Joshua 16:10

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.

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}.

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.

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.

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

Joshua 16:10 (KJV) describes a significant failure of the tribe of Ephraim during the conquest of Canaan. Despite being allotted their territory, they did not fully obey God's command to drive out the native inhabitants. Specifically, they permitted the Canaanites dwelling in Gezer to remain among them, albeit under tribute, a compromise that would have lasting consequences for Israel.

Context

This verse is found within the section of the book of Joshua that details the division of the promised land among the Israelite tribes (Joshua chapters 13-19). