Joshua 16:10

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

And they drave not out {H3423} the Canaanites {H3669} that dwelt {H3427} in Gezer {H1507}: but the Canaanites {H3669} dwell {H3427} among {H7130} the Ephraimites {H669} unto this day {H3117}, and serve {H5647} under tribute {H4522}.

Complete Jewish Bible

They did not drive out the Kena'ani living in Gezer, so the Kena'ani live together with Efrayim to this day, having become slaves to do the heavy work.

Berean Standard Bible

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.

American Standard Version

And they drove not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell in the midst of Ephraim unto this day, and are become servants to do taskwork.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Joshua 16:10 records a pivotal failure of the tribe of Ephraim, highlighting their incomplete obedience to God's command regarding the conquest of Canaan. Despite receiving their allotted territory, they neglected to fully expel the Canaanite inhabitants of Gezer, opting instead to subjugate them for forced labor. This compromise, motivated by expediency rather than divine mandate, allowed a persistent spiritual and cultural threat to remain within Israel's borders, foreshadowing long-term consequences for the nation's faithfulness and purity.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within the expansive section of the book of Joshua dedicated to the division of the promised land among the twelve tribes of Israel, specifically from [Joshua 13](/joshua/13 "Joshua 13 - Division of the Land Begins") through [Joshua 19](/joshua/19 "Joshua 19 - Allotment for Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan"). Chapter 16, in particular, details the inheritance boundaries for the descendants of Joseph—the tribes of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The mention of Gezer is significant as it was a strategically vital city, controlling a crucial route that connected the fertile coastal plain with the central highlands, making its full conquest imperative for securing the heartland of Israelite territory. The failure to dispossess the inhabitants here stands in stark contrast to the initial victories and the divine promise of complete triumph.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** God's repeated and unequivocal command to Israel was to utterly dispossess, and in some cases destroy, the idolatrous inhabitants of Canaan. This mandate, articulated powerfully in passages like [Deuteronomy 7:2](/deuteronomy/7-2 "Deuteronomy 7:2 - Command to Utterly Destroy the Nations") and [Exodus 23:31-33](/exodus/23-31 "Exodus 23:31-33 - God's Promise and Warning Regarding the Inhabitants"), was not arbitrary but foundational for Israel's spiritual purity and their covenant relationship with Yahweh. The presence of pagan peoples, with their abhorrent religious practices and moral depravity, posed an existential threat to Israel's identity as a holy nation. Failure to comply, as warned in [Numbers 33:55](/numbers/33-55 "Numbers 33:55 - Consequences of Not Driving Out Inhabitants"), would result in the remaining inhabitants becoming "pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides," leading to future spiritual corruption and internal strife. Ephraim's decision to exact tribute instead of expelling the Canaanites reflects a pragmatic, economic choice over a divinely commanded spiritual imperative.
* **Key Themes:** Joshua 16:10 powerfully illustrates several critical themes. The most prominent is **Incomplete Obedience and Compromise**. Ephraim's action reveals a partial, rather than full, commitment to God's clear directive. They chose a path of pragmatic compromise, subjugating the Canaanites for economic gain ("serve under tribute") instead of completely dispossessing them. This highlights a lack of faith and determination to fully appropriate the victory God had promised. Another significant theme is **Lasting Consequences**. The phrase "unto this day" underscores the long-term repercussions of this initial failure, indicating that the presence of the Canaanites in Gezer would persist and contribute to the spiritual decline and internal conflicts vividly depicted throughout the subsequent period of the Judges, particularly in [Judges 1:29](/judges/1-29 "Judges 1:29 - Ephraim's Failure at Gezer"). Finally, the verse speaks to the tension between **Human Weakness and Divine Command**. Despite God's demonstrated power in delivering the land and His explicit instructions, human fear, laziness, or the desire for immediate material benefit often led the Israelites to fall short of the complete faithfulness required to secure their inheritance fully.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **drave not out (Hebrew, _garash'_):** The verb גָּרַשׁ (_garash_) means "to drive out, to expel, to cast away." Its use here in the negative, "drave not out," emphatically highlights Ephraim's failure to perform the decisive, commanded action. This was not an accidental oversight but a conscious decision to deviate from the divine mandate to completely dispossess the land's inhabitants. The implication is a deliberate choice to tolerate, rather than eliminate, a spiritual threat.
* **serve under tribute (Hebrew, _mas'_):** The Hebrew term מַס (_mas_) refers to forced labor, a levy, or conscripted gang labor. This indicates that the Ephraimites were exploiting the Canaanites for their own economic benefit, turning them into a subservient workforce. This practice was a direct contravention of God's command for complete separation, prioritizing material gain over spiritual purity and covenant faithfulness. It transformed a spiritual battle into an economic arrangement, with detrimental long-term effects.
* **unto this day (Hebrew, _ʿad ha-yom ha-zeh'_):** This idiomatic phrase is frequently used in the historical books of the Old Testament to signify the enduring nature or lasting consequence of an event. In Joshua 16:10, it emphasizes that Ephraim's failure was not a temporary lapse but resulted in a persistent, unresolved issue. The Canaanites remained a continuous presence in Gezer, serving as a constant reminder of Israel's incomplete obedience and a potential source of future spiritual contamination and conflict, which indeed materialized in later periods.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer:"** This initial clause directly states the core failure of the tribe of Ephraim. Despite being allocated their territory and possessing the divine mandate and power to conquer, they failed to fully expel the Canaanite inhabitants from the strategically important city of Gezer. This act of omission represents a significant breach of God's clear command to utterly dispossess the land, laying bare a critical flaw in their obedience.
* **"but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day,"** This clause highlights the immediate and ongoing consequence of Ephraim's partial obedience. The Canaanites, rather than being driven out, remained co-inhabitants within the Ephraimite territory. The phrase "unto this day" underscores the long-term, persistent nature of this failure, indicating that the problem was not resolved even by the time the book of Joshua was compiled. This continued presence posed a constant spiritual and cultural threat to the purity of Israel.
* **"and serve under tribute."** This final clause explains the nature of the compromise made by Ephraim. Instead of expelling the Canaanites, they subjugated them, forcing them into labor or taxation. This decision, likely motivated by a desire for economic gain or a reluctance to engage in further warfare, transformed a divinely commanded spiritual cleansing into a pragmatic, self-serving arrangement. It reveals a prioritization of material benefit over complete faithfulness to God's instructions, setting a dangerous precedent for future generations.

