Judges 1:26 (KJV)

What does Judges 1:26 mean?

Judges 1:26 describes how a man, after leaving the city of Luz, traveled to the land of the Hittites, where he built a new city and named it Luz, a name that remained up to the time the book was written. This verse shows the continuation of the name Luz in a new location, even after the original city was overtaken.

The verse comes at the end of a story where the spies from the tribe of Joseph spared a man and his family in exchange for his help in entering the city. After escaping, this man relocated to a different region—the land of the Hittites—and established a new settlement, giving it the same name as his old home. This detail connects the fate of the original Luz with the founding of a new city, showing how names and people could move and adapt after conquest.

The Hebrew behind Judges 1:26

• "Luz" (לוּז, luz): This is the name of both the original city and the new one the man founded. The repetition highlights how people carried familiar names with them, preserving a sense of identity even after displacement.
• "Land" (אֶרֶץ, erets): The phrase "land of the Hittites" refers to a region north of Israel, showing that the man moved a significant distance to start anew, not just to a nearby town.
• "Built" (בָּנָה, banah): The word means to construct or establish. Here, it emphasizes that the man did not just settle but actively created a new community, shaping its future.

Why Judges 1:26 matters

• Judges 1:26 clarifies that the name Luz did not disappear with the city's conquest but was transplanted to a new place, showing how cultural identity could persist through upheaval.
• This verse connects back to the earlier agreement between the spies and the man, showing the fulfillment of their promise and the man's survival and adaptation.
• The mention of the "land of the Hittites" links Israel's local events to the broader ancient Near Eastern world, reminding readers that people and stories moved across regions.