Judges 1 5

Judges 1:5 kjv

And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

Judges 1:5 nkjv

And they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

Judges 1:5 niv

It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites.

Judges 1:5 esv

They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

Judges 1:5 nlt

While at Bezek they encountered King Adoni-bezek and fought against him, and the Canaanites and Perizzites were defeated.

Judges 1 verses

Judges 1 5 Meaning

Judges 1:5 details a pivotal moment in the Israelite conquest of Canaan. It records that the united forces of Judah and Simeon located Adoni-bezek, the king of Bezek, engaged him in battle, and achieved a decisive victory, defeating him. This initial success highlights divine enablement in Israel's early attempts to secure their promised land.

Judges 1 5 Context

Judges 1:5 is situated at the outset of the book of Judges, immediately following Judah's inquiry to God and His declaration of victory for them (Judg 1:1-2), and Judah's subsequent alliance with Simeon (Judg 1:3). This verse details the first significant military engagement of the Israelites in Judges, highlighting their obedience to divine instruction and God's faithfulness to grant success. The overall context of Judges portrays a period of incomplete conquest after Joshua's death, marked by fragmented tribal actions, recurring apostasy, and cycles of foreign oppression. This initial success against Adoni-bezek serves as a template for what was possible through obedience, sharply contrasting with later failures due to disobedience and complacency. It illustrates the ongoing nature of possessing the land, which required consistent faith and action from the Israelites against established Canaanite city-states and their kings.

Judges 1 5 Word analysis

• And: This conjunction seamlessly connects the preceding plan of Judah and Simeon with the immediate action. It indicates a direct and swift execution of their agreement and divine guidance.
• they: Refers collectively to the tribal forces of Judah and Simeon, who, as detailed in verse 3, had agreed to fight together against the Canaanites in Judah's allotted territory. Their united action demonstrates immediate inter-tribal cooperation under divine direction.
• found: The Hebrew word is mātsāʾ (מָצָא), meaning "to find, discover, meet." In this military context, it suggests an active seeking, engagement, or successfully locating the enemy king rather than a chance encounter. This implies military intelligence or divine leading to identify and confront Adoni-bezek directly.
• Adoni-bezek: His name in Hebrew is ʾĂḏōnî-Bezeq (אֲדֹנִי בָּזֶק), which means "lord of Bezek" or "my lord is Bezek." This appellation identifies him as a powerful Canaanite ruler, signifying his kingship and dominion over the city-state of Bezek and its surrounding territories. His name underscores his status as a formidable regional potentate.
• in Bezek: The location itself, Bezeq (בָּזֶק), is a Canaanite city or region. The Hebrew word can mean "lightning" or "scattering," which could metaphorically allude to the swiftness of the battle, the destructive power unleashed, or the strategic importance of the area. It marks the specific battleground where this significant encounter took place.
• and they fought with him: The Hebrew verb is lāḥam (לָחַם), denoting a direct and conventional military engagement. This phrase explicitly describes the ensuing battle, highlighting that the encounter was not merely finding him, but actively engaging in combat as commanded for the conquest of the land.
• and they smote him: The Hebrew verb is nākāh (נָכָה), meaning "to strike, hit, smite, beat." In a military context, this signifies a decisive defeat, wounding, or incapacitating the enemy, but not necessarily killing him immediately (as evidenced by Adoni-bezek's survival to be mutilated in the next verse). It emphasizes the effectiveness and power of the Israelite victory, signifying a thorough conquest over their adversary.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek": This opening clause establishes the target and location of the Israelite advance. It conveys the precise and directed nature of their military operation. Their success in "finding" the king in his territory underscores effective strategy or divine guidance, moving beyond vague conquest plans to specific engagement. It signals the initial focused execution of their mission to conquer the land, targeting the reigning power.
• "and they fought with him, and they smote him": This phrase succinctly describes the culmination of the encounter: the military engagement and its victorious outcome. The two verbs "fought" and "smote" convey the sequence of events, from direct combat to a decisive and overwhelming defeat. This success confirms the divine assistance promised in Judges 1:2 and serves as an immediate fulfillment of God's pledge to deliver their enemies into their hands. It shows a forceful and effective removal of a Canaanite stronghold, characteristic of the initial, successful phase of the conquest.

Judges 1 5 Bonus section

The efficiency with which Judah and Simeon "found" and "smote" Adoni-bezek contrasts sharply with many subsequent struggles and failures documented in Judges. This immediate success highlights what was possible when the tribes acted unitedly and with direct divine approval and assistance. The very name Adoni-bezek, "lord of Bezek," emphasizes his position within the prevalent Canaanite system of independent city-states, each ruled by its own king. This system was one of the primary obstacles to Israel's complete territorial possession. The swiftness of this initial victory, suggested by the potential meaning of "Bezek" as "lightning," symbolically reinforces God's rapid and decisive power at work among His people when they follow Him.

Judges 1 5 Commentary

Judges 1:5 serves as a testament to the power and effectiveness of obedience to God's directives. It demonstrates God's immediate fulfillment of His promise to Judah and Simeon to deliver the Canaanites into their hand. The swift identification, engagement, and decisive defeat of Adoni-bezek, a notable Canaanite king, illustrate that divine power works through human action when faith and unity are present. This victory, while significant, also sets the stage for the dramatic display of divine justice and retribution detailed in the very next verses, through Adoni-bezek's subsequent capture and confession (Judg 1:6-7). This initial success, however, would stand in stark contrast to Israel's later incomplete obedience, setting a pattern of missed opportunities throughout the period of the Judges. It emphasizes that continued blessing and land possession were contingent upon continued, comprehensive obedience.