And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh said, “Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”
- BSB “Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.”
- NKJV And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”
- NASB The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have handed the land over to him.”
- NLT The Lord answered, “Judah, for I have given them victory over the land.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God answers that Judah should go first, promising the land is already given into his hand. It matters because victory is grounded in God's prior pledge, not Israel's strength.
Overview
Yahweh designates the tribe of Judah to lead, and declares the land already delivered, so that obedience flows from a settled promise. Judah's primacy anticipates the later kingship and Messianic line, for from Judah comes David and ultimately Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Revelation 5:5).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Rev 5:5And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
- Heb 7:14For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
- Num 2:3And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah.
- Gen 49:8–10Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.
- Num 7:12And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:
- Ps 78:68–70But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
- Rev 19:11–16And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 1:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.