Judges 1 8

Judges 1:8 kjv

Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

Judges 1:8 nkjv

Now the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

Judges 1:8 niv

The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

Judges 1:8 esv

And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

Judges 1:8 nlt

The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it, killing all its people and setting the city on fire.

Judges 1 verses

Judges 1 8 Meaning

Judges 1:8 records a significant military success for the tribe of Judah. They launched an attack on Jerusalem, successfully capturing the city, subjecting its inhabitants to a fierce slaughter "with the edge of the sword," and finally burning the city. This act signifies a devastating and decisive victory, executing the divine command to destroy idolatrous Canaanite cities and drive out their inhabitants from the promised land.

Judges 1 8 Context

Judges chapter 1 serves as a bridge between the book of Joshua and the main narratives of the Judges. Following Joshua's death, the tribes of Israel seek divine guidance on who should lead the continued conquest of Canaan. Judah is divinely appointed to go first, initially achieving notable victories with Simeon. This verse, Judg 1:8, highlights Judah's perceived success against Jerusalem. Historically, Jerusalem was a formidable Jebusite stronghold situated on high ground, presenting a significant military challenge. The chapter's immediate context is one of fragmented conquest, where individual tribes achieve varying degrees of success, often failing to completely dispossess the inhabitants as commanded by God. This particular conquest of Jerusalem, though stated decisively here, stands in tension with later verses in Judges (1:21) and Joshua (15:63), which mention the Jebusites remaining in Jerusalem, implying that this victory was either partial, temporary, or referred to a specific part of the city.

Judges 1 8 Word analysis

• And the children of Judah (וּבְנֵי יְהוּדָה֙ - u-veney Yehudah):

  • "children of Judah": This refers collectively to the tribe of Judah, indicating a communal, tribal effort rather than a specific individual's leadership. Judah is depicted here as a leading force among the tribes, echoing its significance throughout the biblical narrative and its ultimate lineage to kingship (Gen 49:10).

• fought against (לָחֲמ֨וּ עַל־ - lachamu al-):

  • "fought": From the root lacham (לחם), meaning to engage in battle, to wage war. It denotes a direct and intentional military conflict.

• Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם - Yerushalaim):

  • "Jerusalem": At this time, it was primarily known as Jebus, inhabited by the Jebusites, a Canaanite people. Its strategic location and fortifications made it a challenging city to conquer, highlighting the significance of Judah's action. The fact that Judah, rather than Benjamin (in whose tribal inheritance Jerusalem fell according to Joshua 18:28), took the initiative against it is noteworthy, showcasing Judah's strength.

• and had taken it (וַיִּלְכְּדֻ֑הָ - va-yilkeduhah):

  • "taken it": From the root lakad (לכד), meaning "to catch," "to seize," or "to capture." This implies a complete overthrow and occupation of the city, not merely a raid.

• and smitten it (וַיַּכּ֤וּהָ - va-yakkuhah):

  • "smitten it": From the root nakah (נכה), meaning "to strike," often with lethal force or to defeat. In a military context, it often refers to inflicting a great slaughter.

• with the edge of the sword (לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב - lepi-cherev):

  • "edge of the sword": Literally "mouth of the sword." This is an idiom indicating a total massacre of the inhabitants, leaving no survivors. It directly reflects the divine command of herem (חֵרֶם), devotion to destruction, against certain wicked Canaanite cities (Deut 7:2; Josh 6:21).

• and set the city on fire (וְאֶת־הָעִיר֙ שִׁלְּח֣וּ בָאֵֽשׁ - ve'et-ha'ir shill'khu ba'esh):

  • "set...on fire": This action signifies utter devastation and destruction. Burning a captured city was a common practice in ancient warfare, often symbolizing complete victory and the city's cleansing from idolatrous practices.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it": This sequence emphasizes the deliberate military action and its successful outcome, painting a picture of strategic capture. The specific mention of Judah underscores their prominence in the early conquest narratives.
  • "and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire": This second part details the brutal and complete destruction of the city and its inhabitants. The combined acts of "smiting with the sword" (slaughter) and "setting on fire" (utter demolition) clearly portray a victory achieved according to the harsh divine directives for cities under herem, where all life was to be extinguished and the physical structures removed.

Judges 1 8 Bonus section

• The tension between Judges 1:8 (Judah taking Jerusalem and burning it) and Joshua 15:63 and Judges 1:21 (Jebusites remaining in Jerusalem) is a prime example of a literary challenge in the Bible that scholars reconcile by suggesting differing scopes or temporalities of the conquests, such as separate military campaigns, or that Judah only conquered the lower city while the formidable citadel of Zion remained in Jebusite hands until King David's time (2 Sam 5).
• This early conquest by Judah foreshadows the tribe's eventual preeminence and its pivotal role in establishing the Davidic monarchy, from which the Messiah would come. Jerusalem, eventually the capital of this lineage, is a key strategic prize from the outset.
• The thoroughness of destruction—"edge of the sword" and "fire"—was not just military strategy but also an act of religious cleansing, removing idols and idolatrous peoples to purify the land for the covenant community. Its temporary nature, however, reflects Israel's wider failure to fully execute God's commands throughout the period of the Judges.

Judges 1 8 Commentary

Judges 1:8 records a powerful display of military strength and apparent obedience by the tribe of Judah, detailing a complete conquest of Jerusalem involving capture, mass slaughter, and total destruction by fire. This initial success is presented as a fulfillment of God's command to drive out and utterly destroy the Canaanites (Deut 7). However, the narrative within Judges itself (1:21) and in Joshua (15:63) creates a significant tension, indicating that the Jebusites continued to dwell in Jerusalem alongside Benjamin. This suggests that Judah's conquest here may have been either a temporary occupation, a destruction of a specific part of the sprawling Jebusite city (perhaps the lower city but not the heavily fortified citadel of Zion), or that the Jebusites subsequently reasserted control. Regardless of the precise historical scope, the verse emphasizes Judah's early military prowess and willingness to execute harsh judgment. It sets a stage where Israel sometimes acts decisively for God but often falls short, contributing to the cycles of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance that define the Book of Judges. This incomplete conquest, even for a victory as thorough as this seems to be, hints at the underlying problem of disobedience and compromise that plagues Israel throughout this period.