The Meaning of Judges 1:19 Explained

Judges 1:19

KJV: 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.

YLT: and 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.

Darby: And the LORD was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain, because they had chariots of iron.

ASV: And 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Judges 1:19 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 1:16-36 - Flagging In Their Great Task
The conquest of Canaan was very partial. Israel dwelled among the ancient inhabitants of the land, much as the Normans did among the Anglo-Saxons, whom they found in England; and the mixture of the two peoples was the beginning of moral degeneracy and decline in the chosen race. Wherever there was the old-time faith in God, as in the case of Caleb, the land was cleared of the Canaanite; but where God was out, the Canaanite was in.
So it is in the life of the soul. It is intended that the whole should be yielded to Christ, that no evil passion should reign, that no besetting sin should enthrall. But how often Christian people give up the fight! They say that the old Adam is too strong for them, and settle down to a joint-occupation. Let us not yield to reasoning like this! The Lion of Judah can break every chain. By faith in Him we can be more than conquerors! The Holy Spirit strives with the flesh, so that we may not do as otherwise we would. Only give Him the right of way! Sin shall not reign in your mortal body! [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 1

1  The acts of Judah and Simeon
4  Adonibezek justly requited
8  Jerusalem taken
10  Hebron taken
11  Othniel has Achsah to wife for taking of Debir
16  The Kenites dwell in Judah
17  Hormah, Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron taken
21  The acts of Benjamin
22  Of the house of Joseph, who take Bethel
30  Of Zebulun
31  Of Asher
33  Of Naphtali
34  Of Dan

What do the individual words in Judges 1:19 mean?

So was Yahweh with Judah and they took possession - of the hill country but not they could drive out the inhabitants of the lowland because chariots of iron they had
וַיְהִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֶתּ־ יְהוּדָ֔ה‪‬ וַיֹּ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־ הָהָ֑ר כִּ֣י לֹ֤א לְהוֹרִישׁ֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָעֵ֔מֶק כִּי־ רֶ֥כֶב בַּרְזֶ֖ל לָהֶֽם

וַיְהִ֤י  So  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יְהוּדָ֔ה‪‬  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וַיֹּ֖רֶשׁ  and  they  took  possession 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָהָ֑ר  of  the  hill  country 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
לְהוֹרִישׁ֙  they  could  drive  out 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
יֹשְׁבֵ֣י  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָעֵ֔מֶק  of  the  lowland 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
כִּי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
רֶ֥כֶב  chariots 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
בַּרְזֶ֖ל  of  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
לָהֶֽם  they  had 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural