Iron Chariots of Judges 1:19 - Exploring the alleged contradiction

Was God defeated by iron chariots?

Critics of the Bible often point to Judges 1:19 as a contradiction. This usually sounds something like “If God is all powerful, why couldn’t He defeat the iron chariots?”. This argument often stems from the statement “the Lord was with Judah”, but I don’t see this as any sort of stumbling block for the Christian. In fact, I have faith the iron chariots can sharpen us.

Judges 1:19 And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

However, personally, I do think it’s a fair question. I’ve read and listened to several Christians respond, but these explanations usually fall on deaf ears. The critics don’t care about the Israelites’ lack of faith or failure to uphold the covenant. They strongly feel this doesn’t justify Judah’s failure, especially if God was there. And this is a reasonable rebuttal considering Judah was standing in faith and ready for battle. After repeatedly witnessing ineffective communication on the topic, it led me to seek further understanding and guidance.

While I agree the Israelites’ shortcomings contributed, I’m going to focus this article on another aspect that doesn’t get much attention. For the sake of context, we’ll begin at Joshua 17:14-18 where the iron chariots are first mentioned.

Joshua 17:14 Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since all along the Lord has blessed me?” ¹⁵ And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” ¹⁶ The people of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel.” ¹⁷ Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only, ¹⁸ but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”

Here we can see the children of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, approach Joshua seeking additional land for their inheritance due to the size of their population. Joshua’s response was quite blunt; to paraphrase he told them “You have the numbers and resources to conquer additional land, so go do it”.

The land designated to them was protected by iron chariots. Ephraim and Manasseh voiced their concern regarding the chariots; yet Joshua retorted “You are a numerous people and have great power” and “you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong”.

Now if we go forward to Judges 1:19, we read about Judah attempting to drive out the iron chariots to no avail. Despite the opinions from critics that this is problematic, I’d argue it would’ve actually been problematic if Judah was successful. Just as God honored Moses’ leadership, He also honored Joshua’s, affirming that Joshua’s words carry weight and deserve the reader’s attention.

Joshua specifically told Ephraim and Manasseh they would drive out the iron chariots. It was their inheritance to secure. Obviously, this land was not part of Judah’s inheritance as they were located much further south. To put it simply, it wasn’t Judah’s battle to lead or even to fight - which I will also touch on shortly.

In Judges 4, we are introduced to Deborah, both a prophetess and judge, several generations following the death of Joshua. Verse 4 states she used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. Two things to point out from this verse is her connection to the tribe of Ephraim and her geographical location, which was strategically placed allowing her to be a unifying judge for the people of Israel, not a single tribe.

Judges 4:4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵ She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Deborah sent for Barak and called on him to stand with her against their oppressors. In Verse 7 it states, “And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand”. Barak agreed to go to war if Deborah went as well. She fearlessly agreed and together they began organizing against their oppressors.

In response, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, gathered all the chariots and people to the river of Kishon for war against the Israelites. Deborah then says to Barak, “Up, for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee?”. Deborah was not only reminding Barak that the Lord goes before us but was also prophesizing.

Judges 4:15 And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

Before Barak and the men get to the battleground, God renders the chariots useless. The Song of Deborah, a song of victory and praise located in Judges 5, gives us further explanation as to how God accomplished this defeat of the iron chariots.

Judges 5:20 tells us heaven itself joined the war, the stars fought against Sisera. This was not merely a physical war, but also a spiritual war. God flooded the river of Kishon, muddying the battlefield. The chariots were immobilized and their horses struggled against the conditions until their hooves broke. Barak and his men took advantage of their enemy’s weakened state and destroyed them by the sword. This defeat led to Sisera abandoning the war on foot and running to his death by Jael.

Judges 5:20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.²¹ The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.²² Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

Although the Lord was with Judah, it was not Judah’s battle to lead. Joshua declared victory for Ephraim and Manasseh against the chariots. The Song of Deborah tells us which tribes joined her, which stayed neutral, and which outright refused to stand against tyranny - Judah wasn’t any of these. There is no mention of Barak calling upon them to join. Judah was so far from the location, there was no expectation for them to be there and no grievances against their absence noted.

Another factor to consider is the contrast between the circumstances during Joshua’s time and those during Deborah’s. When Joshua urged them to drive out the chariots, they had the numbers and the necessary skillsets for war; however, by the time of Deborah, the population had diminished, and the art of war had largely been forgotten. For instance, Judges 5:7 explains the inhabitants of Israel ceased and 5:14 tells us men set down their pens to fight against oppression.

Judges 5:2 Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

Their decline in readiness highlights the challenges they faced and sets the stage for God’s miraculous intervention through Deborah’s leadership. Judges 5:2 informs us of their character, which is of upmost importance, and the major difference between Joshua and Deborah’s times, a simple willingness - to be doers of the Word.

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.²³ For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:²⁴ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.²⁵ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.