Judges 2:23

THE MESSAGE

That's why God let those nations remain. He didn't drive them out or let Joshua get rid of them.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord left these nations and did not drive them out immediately. He did not hand them over to Joshua.

Hebrew Names Version
So the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Yehoshua.

King James Version
Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Lexham English Bible
So Yahweh left those nations; he did not drive them out at once, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

English Standard Version
So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

New Century Version
In the past the Lord had permitted those nations to stay in the land. He did not quickly force them out or help Joshua's army defeat them.

New English Translation
This is why the Lord permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately; he did not hand them over to Joshua.

Amplified Bible
So the LORD allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out at once; and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

New American Standard Bible
So the LORD allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not hand them over to Joshua.

Geneva Bible (1587)
So the Lorde left those nations, and droue them not out immediatly, neither deliuered them into the hand of Ioshua.

Legacy Standard Bible
and for others, save, snatching them out of the fire; and on others have mercy with fear, hating even the tunic polluted by the flesh.

Contemporary English Version
That's why the Lord had not let Joshua get rid of all those enemy nations right away.

Complete Jewish Bible
So Adonai allowed those nations to remain where they were, without quickly driving them out; he did not hand them over to Y'hoshua.

Darby Translation
Therefore Jehovah left those nations, without dispossessing them hastily, neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord allowed those nations to stay in the land. He did not quickly force them to leave the country. He did not help Joshua's army defeat them.

George Lamsa Translation
Therefore the LORD left these nations, and did not destroy them hastily; neither had he delivered them into the hand of Joshua.

Good News Translation
So the Lord allowed these nations to remain in the land; he did not give Joshua victory over them, nor did he drive them out soon after Joshua's death.

Literal Translation
And Jehovah left those nations without dispossessing them quickly. And He did not deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus the LORDE suffred all these nacions, so that in a shorte tyme he droue them not out, whom he had not geuen ouer in to Iosuas hande.

American Standard Version
So Jehovah left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Bible in Basic English
So the Lord let those nations go on living in the land, not driving them out quickly, and did not give them up into the hands of Joshua.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so the Lorde left those nations, and droue them not out immediatly, neither deliuered them into the hande of Iosuah.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
So the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered He them into the hand of Joshua.

King James Version (1611)
Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driuing them out hastily, neither deliuered he them into the hand of Ioshua.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So the Lord will leave these nations, so as not to cast them out suddenly; and he delivered them not into the hand of Joshua.

English Revised Version
So the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Berean Standard Bible
That is why the LORD had left those nations in place and had not driven them out immediately by delivering them into the hand of Joshua.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the Lord lefte alle these naciouns, and nolde destrie soone, nethir bitook in to the hondis of Josue.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah leaveth these nations, so as not to dispossess them hastily, and did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

Update Bible Version
So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither did he deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out speedily, neither did he deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

World English Bible
So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

New King James Version
Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

New Living Translation
That is why the Lord left those nations in place. He did not quickly drive them out or allow Joshua to conquer them all.

New Life Bible
So the Lord let those nations stay. He was not quick to drive them out. And He did not give them into the power of Joshua.

New Revised Standard
the Lord had left those nations, not driving them out at once, and had not handed them over to Joshua.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thus then Yahweh left these nations, not dispossessing them speedily, - neither had he delivered them into the hand of Joshua

Douay-Rheims Bible
The Lord therefore left all these nations, and would not quickly destroy them, neither did he deliver them into the hands of Josue.

Revised Standard Version
So the LORD left those nations, not driving them out at once, and he did not give them into the power of Joshua.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So the LORD allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

