Judges 1:1-7

Judah Goes Up

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1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”

2“Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.”

3Then the men of Judah said to their brothers the Simeonites, “Come up with us to our allotted territory, and let us fight against the Canaanites. And we likewise will go with you to your territory.” So the Simeonites went with them.

4When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.

5And there they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, striking down the Canaanites and Perizzites.

6As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

7Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.

Berean Standard Bible

Read aloud

After Joshua's death, Israel asks the LORD who should go first against the Canaanites. God names Judah and promises to give the land into their hands. Judah then asks Simeon for help, promising to help Simeon in return. The LORD's promise leads them into shared work.

At Bezek, the LORD gives them victory over ten thousand Canaanites and Perizzites. Their ruler, Adoni-bezek, flees, but they capture him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. It is a brutal scene. Adoni-bezek says he once treated seventy kings this way, leaving them to gather scraps under his table. Now he recognizes the same treatment returning upon him, and he attributes it to God's repayment. He is taken to Jerusalem, where he dies.

The passage tells us both who gave Judah victory and what happened to the defeated ruler. It does not record a command from God to mutilate him. We need not turn that act into an example to follow, or guess whether his words amounted to repentance. His own account exposes the cruelty of the power he once held.

Questions

1 Whom does the LORD choose to go first?

AnswerHe chooses Judah and promises to give the land into their hands. Israel begins by asking the LORD for direction.

2 What agreement do Judah and Simeon make?

AnswerSimeon will help Judah fight for its territory, and Judah will later help Simeon. The work involves mutual support.

3 What does Adoni-bezek recognize about his punishment?

AnswerHe says he had cut off the thumbs and big toes of seventy kings. He sees his own suffering as God repaying the cruelty he inflicted.

4 How could we offer the kind of mutual help Judah asks for?

AnswerWe could help someone finish a demanding chore, then accept their help with our own task. Needing assistance does not make the responsibility any less ours.

What This Means for Us

Judah can trust God's promise and still ask for help. We sometimes make a hard task harder by insisting we must handle it alone. Offer help that costs you time, and receive help without embarrassment. Shared responsibilities give us opportunities to care for one another rather than compete over who needs the least support.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for people who share our burdens. Teach us to ask for help and to give it generously. Keep us from using strength to humiliate others. Amen.

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