Judges 1:19, commentary and pictures

The one who was unable to drive out the inhabitants of the valley was Judah, not the Lord, for the verse does not mean that God could not overcome chariots of iron. Judah drove out the inhabitants of the mountain while trusting God, but failed against the valley dwellers through weak faith and fear of their iron chariots, and his strength was in proportion to his faith. God works by giving blessing and deliverance according to the faith of the receiver, having promised to subdue enemies if His people trusted Him but to leave to their fears those who distrust His word. That He could conquer iron chariots is proved in Judges 4 and 5, where Israel under Deborah and Barak overthrew Sisera with his nine hundred chariots of iron because they had faith, and He would have given Judah victory in every case as at Jericho. Those who held otherwise taught that the inability belonged to a later time after Judah had sinned and the Lord had withdrawn His support, and that Judah believed and obeyed only in part, sparing the wicked Canaanites instead of destroying them as commanded because of unbelief.

Wording and Historical Setting

The one unable to expel the lowland dwellers was Judah, not the Lord, for the pronoun refers to Judah and the account does not set any limit on divine power before iron chariots. The Lord being with Judah goes with what precedes, and the sense breaks after the highlands, leaving the remainder to tell of Judah driving out the hill dwellers yet failing to dispossess those of the lowland. In that remainder the connective means for rather than but, and the inability means would not go to expel them. That failure is also read as belonging to a later time after sin, when support was withdrawn and the people were left to their own strength so that enemies prevailed, a reading in line with a rendering that makes Judah the subject of both the success in the hill country and the failure in the valley.

The verse stands in the introduction and opening chapters after the death of Joshua, recording that Israel had not taken possession of all the land. It opens a new period after freedom from oppression, when the people could choose whether to follow the Lord or their own will. In that setting it exhibits the failure to carry out the divine instructions to conquer and dispossess the land. That failure brought consequent captivity and made necessary the help that came through the judges whom the Lord raised up as saviours and defenders in times of crisis to contend for the independence of the people and to administer law. What is described is the lowland Canaanites with their iron chariots, not chariots of fire and iron with ships sailing in the air, which confuses this account with the translation of Elijah.

Reason for Judah's Failure

Judah drove out the inhabitants of the mountain because the Lord was with him through trust in Him, but he failed against the inhabitants of the valley with chariots of iron because he became fearful and his faith failed, his power being proportionate to his faith. The lack was not in God's power and not from any fault in God, but in Judah's unbelief, for he had more fear of the iron chariots than confidence in the power and faithfulness of God and therefore was weak before his enemies. God works by an established plan in which blessings and deliverance are given according to the faith of the receiver, so that want of faith makes it impossible to bestow the blessing. He had promised to go with His people and subdue their enemies before them if they put their trust in Him, but to forsake them if they denied Him, and He will not go with and prosper those who distrust and dishonor His word but leaves them to realize their fears, requiring belief in order to grant deliverance and blessing.

The inability to drive out the valley inhabitants belongs to a later time after Judah had sinned and the Lord had withdrawn His support. Left then to his own strength, Judah was overcome and his enemies prevailed. His faith reached only to the mountains and did not trust God against chariots of iron, so that could not means would not go to drive them out.

Judah believed only some things and did only some things, with a spirit of compromise that spared wicked Canaanites who had forfeited all consideration instead of destroying them as commanded. He joined their idolatrous feasts and worshiped with them, and then was fearful before the strong men of the valley. Though God had promised him the land, he did not drive the inhabitants out utterly because of unbelief, even though he did conquer in places in the valleys and low country, as Ekron shows.

God had promised to drive out all enemies if Israel would believe Him, and would have given victory in every case as at Jericho. That He could conquer iron chariots is proved in Judges 4 and 5, where Israel under Deborah and Barak overthrew Sisera with his nine hundred chariots of iron because they had faith.

Application and Further Connections

When a person is converted some sins fly away at once while other sins remain and fight like enemies with chariots of iron, seeming to have as many lives as a cat and rising again when thought to be slain to oppose holy desires and fervent resolves. These sins gain their chariots of iron through long habit, which is as hard to uproot as an oak of many years growth and startles even in prayer and nearness to God with old songs and recollections of filthy things once plunged into, and through being congenial to the constitution. Such constitutional traits include quick temper and sensitiveness that when wielded by sin leads to speaking unadvisedly and to years of groaning as with broken bones. Constitutional faults must not be excused as hardly faults or unavoidable accidents, and no sin supposed to be irresistible may be tolerated. No sin may be allowed to master, and where a sin does master all strength must be concentrated upon its utter destruction.

The Lord was with Judah and Judah drove the inhabitants from the hill country but could not drive out those in the valley because they had chariots of iron. That mention of iron chariots belongs to this early account of conquest. Its presence shows that the use of stone tools for a particular task does not mean people were unfamiliar with iron.