Matthew Henry on Judges 1:21–end
We are here told upon what terms the rest of the tribes stood with the Canaanites that remained.
I. Benjamin neglected to drive the Jebusites out of that part of the city of Jerusalem which fell to their lot, Jdg 1:21. Judah had set them a good example, and gained them great advantages by what they did (Jdg 1:9), but they did not follow the blow for want of resolution.
II. The house of Joseph,
1. Bestirred themselves a little to get possession of Beth-el, Jdg 1:22. That city is mentioned in the tribe of Benjamin, Jos 18:22. Yet it is spoken of there (Jdg 1:13) as a city in the borders of that tribe, and, it should seem, the line went through it, so that one half of it only belonged to Benjam…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 1:22
SOME CANAANITES LEFT. (Jdg 1:22-26)
the house of Joseph--the tribe of Ephraim, as distinguished from Manasseh (Jdg 1:27).
John Gill on Judges 1:22
And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel,.... Which lay upon the borders of the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, Joshua 16:1; and though it seems to have been taken when Ai was, Joshua 8:17; yet it appears that it was now in the possession of the Canaanites; wherefore the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh being desirous of enlarging their borders after the example of Judah, went against this place in order to take it:
and the Lord was with them; the Word of the Lord, as the Targum, directing, assisting, and succeeding them in their attempt.
Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 1:22-23
Like Judah, so also ("they also," referring back to Jdg 1:2, Jdg 1:3) did the house of Joseph (Ephraim and western Manasseh) renew the hostilities with the Canaanites who were left in their territory after the death of Joshua. The children of Joseph went up against Bethel, and Jehovah was with them, so that they were able to conquer the city. Bethel had indeed been assigned to the tribe of Benjamin (Jos 18:22), but it was situated on the southern boundary of the tribe-land of Ephraim (Jos 16:2; Jos 18:13); so that the tribe of Joseph could not tolerate the Canaanites in this border town, if it would defend its own territory against them, and purge it entirely of them. This is a sufficient ex…