#### Literary Devices
Joshua 16:10 effectively employs several literary devices to convey its significant message. **Contrast** is central, highlighting the stark difference between God's explicit command to utterly dispossess the Canaanites and Ephraim's partial obedience, which resulted in their continued presence. This tension between divine will and human action underscores the theme of Israel's wavering faithfulness. The verse also functions as a powerful piece of **Foreshadowing**. The failure at Gezer, explicitly noted with the phrase "unto this day," anticipates the widespread apostasy, syncretism, and internal strife that characterize the period of the Judges, where the remaining Canaanites indeed became "thorns in their sides" as warned. This phrase also serves as a form of **Emphasis**, drawing the reader's attention to the lasting and detrimental consequences of this specific act of disobedience. Finally, there is an element of **Irony** present: by seeking immediate economic gain through tribute, Ephraim inadvertently sowed the seeds of future spiritual and national decline, demonstrating that perceived short-term benefits can lead to long-term spiritual detriment.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Joshua 16:10 serves as a profound theological warning against the dangers of incomplete obedience and spiritual compromise. It underscores the truth that God's commands are not suggestions but divine imperatives, given for the welfare and purity of His people. Ephraim's failure to fully dispossess the Canaanites reveals a lack of faith in God's power to grant total victory and a preference for human expediency (economic gain through tribute) over divine wisdom. This compromise set a precedent for future generations, leading to the spiritual decline and idolatry that plagued Israel throughout the period of the Judges. The passage teaches that tolerating sin or ungodly influences, even for perceived benefit, inevitably leads to long-term spiritual contamination and hinders the full realization of God's covenant blessings. True faithfulness requires decisive action against all that opposes God's will, recognizing that partial obedience is, in God's eyes, disobedience.

