Judges – Chapter 1

Old Testament36 Verses

Chapter Summary

Judges 1 opens with the words: "After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel consulted the Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the Chanaanite, and shall…" The chapter centers on Caleb, Simeon and Joseph. Across its 36 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and God's protection and deliverance. The Church invites us to read this chapter within the whole sweep of salvation history, where every page points toward Christ.

1After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel consulted the Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the Chanaanite, and shall be the leader of the war?

2And the Lord said: Juda shall go up: behold I have delivered the land into his hands.

3And Juda said to Simeon, his brother: Come up with me into my lot, and fight against the Chanaanite, that I also may go along with thee into thy lot. And Simeon went with him.

4And Juda went up, and the Lord delivered the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite into their hands: and they slew of them in Bezec ten thousand men.

5And they found Adonibezec in Bezec, and fought against him, and they defeated the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite.

6And Adonibezec fled: and they pursued after him and took him, and cut off his fingers and toes.

7And Adonibezec said: Seventy kings, having their fingers and toes cut off, gathered up the leavings of the meat under my table: as I have done, so hath God requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8And the children of Juda besieging Jerusalem, took it, and put it to the sword, and set the whole city on fire.

9And afterwards they went down and fought against the Chanaanite, who dwelt in the mountains, and in the south, and in the plains.

10And Juda going forward against the Chanaanite, that dwelt in Hebron, (the name whereof was in former times Cariath-Arbe) slew Sesai, and Ahiman, and Tholmai:

11And departing from thence, he went to the inhabitants of Dabir, the ancient name of which was Cariath-Sepher, that is, the city of letters.

12And Caleb said: He that shall take Cariath-Sepher, and lay it waste, to him will I give my daughter Axa to wife.

13And Othoniel, the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb, having taken it, he gave him Axa his daughter to wife.

14And as she was going on her way, her husband admonished her to ask a field of her father. And as she sighed sitting on her ass, Caleb said to her: What aileth thee?

15But she answered: Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a dry land: give me also a watery land So Caleb gave her the upper and the nether watery ground.

16And the children of the Cinite, the kinsman of Moses, went up from the city of palms, with the children of Juda, into the wilderness of his lot, which is at the south side of Arad, and they dwelt with him.

17And Juda went with Simeon, his brother, and they together defeated the Chanaanites that dwelt in Sephaath, and slew them. And the name of the city was called Horma, that is, Anathema.

18And Juda took Gaza, with its confines, and Ascalon, and Accaron, with their confines.

19And the Lord was with Juda, and he possessed the hill country: but was not able to destroy the inhabitants of the valley, because they had many chariots armed with scythes.

20And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, who destroyed out of it the three sons of Enac.

21But the sons of Benjamin did not destroy the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem: and the Jebusite hath dwelt with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this present day.

22The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them.

23For when they were besieging the city, which before was called Luza,

24They saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him: Shew us the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.

25And when he had shewed them, they smote the city with the edge of the sword: but that man, and all his kindred, they let go:

26Who being sent away, went into the land of Hetthim, and built there a city, and called it Luza: which is so called until this day.

27Manasses also did not destroy Bethsan, and Thanac, with their villages; nor the inhabitants of Dor, and Jeblaam, and Mageddo, with their villages. And the Chanaanite began to dwell with them.

28But after Israel was grown strong, he made them tributaries, and would not destroy them.

29Ephraim also did not slay the Chanaanite that dwelt in Gazer, bnt dwelt with him.

30Zabulon destroyed not the inhabitants of Cetron, and Naalol: but the Chanaanite dwelt among them, and became their tributary.

31Aser also destroyed not the inhabitants of Accho, and of Sidon, of Ahalab, and of Achazib, and of Helba, and of Aphec, and of Rohob:

32And he dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanites, the inhabitants of that land, and did not slay them.

33Nephthali also destroyed not the inhabitants of Bethsames, and of Bethanath: and he dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanites, the inhabitants of the land, and the Bethsamites and Bethanites were tributaries to him.

34And the Amorrhite straitened the children of Dan in the mountain, and gave them not a place to go down to the plain:

35And he dwelt in the mountain Hares, that is, of potsherds, in Aialon and Salebim. And the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy upon him, and he became tributary to him.

36And the border of the Amorrhite was from the ascent of the scorpion, the rock, and the higher places.

Important Verses in Judges 1

After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel consulted the Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the Chanaanite, and shall be the leader of the war?

Judges 1:1

And Juda went up, and the Lord delivered the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite into their hands: and they slew of them in Bezec ten thousand men.

Judges 1:4

And the Lord was with Juda, and he possessed the hill country: but was not able to destroy the inhabitants of the valley, because they had many chariots armed with scythes.

Judges 1:19

They saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him: Shew us the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.

Judges 1:24

Historical Context

As a Old Testament book, Judges was written with israel under the monarchy, shown the chaos that comes from abandoning the covenant in view. Chapter 1 of 21 opens the book and sets the stage for everything that follows. It is a narrative passage recounting concrete events in salvation history with 36 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Caleb, Simeon, Joseph and Moses appear at the center of the events recorded here. The chapter begins: "After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel consulted the Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the…" The final verse reads: "And the border of the Amorrhite was from the ascent of the scorpion, the rock, and the higher places. " The wider setting of Judges is this: Judges covers the turbulent centuries between Joshua's conquest and the rise of the monarchy, when 'there was no king in Israel. Scholarly and ecclesial tradition places the composition of Judges around Events between roughly 1200 and 1050 BC; compiled during the early monarchy.

Who Wrote It

Unknown; tradition points to the prophet Samuel as compiler of the traditions

When It Was Written

Events between roughly 1200 and 1050 BC; compiled during the early monarchy

Catholic Commentary

The literal sense of Judges 1 presents a concrete episode in the history of cycles of sin, oppression, and deliverance. A pivotal line is verse 1: "After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel consulted the Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the Chanaanite, and shall be the leader of the…" The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

Catholic exegesis reads Judges 1 within the unity of Scripture and Tradition. the Church sees in the judges prefigurations of Christ the Savior (CIC 64). St. Bernard of Clairvaux and other Fathers of the Church saw in texts like this a preparation for or reflection of Christ, the center of revelation (CIC 461).

For Christians today, the chapter's lesson is clear: The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.. The Church invites us to receive this word not as antiquarian information but as living Scripture proclaimed at Mass and prayed in lectio divina.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • The Lord is a refuge and deliverer for all who call upon Him in trouble.
  • God's mercy is greater than any sin; He calls us to receive His forgiveness and extend it to others.

People in This Chapter

Caleb5 mentionsSimeon3 mentionsJoseph2 mentionsMoses2 mentionsManasses1 mention

Reflection for Today

Judges Chapter 1, containing 36 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation, offers a distinct passage for prayer and meditation.

The Magisterium teaches that every biblical passage must be read in light of Christ, the center of Scripture (CIC 2772). Here the emphasis falls on lectio divina and meditation on God's Word, which shapes how the Church understands cycles of sin, oppression, and deliverance.

As you continue through Judges, carry this chapter's lesson into your family, parish, and work. Catholic faith is always ecclesial—God speaks to us as members of Christ's Body, not as isolated individuals.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Judges Chapter 1 about?

Judges 1 contains 36 verses. It opens with "After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel consulted the Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the…" and closes with "And the border of the Amorrhite was from the ascent of the scorpion, the rock, and the higher places. ". The book as a whole is historical narrative organized in cycles.

What is a key verse in Judges 1?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel consulted the Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the Chanaanite, and shall be the leader of the war?" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Judges Chapter 1?

This chapter mentions Caleb, Simeon, Joseph, Moses, Manasses.

Who wrote Judges and when?

Unknown; tradition points to the prophet Samuel as compiler of the traditions. Events between roughly 1200 and 1050 BC; compiled during the early monarchy.

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