Judges 1:23 - The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city before that was Luz.)
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What does "Judges 1:23" mean?
This verse, Judges 1:23, is a concise statement with some important context:
"The house of Joseph": This refers to the tribes descended from Joseph, specifically Ephraim and Manasseh, two powerful and influential tribes in Israel. They are acting as a unified entity here.
"sent to spy out Bethel": This means they dispatched spies to gather information about the city of Bethel. Spies would assess the city's defenses, its strength, the mood of its inhabitants, potential weaknesses, and likely approaches. This was a common military tactic before an attempted conquest.
"(The name of the city before that was Luz.)": This parenthetical statement is crucial. It tells us that the city was originally known as Luz but had been renamed Bethel. The purpose of including this detail is likely:
Historical Context: It establishes the pre-Israelite name of the city.
Identification: It helps readers (ancient and modern) understand which city is being discussed, as Luz might have been a more familiar name to some.
Transition: It marks the transition from a Canaanite city (Luz) to an Israelite one (Bethel), likely implying a change in control or association.
In Summary:
The verse describes a military reconnaissance mission undertaken by the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (the "house of Joseph") to gather intelligence about the city of Bethel, which was previously known as Luz. The verse sets the stage for the subsequent narrative in Judges, suggesting an impending attempt to conquer or control the city. This is part of the larger narrative in Judges about the Israelites' incomplete conquest of Canaan.
The fact that they are spying out Bethel suggests that the Israelites have not yet fully secured the region or driven out the original inhabitants. The mention of the old name hints at the history and potential cultural complexities of the area.
Judges 1:23 - The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city before that was Luz.)
What does "Judges 1:23" mean?
This verse, Judges 1:23, is a concise statement with some important context:
"The house of Joseph": This refers to the tribes descended from Joseph, specifically Ephraim and Manasseh, two powerful and influential tribes in Israel. They are acting as a unified entity here.
"sent to spy out Bethel": This means they dispatched spies to gather information about the city of Bethel. Spies would assess the city's defenses, its strength, the mood of its inhabitants, potential weaknesses, and likely approaches. This was a common military tactic before an attempted conquest.
"(The name of the city before that was Luz.)": This parenthetical statement is crucial. It tells us that the city was originally known as Luz but had been renamed Bethel. The purpose of including this detail is likely:
Historical Context: It establishes the pre-Israelite name of the city.
Identification: It helps readers (ancient and modern) understand which city is being discussed, as Luz might have been a more familiar name to some.
Transition: It marks the transition from a Canaanite city (Luz) to an Israelite one (Bethel), likely implying a change in control or association.
In Summary:
The verse describes a military reconnaissance mission undertaken by the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (the "house of Joseph") to gather intelligence about the city of Bethel, which was previously known as Luz. The verse sets the stage for the subsequent narrative in Judges, suggesting an impending attempt to conquer or control the city. This is part of the larger narrative in Judges about the Israelites' incomplete conquest of Canaan.
The fact that they are spying out Bethel suggests that the Israelites have not yet fully secured the region or driven out the original inhabitants. The mention of the old name hints at the history and potential cultural complexities of the area.