Question 1

Who are Caleb and Othniel in this passage, and what do they do?

Accepted Answer

Caleb is an older leader from Judah who had been promised land in Canaan. In this passage he urges someone to attack Kirjath-sepher, promising his daughter Achsah in marriage as a reward. Othniel, the son of Kenaz and Caleb’s younger relative, accepts the challenge. He attacks the city, takes it, and receives Achsah as his wife. Their story shows courage, trust in God’s promises, and how leadership and family life were tied to obedience in entering the land.

Question 2

Why does Achsah ask Caleb for springs of water after her marriage?

Accepted Answer

Achsah has been given land in the south, which was dry and needed water to be truly useful. When she comes to her father, she respectfully asks for “a blessing” and then explains: he has given her land, but she also needs springs of water. Caleb responds generously and gives her both upper and lower springs. This shows her wisdom in thinking ahead, her freedom to ask boldly, and Caleb’s kind, open-handed heart. It also hints at how God’s gifts often include both place and ongoing provision.

Question 3

What is the meaning of Judah failing to drive out those with iron chariots?

Accepted Answer

The text says the Lord was with Judah and they drove out many in the hill country, but they could not drive out the people in the valley because those enemies had iron chariots. This shows a tension between God’s help and human fear. God had already shown He could defeat strong enemies, yet Judah shrank back when they saw powerful weapons. The lesson is not that God was weak, but that His people let what they saw overrule trust in what He had said, leading to incomplete obedience.

Question 4

Why did the children of Benjamin leave the Jebusites in Jerusalem?

Accepted Answer

The passage simply states that the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites lived there with them “unto this day.” It does not give a detailed reason, but in the wider story this kind of failure often grows from fear, weariness, or choosing ease instead of hard obedience. By letting the Jebusites stay, Benjamin lived side by side with people God had told them to remove, and this ongoing mixture later caused trouble and division in Israel’s life.

Question 5

Who are the Kenites, and why do they move with Judah?

Accepted Answer

The Kenites are the relatives of Moses’ father-in-law. In this passage they go up from the “city of palm trees” with the people of Judah into the wilderness of Judah in the south, near Arad, and settle among the people there. Their move shows loyalty to the God of Israel and to His people instead of going their own way. It is a small picture of how people from outside Israel could choose to live with God’s people and share in the blessings tied to God’s promises.

Question 6

Why is the city Zephath renamed Hormah after Judah and Simeon’s victory?

Accepted Answer

Judah and Simeon fight against the Canaanites who live in Zephath and “utterly destroy” the city. After this, they rename it Hormah, which is linked with the idea of something devoted to destruction for God. The new name marks what happened there and shows that this was not just a normal battle, but part of obeying God’s command to remove the Canaanite nations. It also reminds later readers that some cities fell fully under God’s judgment when His people trusted and obeyed.

Question 7

What happens with the man who shows the entrance to the city of Bethel?

Accepted Answer

When the house of Joseph plans to attack Bethel, they send out spies. These spies see a man coming out of the city and ask him to show them the entrance, promising to show him mercy. He agrees, leads them to the way in, and the Israelites strike the city but spare him and his family. Later he goes to the land of the Hittites, builds a new city, and calls it Luz, the old name of Bethel. His story shows that even in judgment, mercy was offered to those who helped God’s people.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s presence and human obedience?

Accepted Answer

All through this passage you read that the Lord was with Judah and with the house of Joseph, and that victories came when they moved forward in faith. At the same time, you see places where fear of iron chariots or unwillingness to drive out enemies led to only partial obedience. Together this shows that God’s presence is real and powerful, but His people still make real choices. Trust and obedience lead to deeper rest in the land, while compromise leaves lingering problems and mixed devotion.

Question 9

How can this story about land and battles speak to believers today?

Accepted Answer

This passage is about real land and real battles, but it also gives patterns that still speak. You see people like Caleb and Othniel who act in faith on what God has promised, and people who stop halfway when something looks too strong. You see a daughter who boldly asks for what she needs and a father who gladly gives. You see mercy shown to an outsider who responds to God’s people. For believers today, it encourages honest courage, wise asking, refusing half-measures with sin, and trusting that God is with them.

Judges 1:11

And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher:

The Capture of Jerusalem and Hebron

Capture of Other Cities

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Judges 1:11

And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher:

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The Capture of Jerusalem and Hebron

Capture of Other Cities

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