And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
Judges 1:5 stands in the introduction to Judges found in chapters 1 and 2 and 3:1-6, described as the first chapter, the opening chapters, and the first three chapters. This introductory section shows that Israel had not yet possessed all of the country. The first chapter begins a new period in Israel's history after enslavement and oppression, when the people were free to choose obedience or self-will and to shape their national life.
The opening chapters record the experiences of God's people between Joshua's death, beginning sometime after his death, and the raising up of Samuel. That period is estimated at about 350 to 450 years. The first three chapters show Israel's failure to carry out the instructions God gave, their consequent captivity, and the help that came through the judges or saviours the Lord raised up for them.
The book takes its name from leaders called judges as defenders of a cause, men raised up in times of crisis to contend for the independence of the people, who also judged the people in administering law and are called saviours. The chronology of the book is difficult because adding its numbers gives 410 years, compared with 480 years from the Exodus to the temple and about 450 years of the judges, since some judges were contemporaneous, some were only local, and some unrecorded interregnums occurred. Judges was written at least as late as the time of Samuel when Saul was king, as shown by the expressions in 17:6 and 18:1 and 18:31, and was written by Samuel.
Judges 1:5 stands in the introduction to Judges found in chapters 1 and 2 and 3:1-6, described as the first chapter, the opening chapters, and the first three chapters. This introductory section shows that Israel had not yet possessed all of the country. The first chapter begins a new period in Israel's history after enslavement and oppression, when the people were free to choose obedience or self-will and to shape their national life.
The opening chapters record the experiences of God's people between Joshua's death, beginning sometime after his death, and the raising up of Samuel. That period is estimated at about 350 to 450 years. The first three chapters show Israel's failure to carry out the instructions God gave, their consequent captivity, and the help that came through the judges or saviours the Lord raised up for them.
The book takes its name from leaders called judges as defenders of a cause, men raised up in times of crisis to contend for the independence of the people, who also judged the people in administering law and are called saviours. The chronology of the book is difficult because adding its numbers gives 410 years, compared with 480 years from the Exodus to the temple and about 450 years of the judges, since some judges were contemporaneous, some were only local, and some unrecorded interregnums occurred. Judges was written at least as late as the time of Samuel when Saul was king, as shown by the expressions in 17:6 and 18:1 and 18:31, and was written by Samuel.