Contextual Overview

⁶After Joshua had dismissed them, the People of Israel went off to claim their allotted territories and take possession of the land. The people worshiped God throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the time of the leaders who survived him, leaders who had been in on all of God 's great work that he had done for Israel. Then Joshua son of Nun, the servant of God , died. He was 110 years old. They buried him in his allotted inheritance at Timnath Heres in the hills of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. ¹⁰ Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel. ¹¹The People of Israel did evil in God 's sight: they served Baal-gods; they deserted God , the God of their parents who had led them out of Egypt; they took up with other gods, gods of the peoples around them. They actually worshiped them! And oh, how they angered God as they worshiped god Baal and goddess Astarte! God 's anger was hot against Israel: He handed them off to plunderers who stripped them; he sold them cheap to enemies on all sides. They were helpless before their enemies. Every time they walked out the door God was with them—but for evil, just as God had said, just as he had sworn he would do. They were in a bad way. ¹⁶But then God raised up judges who saved them from their plunderers. But they wouldn't listen to their judges; they prostituted themselves to other gods—worshiped them! They lost no time leaving the road walked by their parents, the road of obedience to God 's commands. They refused to have anything to do with it. ¹⁸When God was setting up judges for them, he would be right there with the judge: He would save them from their enemies' oppression as long as the judge was alive, for God was moved to compassion when he heard their groaning because of those who afflicted and beat them. But when the judge died, the people went right back to their old ways—but even worse than their parents!—running after other gods, serving and worshiping them. Stubborn as mules, they didn't drop a single evil practice. ²⁰And God 's anger blazed against Israel. He said, "Because these people have thrown out my covenant that I commanded their parents and haven't listened to me, I'm not driving out one more person from the nations that Joshua left behind when he died. I'll use them to test Israel and see whether they stay on God 's road and walk down it as their parents did." ²³ That's why God let those nations remain. He didn't drive them out or let Joshua get rid of them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

left: or, suffered, Judges 2:23

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil.

Genesis 29:14
Laban said, "You're family! My flesh and blood!" When Jacob had been with him for a month, Laban said, "Just because you're my nephew, you shouldn't work for me for nothing. Tell me what you want to be paid. What's a fair wage?"

2 Samuel 5:1
Before long all the tribes of Israel approached David in Hebron and said, "Look at us—your own flesh and blood! In time past when Saul was our king, you were the one who really ran the country. Even then God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel and you'll be the prince.'"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore the Lord left these nations, without driving them out hastily,.... Left them unsubdued, or suffered them to continue among the Israelites, and did not drive them out as he could have done; which was permitted, either that it might be seen and known whether Israel would give into the idolatry of these nations or not, Judges 2:22; of which there could have been no trial, if they and their idols had been utterly destroyed; or because the children of Israel had transgressed the covenant of the Lord, therefore he would drive no more of them out, but leave them to afflict and distress them, and thereby prove and try them, Judges 2:20; both senses may very well stand, but the former seems rather to agree with what follows:

neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua; having an end to be answered by them, before suggested, namely, to prove and try Israel; and, for a like reason, the indwelling sin and corruptions of God's people are suffered to remain in them, for the trial of their graces, and that the power of God in the support and deliverance of them might appear the more manifest.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 2:23. Without driving them out hastily — Had God expelled all the ancient inhabitants at once, we plainly see, from the subsequent conduct of the people, that they would soon have abandoned his worship, and in their prosperity forgotten their deliverer. He drove out at first as many as were necessary in order to afford the people, as they were then, a sufficiency of room to settle in; as the tribes increased in population, they were to extend themselves to the uttermost of their assigned borders, and expel all the remaining inhabitants. On these accounts God did not expel the aboriginal inhabitants hastily or at once; and thus gave the Israelites time to increase; and by continuing the ancient inhabitants, prevented the land from running into waste, and the wild beasts from multiplying; both of which must have infallibly taken place had God driven out all the old inhabitants at once, before the Israelites were sufficiently numerous to occupy the whole of the land.

THESE observations are important, as they contain the reason why God did not expel the Canaanites. God gave the Israelites a grant of the whole land, and promised to drive out their enemies from before them if they continued faithful. While they continued faithful, God did continue to fulfil his promise; their borders were enlarged, and their enemies fled before them. When they rebelled against the Lord, he abandoned them, and their enemies prevailed against them. Of this, their frequent lapses and miscarriages, with God's repeated interpositions in their behalf, are ample evidence. One or two solitary instances might not be considered as sufficient proof; but by these numerous instances the fact is established. Each rebellion against God produced a consequent disaster in their affairs; each true humiliation was invariably followed by an especial Divine interposition in their behalf. These afforded continual proof of God's being, providence, and grace. The whole economy is wondrous; and its effects, impressive and convincing. The people were not hastily put in possession of the promised land, because of their infidelity. Can the infidels controvert this statement? If not then their argument against Divine revelation, from "the failure of positive promises and oaths," falls to the ground. They have not only in this, but in all other respects, lost all their props.

"Helpless and prostrate all their system lies

Cursing its fate, and, as it curses, dies."