Canaanite deities and fortresses.
Judges 1 22 Word analysis
- And the house of Joseph (וּבֵית יוֹסֵף - U'veit Yosef): This collective term refers specifically to the descendants of Joseph, namely the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, who were numerically and strategically prominent in the northern part of Israel. The inclusion of this particular "house" highlights their importance and potentially sets a contrast to the less successful attempts of other tribes mentioned previously in Judges 1.
- they also went up (עָלוּ גַם־הֵם - alu gam-hem): The verb "went up" (alah) often denotes a deliberate movement, especially an ascent, which can be geographical (Bethel was on a height) or strategic (marching up for war). "They also" indicates their participation in the wider, post-Joshua conquest efforts. It suggests their proactive engagement.
- against Bethel (אֶל־בֵּית־אֵל - el Beit-El): Bethel, meaning "House of God," was a significant Canaanite city located north of Jerusalem. It held immense historical and religious importance for Israel as a place where Abraham (Gen 12:8) and Jacob (Gen 28:10-22, 35:6-15) had pivotal encounters with Yahweh. Its conquest demonstrated Israel's progressive taking of the promised land, including strategic and symbolically important locations. Later, Bethel tragically became a center for idol worship in the Northern Kingdom (1 Kgs 12:29).
- and the Lord (וַיהוָה - VaYahweh): This is the tetragrammaton YHWH, the sacred and covenantal name of God. Its use here emphasizes that it was Israel's unique covenant God, Yahweh, who was active in this specific military action, underscoring divine causality in the outcome.
- was with them (עִמָּם - immam): This is the pivotal theological statement of the verse. It denotes God's active, supportive, and empowering presence. It signifies divine favor, intervention, and direct assistance, serving as the ultimate guarantee of success in biblical narratives. It means Yahweh was fighting on their behalf and equipping them for victory, aligning with His promises to Joshua (Josh 1:5, 9).
- "House of Joseph...the Lord was with them": This phrase functions as a cause-and-effect relationship, highlighting that the subsequent success of the House of Joseph in capturing Bethel was a direct result of God's active presence and involvement. This theological principle is crucial: when Yahweh is "with" His people, victory is assured, irrespective of the enemy's strength or fortifications. This stands in stark contrast to previous narratives in Judges 1 where "the Lord was with Judah" led to partial success (Judg 1:19) but also to subsequent failures due to lack of complete obedience.
- "Went up against Bethel...the Lord was with them": This specific targeting of Bethel, a city with deep covenantal history for Israel, coupled with the affirmation of God's presence, suggests that their strategic choice and subsequent success were divinely ordained. It reaffirms Yahweh's ongoing commitment to enable Israel to possess the land promised to their ancestors.
Judges 1 22 Bonus section
The conquest of Bethel by the house of Joseph carries additional layers of significance. It shows a degree of continuity from Joshua's leadership where total reliance on God led to successes. Bethel's name, "House of God," later becomes ironic when Jeroboam, King of Northern Israel, establishes one of his idol worship centers there (1 Kgs 12:29), illustrating a profound spiritual departure despite its sacred history and initial conquest due to divine presence. This specific victory by Ephraim and Manasseh demonstrates their strength and importance among the tribes, foreshadowing the later prominence of the northern kingdom, which would often be identified with "Ephraim." The mention of "the Lord was with them" here suggests a standard of success, implying that where God's presence was actively withheld or unacknowledged, partial failure and cohabitation with the Canaanites occurred, as detailed in the subsequent verses of Judges 1.
Judges 1 22 Commentary
Judges 1:22 highlights the successful campaign of the "house of Joseph" (Ephraim and Manasseh) against the key city of Bethel. The conciseness of the verse underscores a profound theological truth: their victory was not due to superior military might, strategic genius, or sheer numbers, but explicitly to the divine presence encapsulated in the phrase "the Lord was with them." This echoes themes found throughout the Torah and Joshua, where Yahweh's active backing is the ultimate prerequisite for Israel's success in dispossessing the Canaanites. This statement serves as a stark contrast and implicit commentary on the various tribal failures to fully conquer their allocated territories, implicitly linking those failures to the absence or forfeiture of such divine favor. For the Israelites, success was ultimately a testament to their relationship with Yahweh, contingent upon obedience and His active participation in their endeavors.