Bible Strands
Judges 1:28
When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records Israel’s national posture immediately after detailing Manasseh’s failure in Judges 1:27 and immediately before noting Ephraim’s failure in Judges 1:29.
The words — חָזַק (cha.Zak) means it became strong, and לָמַס (la.Mas) means forced labor or tribute.
The thread — The verse continues the Judges 1 catalog of tribal conquests, tracking the recurring motif that partial compliance replaces complete obedience in the land.
Why it lands — It requires the reader to confront the tangible cost of compromised obedience: retaining conquered populations forces the community into permanent subjugation rather than granting full autonomy.
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 it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.