The Meaning of Judges 1:8 Explained

Judges 1:8

KJV: Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

YLT: And the sons of Judah fight against Jerusalem, and capture it, and smite it by the mouth of the sword, and the city they have sent into fire;

Darby: And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

ASV: And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now the children  of Judah  had fought  against Jerusalem,  and had taken  it, and smitten  it with the edge  of the sword,  and set  the city  on fire. 

What does Judges 1:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Even though the soldiers of Judah and Simeon captured and burned Jerusalem, the Israelites were not able to keep the Jebusites from returning to control their ancient capital (cf. Judges 1:21; Judges 19:11-12; Joshua 15:63).
"The Jebusites were a mixed people who descended from early colonies of Hittites and Amorites in Canaan." [1]
Jerusalem became Israel"s permanent possession years later when David finally exterminated the Jebusites ( 2 Samuel 5:6-9). The Israelites" unfaithfulness in subduing the land is one of the major emphases of Judges. [2]

Context Summary

Judges 1:1-15 - Renewing The Conquest
The land had been given. There could be no doubt about that. In the ancient covenant which Jehovah had made with Abram, He said: "Unto thy seed have I given this land." See Genesis 15:18. It had also been conquered and divided by lot, as we learn in Joshua 14:1-5. The portion of Judah is specified in Joshua 15:1-63. But notwithstanding all, each tribe had to possess its own, first by the sword, and ultimately by the plow and the spade.
It is not enough to be assured that "we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus." We must possess our possessions. By faith, and patience, and daily use, we must appropriate the resources which are stored up in Christ Jesus. See Obadiah 1:17; Ephesians 1:3. Let us not be content with the nether springs of ordinary experience, but let us seek the upper springs that arise hard by the throne of God!
"Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll!"¦
Till thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea!" [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 1:8 mean?

And fought the sons of Judah against Jerusalem and took it and they struck it with the edge of the sword and the city set on fire
וַיִּלָּחֲמ֤וּ בְנֵֽי־ יְהוּדָה֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וַיִּלְכְּד֣וּ אוֹתָ֔הּ וַיַּכּ֖וּהָ לְפִי־ חָ֑רֶב וְאֶת־ הָעִ֖יר שִׁלְּח֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ

וַיִּלָּחֲמ֤וּ  And  fought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְהוּדָה֙  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם  against  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
וַיִּלְכְּד֣וּ  and  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
וַיַּכּ֖וּהָ  and  they  struck  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person feminine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
לְפִי־  with  the  edge 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
חָ֑רֶב  of  the  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
הָעִ֖יר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
שִׁלְּח֥וּ  set 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
בָאֵֽשׁ  on  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.

What are the major concepts related to Judges 1:8?

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