Judges 1:8-26·~2 min

The Capture of Jerusalem and Hebron

Judah captures Jerusalem and burns it, then continues fighting through the hill country, the Negev, and the foothills. The advance reaches Hebron and then Debir, with named enemies struck down along the way.

T⁸hen the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire. ⁹Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the foothills. ¹⁰Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. ¹¹From there they marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).

Verse 8The men of Judah fight against Jerusalem, capture it, put it to the sword, and set it on fire.

It begins the section with a decisive capture of a major city.

Verse 9After that, Judah goes on to fight the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the foothills.

It broadens the campaign from one city to the surrounding regions.

Verse 10Judah marches against Hebron and strikes down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai there.

It records another specific victory and links the campaign to a named place.

Verse 11From Hebron they march against the inhabitants of Debir.

It moves the action toward the next target.

Caleb promises Acsah to the man who takes Kiriath-sepher, and Othniel captures it and receives her in marriage. Acsah then asks Caleb for springs to go with her dry land, and he grants both upper and lower springs.

¹²And Caleb said, “To the man who strikes down Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage.” ¹³So Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz captured the city, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage. ¹⁴One day Acsah came to Othniel and urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you desire?” ¹⁵“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.”

Verse 12Caleb says that whoever captures Kiriath-sepher will receive his daughter Acsah in marriage.

It sets the terms for the capture of the city and introduces a family thread.

Verse 13Othniel son of Kenaz captures the city, and Caleb gives Acsah to him in marriage.

It resolves Caleb's offer and introduces Othniel through action.

Verse 14When Acsah comes to Othniel, she urges him to ask her father for a field, and Caleb asks her what she wants after she dismounts.

It prepares for Acsah's request within the inheritance story.

Verse 15Acsah asks for a blessing and for springs of water along with her land in the Negev, and Caleb gives her the upper and lower springs.

It completes the inheritance episode with a concrete gift that makes the land livable.

The Kenites settle with Judah, Judah and Simeon devote Zephath to destruction, and Judah captures Philistine cities along the coast. Yet even with the LORD with Judah and Hebron secured for Caleb, the plains remain uncleared and Benjamin leaves Jebusites in Jerusalem.

¹⁶Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live among the people. ¹⁷Then the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. So it was called Hormah. ¹⁸And Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron — each with its territory. ¹⁹The LORD was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plains because they had chariots of iron. ²⁰Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak. ²¹The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.

Verse 16The descendants of Moses' father-in-law go up with Judah from the City of Palms to the wilderness of Judah near Arad and settle among the people.

It notes allied settlement alongside Judah's advance.

Verse 17Judah and Simeon attack Zephath, devote it to destruction, and the place is called Hormah.

It shows the allied tribes acting together in another complete victory.

Verse 18Judah also captures Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, each with its territory.

It adds coastal gains to the list of Judah's successes.

Verse 19The LORD is with Judah, and they take the hill country, but they cannot drive out the inhabitants of the plains because they have iron chariots.

It introduces the first clear limit within Judah's campaign.

Verse 20Hebron is given to Caleb as Moses had promised, and Caleb drives out the three sons of Anak.

It ties present conquest to an earlier promise and shows Caleb completing his portion.

Verse 21The Benjamites do not drive out the Jebusites in Jerusalem, and the Jebusites live there among Benjamin to this day.

It marks a lingering failure inside a city already associated with earlier fighting.

The house of Joseph attacks Bethel with the LORD's help and sends spies to learn the city's entrance. A man shows them the way in, is spared with his family, and later builds another city called Luz in Hittite land.

²²The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them. ²³They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz), ²⁴and when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.” ²⁵So the man showed them the entrance to the city, and they put the city to the sword but released that man and all his family. ²⁶And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

Verse 22The house of Joseph attacks Bethel, and the LORD is with them.

It opens a new tribal campaign under the same note of divine help.

Verse 23They send spies to Bethel, which was formerly called Luz.

It prepares for the capture by describing reconnaissance.

Verse 24The spies see a man leaving the city and ask him to show them the entrance in exchange for kindness.

It introduces the means by which the city will be taken.

Verse 25The man shows them the entrance, they put the city to the sword, and they spare him and his whole family.

It records the city's fall and the promised mercy to the informer.

Verse 26The spared man goes to the land of the Hittites, builds a city, and calls it Luz, which remains its name.

It leaves the episode with a surviving continuation of the old city name elsewhere.

Passage shape

A quiet block diagram: each row is one authored paragraph movement, with verse numbers kept visible for scanning and deeper work.

vv. 8-11
Judah captures Jerusalem and burns it, then continues fighting through the hill country, the Negev, and the foothills. The advance reaches Hebron and then Debir, with named enemies struck down along the way.
This paragraph extends Judah's campaign across key regions and cities, emphasizing continued forward movement.
8 9 10 11
vv. 12-15
Caleb promises Acsah to the man who takes Kiriath-sepher, and Othniel captures it and receives her in marriage. Acsah then asks Caleb for springs to go with her dry land, and he grants both upper and lower springs.
This paragraph pauses the campaign to show settlement, inheritance, and provision within the conquered land.
12 13 14 15
vv. 16-21
The Kenites settle with Judah, Judah and Simeon devote Zephath to destruction, and Judah captures Philistine cities along the coast. Yet even with the LORD with Judah and Hebron secured for Caleb, the plains remain uncleared and Benjamin leaves Jebusites in Jerusalem.
This paragraph mixes success with limitation, marking the shift from conquest reports to incomplete possession.
16 17 18 19 20 21
vv. 22-26
The house of Joseph attacks Bethel with the LORD's help and sends spies to learn the city's entrance. A man shows them the way in, is spared with his family, and later builds another city called Luz in Hittite land.
This paragraph offers another conquest account while ending with a residue that survives and relocates rather than disappearing.
22 23 24 25 26

Section summaryJudah captures Jerusalem and continues south through the hill country, Hebron, and Debir, where Caleb gives Acsah to Othniel and Acsah asks for springs along with her land. The section widens to Kenites, Simeon, and the house of Joseph, mixing clear victories with signs of limit, since Judah cannot clear the plains and Benjamin leaves Jebusites in Jerusalem.

Role in the chapterThis middle movement broadens the chapter from Judah's first advance into a fuller survey of gains across the south and center. It keeps showing the LORD's help, while beginning to expose the incomplete hold on the land that will define the rest of the chapter.