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Were the sons of Anak killed or driven out?

Claim:

Judges 1:10 explains that Judah “struck” the sons of Anak; however, verse 20 explains that they were merely driven out. Which is true?

Response:

The Hebrew word for “struck” is nakah (pronounced nuh-HAH). It can be translated as “slew” (Judg. 9:44) or “struck down” (Judg. 3:29). However, it doesn’t always carry the connotation of exterminated –simply defeated. For instance, the Jews were “defeated,” but they were not exterminated (Judg. 3:13). Judges 1 is very similar to Joshua 15:13-19. Some argue that these are describing two separate attacks on the sons of Anak. One earlier and one later. Since Judges is not written in chronological order, this is possible.

About The Author
James Rochford

James earned a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, graduating magna cum laude. He is the founder of Evidence Unseen and the author of several books. James enjoys serving as a pastor at Dwell Community Church in Columbus, Ohio, where he lives with his wife and their two sons.