Judges 1:34

34, 35. The fortunes of Dan

34. Dan, we may infer, attempted to settle in the N.W. corner of Judah, on the rich land (‘the valley’) between the hills and the coast. But the native population forced them back into the hills; in chs. 13, 16, 18 we find Danite settlements at Zorah and Eshtaol in the Valley of Sorek (Wadi eṣ-Ṣarâr), in Jdg_1:34 the places which Dan tried to occupy are in the next valley to the N., that of Ayyâlôn (W. Selmân—Merj ibn ‘Umar); these quarters, however, proved too strait for them, and, probably not long after the present period, a part of the tribe was driven to seek a home in the north (18), where they are settled in the time of Deborah (Jdg_5:17). It is possible that the migration was due to pressure from the Philistines.

the Amorites] Elsewhere in this chap., as always in J, the pre-Israelite inhabitants are called Canaanites, while Amorites is the name used by E and D; the text of Jdg_1:34-36 no doubt originally had ‘Canaanites.’ There is no sufficient reason to suppose that these verses come from a different document (cf. 34 with 19 ‘hill country … valley,’ 35 with 27b, 23, 30, 33).

forced] The same Hebr. word as in Jdg_4:3, Jdg_10:12 ‘oppress’; Amo_6:14 ‘afflict.’

After this verse it is probable that Jos_19:47 (corrected), a verse which is clearly an insertion in its present context, followed in the original narrative of J: ‘and the border of their inheritance was too strait for them (cf. 2Ki_6:1 in Hebr.), and the children of Dan went up and fought with Lesham (= Laish, Jdg_18:29) and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it and dwelt in it; and they called Lesham, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.’ Perhaps this verse was struck out here, because the episode is narrated at length in the Appendix, ch. 18. At the beginning of Jos_19:47 the LXX seem to have translated a text which commenced with ‘And the sons of Dan did not dispossess the Amorites …’ If this sentence stood originally in the present document, it would conform Jdg_1:34, which begins abruptly, with Jdg_1:21; Jdg_1:29 ff.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jdg_1:34-36

The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain.

A neglect of duty injurious to others

So that we see that the negligence of the other tribes in suffering the forbidden nations to remain and wax strong caused these their brethren to be wronged, and to go without their due which God had allotted them. For if they had kept their enemies out they might have been able now to help this tribe of Dan: who, if the house of Joseph had not done more than the rest, they had been left almost without habitation. And by this way we may see that mens sins do not only redound to their own hurt, but also to the hurt of others. Whereas none are hurt, neither themselves, by those that fear to offend God, and be careful to do their duties, but they may receive great benefit thereby. But the other hurt many as well as themselves. As we see bad parents, what woe they hoard up for their unhappy children, as Ahab and the like. As also, how many souls doth an ignorant, idle, or scandalous minister destroy and cause to perish. (R. Rogers.)

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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jdg 1:34-35. They would not suffer them to come down into the valley —

That is, into the plain country; which was the occasion of that expedition for the obtaining of territory elsewhere, of which we read Jos 19:47, and Jdg 18:2. The hand of the house of Joseph prevailed — That is, of the Ephraimites, who helped their brethren the Danites against the Amorites.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, afflicted them.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 34. The Amorites forced the children of Dan, c.] Just as the ancient Britons were driven into the mountains of Wales by the Romans and the native Indians driven back into the woods by the British settlers in America.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(34) The Amorites.—They were the Highlanders of Palestine (Jos_10:6; Num_13:29; Deu_1:44).

Forced.—Literally “squeezed” or “pressed.”

Forced the children of Dan into the mountain.—The condition of this tribe was, therefore, the worst of all. So far from reducing under tribute the Canaanites of its assigned possession, as the central tribes did, the Danites did not even succeed in establishing a tolerated neutrality among them, like the northern tribes, but were driven into a few mountain-strongholds. It was probably this failure, and the consequent pressure of space under which the tribe laboured, which induced them to undertake the successful northern expedition alluded to in Jos_19:47 and described in Judges 18

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain,.... Into the mountainous part of the tribe of Dan; the most noted mountains in it were Sear and Baalah, which lay on the border of Judah, Jos 15:10; Joppa in this tribe was built on an high rock, and so Gibbethon, as its name seems to import, perhaps was built on a hill or mountain, as were the cities after mentioned:

for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley; which lay between Joppa and Caesarea, the plain of Sharon, in which were Lydda, Jamnia, &c. which belonged to their tribe, and they afterwards enjoyed; See Gill on Jos 19:48.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Amorites are usually found in the mountain Num 13:29; Jos 10:6. Here they dwell in the valley, of which the monuments of Rameses III show them to have been in possession when that monarch invaded Syria. It was their great strength in this district, and their forcible detention of the territory of Dan, which led to the expedition of the Danites Judg. 18. The house of Joseph lent their powerful aid in subduing them, probably in the times of the Judges.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Into the plain country; which was the occasion of that expedition for the getting of new quarters; of which we read Jos 19; Jdg 18.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

34. Amorites — Jos_2:10, note.

Forced the children of Dan into the mountain — Dan’s portion was chiefly that part of the Shephelah, or maritime plain, which lay to the west of Benjamin and northwest of Judah. Hence he was forced out of the main part of his inheritance. The tribe made up for this by conquests in the north, near Mount Hermon. Chap. 18, and Jos_19:47.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 34, 35. The failure of duty of one an occasion of inconvenience to another.

Joseph, strong enough to have destroyed the Amorites, made them tributaries. The same people a little further away were thereby enabled to afflict and annoy a companion tribe. "The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain," etc. The cause of Dan ought to have been the cause of Joseph. The latter was therefore guilty of intense selfishness.

I IT IS A SIN FOR CHRISTIANS TO REAP ADVANTAGE AT THE EXPENSE OF LOSS OR INCONVENIENCE TO THEIR BRETHREN.

II GOD OFTEN MAKES THE UNWORTHINESS OR FAULT OF ONE OF HIS CHILDREN A DISCIPLINE TO ANOTHER.

III BUT THIS DOES NOT FREE THE LATTER FROM THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DOING HIS BEST. Dan might be annoyed, and justly, at the indirect help given to his oppressors, but all the same he ought to have invoked the aid of Jehovah and gone forth to do battle against them. He might have delivered himself from the inconvenience to which he was subject. And so with all the indirectly produced ills of life; a heroic faith is certain to overcome them, or render them comparatively innoxious. M.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The valley - That is, into the plain country; which was the occasion of that expedition for the getting new quarters, of which we read ver. 47, 48 and chap. xviii, 1-31.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

not allowing them to come down

"stopping them from coming down"

plain

a very large area of flat land without trees

Mount Heres

This is the name of a large hill on which the city of Aijalon was built. (See: How to Translate Names)

Aijalon ... Shaalbim

These are names of cities. (See: How to Translate Names)

the military might of the house of Joseph conquered them

"the tribes of people who descended from Joseph were able to conquer them because of their powerful army"

house of Joseph

Here "house" represents descendants. Manasseh and Ephraim were sons of Joseph, and the "house of Joseph" can refer to the descendants of Manasseh and Ephraim. AT: "the descendants of Manasseh and Ephraim" or "the men of the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim" (See: Metonymy)

the hill of Akrabbim

This was a pass southwest of the Dead Sea. It is also called the "Scorpion Pass." (See: How to Translate Names)

Sela

This is the name of a city. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Amorite

tribe

Dan

life

might

house

Joseph (OT)

servant

labor

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.