The Book of Judges begins with a conjunction translated "now" or "and." God intended Judges to continue the narrative of Israel"s history where the Book of Joshua ended (cf. Joshua 1:1). This verse provides a heading for the whole Book of Judges with the actual events following Joshua"s death not being narrated until after the record of his death in Judges 2:8. Another view of the relationship of Judges 1:1 to Judges 2:5 to the death of Joshua is that all of Judges 1:1 to Judges 2:5 records events after Joshua"s death, and Judges 2:6 gives a recapitulation of his death. A third view is that Judges 1:1 to Judges 2:5 begins after Joshua"s death, but what happens after Judges 1:9 occurred before his death. [1][source]
The Israelites wisely sought God"s strategy in proceeding against their foe. They may have done this with the high priest and his use of the Urim and Thummim (cf. Numbers 27:21). Each of the major divisions of Judges 1:1 to Judges 2:5 opens with a form of the verb "alah (to go up; Judges 1:4; Judges 1:22; Judges 2:1). This verb also appears in Judges 1:1-3. [source][source][source]Judges 1:2The Lord"s appointment of Judah as the first tribe to initiate hostility was in harmony with Jacob"s prophecy that Judah would be the leader of the tribes ( Genesis 49:8-12). [source][source][source]
"The opening scene of the book offers so much promise. The theocratic system is still in place. Israel is sensitive to the will of God, and God responds to the overtures of his people.... By raising the reader"s expectations this way the narrator invites us to share the intensity of his own and God"s dis-appointment with his people in the period of settlement. Judges 1:1-2 throw the remainder of the chapter and the book into sharpest relief." [2][source]Judges 1:3Judah naturally and properly, I believe, invited Simeon to join in this battle. After all, the Simeonites lived within the territory of Judah and there-fore enjoyed an unusually close relationship with the people of Judah. [source][source][source]