Bible Strands
Joshua 16:10
But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, but they are forced laborers.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua records the territorial allotment for the tribe of Ephraim as the Israelites settle Canaan. The narrator notes the tribe's failure to complete the conquest of Gezer during this initial land distribution.
The words — The Hebrew הוֹרִישׁוּ (ho.Ri.shu) literally means "they dispossessed," paired with וַיֵּשֶׁב (va.ye.shev) for "dwelt." The text explicitly states the Canaanites remained in Gezer under Ephraim's authority.
The thread — This account parallels Joshua 17:13, which notes Israel later conscripted the Canaanites into forced labor, and Judges 1:29, which confirms their continued residence in Gezer. Deuteronomy 7:1 describes the Lord driving out the nations before Israel enters the land.
Why it lands — The passage records a factual failure to execute complete displacement, followed by a pragmatic subjugation. It requires the reader to acknowledge that territorial possession and spiritual obedience are treated as separate historical realities.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.
Cross-references
- Judges 1:29 Ephraim also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; so the Canaanites continued to dwell among them in Gezer.
- Deuteronomy 7:1 When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you—
- Joshua 17:13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor; but they failed to drive them out completely.
- 1 Kings 9:16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.
- Numbers 33:52 you must drive out before you all the inhabitants of the land, destroy all their carved images and cast idols, and demolish all their high places.
- 1 Kings 9:21 their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.
- Joshua 15:63 But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.