Judges 1:22-26 begins by introducing the house of Joseph into the account of the tribes’ battles after the death of their leader, Joshua.

Likewise the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them (v 22).

The house of Joseph, representing the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (who were sons of Joseph), initiates their campaign against Bethel (Joshua 16:1). The specification that the Lord was with them (v 22) shows God's steadfastness in Israel's efforts to conquer and settle the Promised Land. Bethel, meaning "House of God," is a significant site in biblical history, associated with patriarchal events (Genesis 12:8, 28:19, 35).

Unlike the previous verses telling of the tribes’ conquests, the description of the house of Joseph provides much more detail: The house of Joseph spied out Bethel (now the name of the city was formerly Luz) (v 23). The strategic reconnaissance by the house of Joseph mirrors similar tactics used in earlier conquests, such as the spying mission in Jericho (Joshua 2:1).

It was this place where Jacob traveled through on his way to find a wife in Paddan-aram among his mother's family (Genesis 28:6). He had a dream here in which God promised him the land he slept on, foreshadowing Joseph’s conquest in this chapter. God communicates to Jacob his generational promise:

“And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will ]spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’”
(Genesis 28:13-14)

After this dream from the Lord, Jacob built a pillar, poured oil on it, and named the place Bethel (Genesis 28:18-19). This is the initial instance of the city’s naming. However, it would not be until the house of Joseph came to secure it in this passage that the promise was fulfilled.

The narrative of Bethel’s capture continues in verse 24: The spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city and we will treat you kindly” (v 24). The spies employ a diplomatic approach here, leveraging local knowledge to gain access to Bethel. This interaction seems to imply that treating the man kindly meant to not kill him in their attack of the city, which is again reminiscent of the deal made with Rahab (Joshua 2:12-13).

The man is evidently aware of their divine support or he is simply aware of Israel’s fierce reputation. Therefore, it does not take much convincing for him to quickly help their needs. So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go free (v 25). The man’s cooperation secures his family’s safety, showcasing a recurring theme of mercy towards those who aid the Israelites, like Rahab and her family (Joshua 2).

Unlike Rahab’s story, this man seemed to give no outright confession of God’s power. The man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city and named it Luz which is its name to this day (v 26). After aiding the Israelites, the man relocates to the land of the Hittites, a region likely north of Canaan, possibly in Anatolia. There, he establishes a new city named Luz, perpetuating the memory of the original city.

The struggle for dominance in Canaan after Joshua's death sets the stage for significant lessons in obedience and faithfulness among the Israelite tribes. This verse reflects a critical moment where the tribe of Benjamin failed to fully dispossess the Jebusites from Jerusalem, demonstrating a pattern of incomplete obedience that plagued Israel throughout the book of Judges. This integration of the Canaanites not only compromised their territorial integrity but also foreshadowed deeper troubles, as the Jebusites would later become emblematic of Israel’s spiritual and moral decline.

The consequences of this halfhearted commitment serve as a dire warning of the dangers of compromise in faith. Just as the Israelites faced enemies they were meant to defeat, believers today are called to confront and eliminate sin from their lives rather than coexist with it. This moment in Judges can be seen as a microcosm of the larger issues that would eventually lead to Israel's cyclical pattern of rebellion, repentance, and rescue. In embracing compromise, the people not only failed to realize their God-given potential but also set themselves on a path toward spiritual captivity. The verse encapsulates the thematic essence of Judges, where failure through compromise leads to failure on a grander scale, as seen throughout the rest of the book.