Can anyone explain Judges 1:19?

Question

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.

The "LORD" isn't powerful enough to move some iron chariots?

Answer 1

Maybe he favored iron that day :)

Answer 2

I looked at the Hebrew.

"He" refers to Judah --it is Judah who is driving out the inhabitants and runs up against the iron chariots.

If you read the whole section, it is describing a series of military conquests. The Lord being with Judah is the rationale for the numbers of victories listed. No reason outside the Canaanite technical superiority is listed for the failure to take the valley, so apparently the writer of this history is not blaming the failure on the lack of the Lord's intervention but more because of Israel's rather late development of iron implements.

During this period, if Israel needed iron implements, they had to turn to their neighbors to purchase it, as iron making was a closely guarded secret held by the Philistines. Check out 1 Samuel 13:

Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears;"

20 but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plowshare, mattock, axe, and sickle;

21 yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the plowshares, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to set the goads.

22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

Later on by the time of David, Israel appears to have gained metalworking technology as we read in I Chron. 22:3 that David calls on an abundance of iron for building the temple.

It is possible, then, that the Jduges writer is more lamenting the lack of expertise available at the time and not really linking this failure in battle to God.

Answer 3

It is amazing when reading the stories of the bible how people choose scripture and try to make God contradict himself. Remember this story is not a law or commandment; it is a story to give example of a disobedient people. if you continue in the story to
JUDGES 2:1-4
1) And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and siad, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I swear unto your fathers; and said,I will never break my covenant with you.
2)And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars; BUT YE HAVE NOT OBEYED MY VOICE: why have you done this?
3) Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
4) And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

Now bible reader go back in scripture and find out where they were told ahead of time, that those people would not be driven out.
See you worry too much about the stories instead of listening to what God commands, and you try to fight against God . And we know as saints of God there is no victory... you loose.
I pray for you.Amen, praise the Lord.

Answer 4

Judah was given the work to drive the people away. God was with Judah. JUDAH could not overcome them. My belief is in many places where the statement, "God was with him" meant in a spiritual sense. God approved of Judah doing this. Judah wasn't able to do the task. The complete story needs to be read. This is only my interpretation of this. I will not believe God failed.

Answer 5

look to the figure of judah, not the figure of God.

judah, as a human was as frail and easy to frighten and impress as any during his time.

while God would be able to overcome any obstical, He was working through judah and we cannot say that judah's faith failed him when he saw "iron chariots".

i'm a big believer in God, but even i would be scared witless if i had to stand alone against a tank.....or even a pickup truck bearing down on me. i'd flinch.

-eagle

Answer 6

It has to do with interpretation. You have to deal with chariot, iron and valley. Maybe it is in Arcana Coelestia but you should look it up yourself.

http://www.mechanicsburgnewchurch.org

Answer 7

Jg 1:19
Could not; because, terrified by the chariots, they did not trust in God and use the proper means.
Viewing difficulties with an eye of sense only, men often despond, when, should they use proper means in dependence on God, he would render them successful.

Answer 8

It's symbolism. The iron chariots represent faith, and the faith of those living in the valley was stronger than those in the mountains, and He wasn't as willing to drive those with stronger faith out of their land than those whose faith was weak.

Answer 9

he, refers to Judah. Not the Lord. So apparently, Judah was left to his own in the valley.

Answer 10

he drove out = yehuda did ,not G-d.
G-d was with yehuda.[with g-ds help]
the Ralbag[ jewish commentator] explains that in the beginning of the book G-d promised to help yehuda in the coquest of their own territory.
now, however, they were fighting to conquer the territory os simeon.

Answer 11

at that time many people considered god and the weather were as one,you often read also that god spoke as thunder,so this was perhaps a storm,that was mentioned,one like Catrina.