שופטים, פרק א׳, פסוק י״ט

A military campaign often relies on momentum, taking easier ground before tackling difficult terrain. Yet, the tribe of Judah experiences a puzzling reversal. They successfully conquer the harsh, challenging mountainous region but are suddenly stopped in the flat, accessible valley. This sharp contrast raises deep questions about the relationship between divine promises, military strength, and human faith.

The enemy in the valley possessed a significant military advantage, utilizing iron chariots manned by warriors as strong as iron [מצודת ציון]. This overwhelming superiority prevented any direct, hand-to-hand combat [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, the inability to expel the enemy from the land [מצודת ציון] seems contradictory. If God was with the tribe of Judah, physical weapons should not have hindered them.

Commentators offer several explanations for this sudden halt. One approach suggests the limitation was based on the boundaries of God's promise. God guaranteed assistance only for Judah's designated territory. Because the valley actually belonged to the tribe of Simeon, the miraculous support did not extend there [רלב״ג]. Another perspective views the incomplete conquest as a deliberate divine design. Naturally, a valley is much easier to secure than a mountain. If Judah had only captured the valley, the Israelites might have credited their own natural military might. By securing the difficult mountain and leaving the accessible valley, it became clear that the mountain victory was an open miracle from God. The valley inhabitants were intentionally left behind to serve as a future spiritual and military test for the people [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].

Conversely, a primary approach among commentators attributes the failure to the Israelites' spiritual condition. Due to their sins, they simply lost the capacity to drive out the enemy [רש״י, רד״ק]. Furthermore, the issue went beyond a lack of ability to a profound lack of will. Descending into the valley should have been a natural and easy next step, but the sight of the iron chariots struck the people with fear and weakened their resolve. They recoiled from the fight, revealing that even their earlier conquest of the mountain was done without any real intention of pushing forward into the valley [מלבי״ם]. Had they placed their complete trust in God, the enemy's weapons would have posed no obstacle, as nothing can prevent God from delivering His people. This is clearly demonstrated by Caleb, who, armed with absolute faith, successfully expelled terrifying giants from Hebron, foes who were far more dangerous than iron chariots. Ultimately, Judah's failure in the valley stemmed from a lack of trust in God. They did not even dare to enter the battlefield with the belief that He would fight on their behalf [אלשיך].