Why was Judah/God unable to make people of the valley out?

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Gigas97

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Hello, i have a question, atheists are accusing that Judah with God were unable to move the people out of the valley because of “war-carriages of iron”. How should you read the context? Anyone had to do with this verse?

Judges 1:18-19

|1:18| Then Judah took Gaza and its limit, and Ashkelon and its limit, and Ekron and its limit.|

|1:19| And the Lord was with Judah; and he took the hill-country for his heritage; but he was unable to make the people of the valley go out, for they had war-carriages of iron.|
 
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Because God does not override the free will of people. The people with iron carriages refused to be moved.
 
Sounds like Judah didn’t have the military might to compete against war carriages of Iron.
 
Haydock:

Ver. 19. Was not able, &c. Through a cowardly fear of their chariots armed with hooks and scythes, and for want of confidence in God. Ch. — Heb. does not sy expressly that Juda could not: quia non ad expellendum, &c. He had not the courage or the will. With God’s assistance, what had he to fear? Were these Philistines with their chariots, more terrible than the giants in their fortresses? — Scythes. Heb. receb barzel, “chariots of iron.” C. — The Rom. and Alex. Sept. have “Rechab was opposed to them.” H. — The edit. of Basil adds, “and they had chariots of iron,” as S. Aug. (q. 5,) reads. A double translation is thus given. C. — These chariots were calculated to cut down all that came in contact with them. Curt. iv. W.
 
Other translations have it as:
The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron.
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and
…and still the Lord was on their side; so that they occupied all the hill-country, although they could not overcome the plain-dwellers, that had scythed chariots in plenty.
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So I would interpret it as leadership saying, “Go on and defeat the plains-dwellers!” and the army being like, “What are you talking about?! Don’t you see those chariots?! There’s no way!” And whether it was from a lack of faith/trust, or a lack of attempt to try, they were unable to conquer the plains.
 
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