What does Judges 1:9 mean?

The fighting men of the tribe of Judah continue their campaign. Their mission is to rout all the wicked Canaanites (Deuteronomy 9:4–5) out of their allotted territory in the southern part of Israel. This verse introduces the next regions that will become the focus of their attacks, with each of the three described in the verses to follow.

Having defeated the cities of Bezek and Jerusalem, Judah turns and heads south to defeat the Canaanites in the hill country south of Jerusalem. This is followed by the wilderness or desert region called the Negeb much further south. Next is the lowland region between the hills and the coastal plain to the south and west.