Judges 1 · Verse 19

Judges 1:19

And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.
Judges 1:19, King James Version

Judges 1:19 in other translations

BSBThe 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.
WEBThe LORD was with Judah, and drove out the inhabitants of the hill country; for he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.
ASVAnd Jehovah was with Judah; and drove out the inhabitants of the hill-country; for he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.
YLTand Jehovah is with Judah, and he occupieth the hill-country, but not to dispossess the inhabitants of the valley, for they have chariots of iron.
DARBYAnd Jehovah was with Judah; and he took possession of the hill-country, for he did not dispossess the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.
BBEAnd the Lord was with Judah; and he took the hill-country for his heritage; but he was unable to make the people of the valley go out, for they had war-carriages of iron.
WebsterAnd the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

What does Judges 1:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 1:17-36

17-29. And Judah went with Simeon his brother--The course of the narrative is here resumed from Jud 1:9, and an account given of Judah returning the services of Simeon (Jud 1:3), by aiding in the prosecution of the war within the neighboring tribes. slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath--or Zephathah (2Ch 14:10), a valley lying in the southern portion of Canaan. Hormah--destroyed in fulfilment of an early vow…

Read the full comment on Judges 1:17-36 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 And the Lord was with Judah, and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron - Strange! were the iron chariots too strong for Omnipotence? The whole of this verse is improperly rendered. The first clause, The Lord was with Judah should terminate the 18th verse, and this gives the reason for the success of this tribe: The Lord was with Judah, and therefore he slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, etc., etc. Here then is a complete period: the remaining part of the verse either refers to a different time, or to the rebellion of Judah against the Lord, which caused him to withdraw his support. Therefore the Lord was with Judah, and these were the effects of his protection; but afterwards, when the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, etc., God was no longer with them, and their enemies were left to be pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their side, as God himself had said. This is the turn given to the verse by Jonathan ben Uzziel, the Chaldee paraphrast: "And the Word of Jehovah was in the support of the house of Judah, and they extirpated the inhabitants of the mountains; but afterwards, When They Sinned, they were not able to extirpate the inhabitants of the plain country, because they had chariots of iron." They were now left to their own strength, and their adversaries prevailed against them. From a work called the Dhunoor Veda, it appears that the ancient Hindoos had war chariots similar to those of the Canaanites. They are described as having many wheels, and to have contained a number of rooms. - Ward's Customs.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 1:9-20

The Canaanites had iron chariots; but Israel had God on their side, whose chariots are thousands of angels, Psa 68:17. Yet they suffered their fears to prevail against their faith. About Caleb we read in Jos 15:16-19. The Kenites had settled in the land. Israel let them fix where they pleased, being a quiet, contented people. They that molested none, were molested by none. Blessed are the meek, for they shall…

Read the full comment on Judges 1:9-20 →

Judges 1:19 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְהִ֤יvay.Hiand he wasH1961
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶתּ\־'et-withH854
יְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
וַיֹּ֖רֶשׁvai.Yo.reshand it took possession ofH3423
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָהָ֑רha.Harthe hill countryH2022
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
לֹ֤אlo'notH3808
לְהוֹרִישׁ֙le.ho.Rishto dispossessH3423
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יֹשְׁבֵ֣יyo.she.Vei[the] inhabitants ofH3427
הָעֵ֔מֶקha.'E.mekthe valleyH6010
כִּי\־ki-forH3588
רֶ֥כֶבRe.khevchariotry ofH7393
בַּרְזֶ֖לbar.ZelironH1270
לָהֶֽם\׃la.Hem[belonged] to <the> them

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 1:19

  • Isaiah 41:10

    Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

  • Psalms 60:12

    Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

  • Judges 1:2

    And the Lord said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

  • Philippians 4:13

    I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

  • Matthew 17:19-20

    Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

  • Romans 8:31

    What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

  • Matthew 1:23

    Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

  • Matthew 14:30-31

    But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

  • Isaiah 41:14-15

    Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

  • Isaiah 8:10

    Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

  • Exodus 14:7-31

    And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi–hahiroth, before Baal–zephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. …

  • Psalms 46:9

    He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the Lord.
2; 6:12,13; Ge 39:2,21; Jos 1:5,9; 14:12; 2Sa 5:10; 2Ki 18:7
Ps 46:7,11; 60:12; Ec 9:11; Isa 7:14; 8:10; 41:10,14,15; Mt 1:23
Ro 8:31
he drave, etc. or he possessed the mountain. but could.Not because the iron chariots were too strong for Omnipotence, or because he refused to help them; but because their courage and faith failed when they saw them.
27-32; Jos 7:12; Mt 14:30,31; 17:19,20; Php 4:13
chariots.
Ex 14:7-31; Jos 11:1-9; 17:16-18; Ps 46:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 1:18

    Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.

  • Judges 1:19

    And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

  • Judges 1:20

    And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.

Read all of Judges 1

Judges 1:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y fué Jehová con Judá, y echó á los de las montañas; mas no pudo echar á los que habitaban en los llanos, los cuales tenían carros herrados.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel fut avec Juda; et il prit possession de la montagne; car il ne déposséda pas les habitants de la vallée, parce qu’ils avaient des chars de fer.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova war mit Juda, und er nahm das Gebirge in Besitz; denn die Bewohner der Niederung trieb er nicht aus, weil sie eiserne Wagen hatten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Fuitque Dominus cum Juda, et montana possedit: nec potuit delere habitatores vallis, quia falcatis curribus abundabant.