Question 1

What does Judges 1:17 mean?

Accepted Answer

Judges 1:17 describes how the tribe of Judah, together with their brother tribe Simeon, attacked and killed the Canaanites living in Zephath, completely destroying the city. Afterward, they renamed the city Hormah, which means "destruction" or "devotion to destruction." This verse is part of the account of Israel’s conquest of Canaan after Joshua’s death. The text highlights cooperation between the tribes of Judah and Simeon as they fulfill the task of taking possession of the land. The renaming of Zephath to Hormah signals the total defeat of its inhabitants and marks the city as a place of complete destruction, in line with the ancient practice of devoting conquered places to God by destroying them.

Question 2

The Hebrew behind Judges 1:17

Accepted Answer

חָרַם (ḥāram, "destroyed"): This word means to devote something to destruction, often as an act of religious dedication. In this context, it shows that the destruction of Zephath was not just military but carried a sense of being set apart or banned. חָרְמָה (Hormah): The new name for Zephath comes from the same root as "destroyed," reinforcing the idea that the city was completely wiped out and dedicated to destruction. יְהוּדָה (Yehudah, "Judah") and שִׁמְעוֹן (Shim‘on, "Simeon"): The verse emphasizes the partnership between these two tribes, which is significant because their territories were closely linked, and they often acted together in the early period of Israel’s settlement.

Question 3

Why Judges 1:17 matters

Accepted Answer

Judges 1:17 clarifies that the conquest of Canaan was a gradual process involving cooperation between different Israelite tribes, not just a single sweeping campaign. The renaming of Zephath to Hormah connects this event to earlier episodes in Israel’s history, especially in Numbers 21:3, where a similar act of destruction is described, showing continuity in Israel’s approach to conquest. The use of the word "destroyed" (ḥāram) highlights the religious dimension of the conquest, where certain places and peoples were set apart for destruction as an act of obedience to God’s command.

Judges 1:17 (KJV)