17-29. And Judah went with Simeon his brother--The course of the
narrative is here resumed from
Jud 1:9,
and an account given of Judah returning the services of Simeon
(Jud 1:3),
by aiding in the prosecution of the war within the neighboring tribes.
slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath--or Zephathah
(2Ch 14:10),
a valley lying in the southern portion of Canaan.
Hormah--destroyed in fulfilment of an early vow of the Israelites
(see on
Nu 21:2).
The confederate tribes, pursuing their incursions in that quarter, came
successively to Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron, which they took. But the
Philistines seem soon to have regained possession of these cities.
JFB.
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