* [Deuteronomy 7:2](/deuteronomy/7-2 "Deuteronomy 7:2 - Command to Utterly Destroy the Nations")
* [Numbers 33:55](/numbers/33-55 "Numbers 33:55 - Consequences of Incomplete Conquest")
* [Judges 1:29](/judges/1-29 "Judges 1:29 - Ephraim's Failure at Gezer Repeated")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Joshua 16:10 offers a timeless lesson for believers today, serving as a stark reminder that partial obedience to God's commands is, in essence, disobedience, and that compromise with the world's values inevitably leads to spiritual detriment. Just as Ephraim failed to fully drive out the Canaanites, we are often tempted to tolerate "Canaanites" in our own lives—areas of sin, worldly influences, or ungodly habits that we allow to remain, perhaps for perceived comfort, gain, or simply out of spiritual laziness. This verse challenges us to examine our lives for any areas where we have settled for less than God's complete will, perhaps accepting a "tribute" of temporary pleasure or material benefit in exchange for spiritual purity. The "unto this day" phrase warns us that such compromises are not benign; they have lasting, detrimental consequences, becoming "thorns in our sides" that hinder our spiritual growth, corrupt our walk with God, and prevent us from fully inheriting the spiritual blessings and freedom Christ has secured for us. True spiritual victory requires decisive, unwavering obedience and a refusal to compromise with anything that opposes God's holiness.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life am I practicing partial obedience instead of complete surrender to God's will?**
* **What "Canaanites"—sins, worldly influences, or ungodly habits—am I tolerating or even benefiting from, rather than decisively expelling?**
* **What long-term spiritual consequences might arise from my current compromises or areas of incomplete obedience?**
* **How can I cultivate a heart of unwavering faith and decisive action against spiritual enemies, trusting God for complete victory?**

### FAQ
**Was Gezer ever fully conquered by the Israelites, or did the Canaanites always remain there?**

Answer: Joshua 16:10 states that the Canaanites remained in Gezer "unto this day," indicating that Ephraim never fully dispossessed them. Historical records confirm this. While the Ephraimites did not drive them out, Gezer was eventually conquered much later, not by Israel, but by an Egyptian Pharaoh. According to [1 Kings 9:16](/1_kings/9-16 "1 Kings 9:16 - Pharaoh Conquers Gezer and Gives it to Solomon"), Pharaoh conquered Gezer, burned it with fire, killed the Canaanites who lived there, and then gave it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife. This demonstrates that Ephraim's failure was never rectified by their own initiative, and the city only came under Israelite control much later through external means, long after the initial opportunity for complete obedience had passed.

**Why was it so crucial for the Israelites to completely drive out the Canaanites, rather than simply subjugating them?**

Answer: The command to completely drive out the Canaanites was fundamentally theological and spiritual, not merely military or political. God's primary concern was the spiritual purity and faithfulness of His covenant people. As detailed in passages like [Deuteronomy 7:3-4](/deuteronomy/7-3 "Deuteronomy 7:3-4 - Warning Against Intermarriage and Idolatry"), God knew that allowing the Canaanites to remain would inevitably lead to intermarriage, the adoption of their idolatrous practices, and a turning away from the worship of Yahweh. Their pagan rituals, including child sacrifice and temple prostitution, were an abomination to God. Subjugating them for tribute, as Ephraim did, still allowed for cultural and religious interaction, which was precisely the danger God sought to prevent. The command was a safeguard for Israel's unique identity as a holy nation set apart for God.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Joshua 16:10, with Ephraim's failure to fully dispossess the Canaanites of Gezer, powerfully foreshadows the spiritual inadequacy of the Old Covenant and the need for a more complete and decisive conquest. The Israelites, despite divine command and provision, were ultimately unable to fully purge the land of its spiritual enemies, leaving "thorns in their sides" that would lead to future apostasy. This highlights humanity's inherent weakness and inability to perfectly obey God's commands or fully overcome sin on its own. However, in Christ, we see the ultimate fulfillment of this incomplete conquest. Jesus, the true and greater Joshua, did not compromise with sin or spiritual enemies. Through His perfect life, atoning death, and triumphant resurrection, He decisively conquered sin, death, and the devil, disarming principalities and powers on the cross as described in [Colossians 2:15](/colossians/2-15 "Colossians 2:15 - Christ's Triumph Over Powers"). He fully accomplished what Israel could not, securing a complete spiritual victory. For believers, this means we are no longer called to fight in our own strength, but to stand firm in the victory Christ has already won. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to "drive out" the "Canaanites" of sin and worldly influence from our lives, not through our own might, but by drawing on the inexhaustible power of Christ who dwells within us ([Ephesians 6:10-12](/ephesians/6-10 "Ephesians 6:10-12 - The Full Armor of God")). Unlike Ephraim, who sought tribute from their enemies, Christ calls us to complete separation from sin, offering true freedom and inheritance in His Kingdom, where no spiritual enemy can dwell "unto this day" because He has utterly defeated them.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Judges 1:29

Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

1 Kings 9:16

[For] Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it [for] a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife.

Deuteronomy 7:1

¶ When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

Deuteronomy 7:2

And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, [and] utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

Joshua 17:13

Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out.

1 Kings 9:21

Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.

Numbers 33:52

Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: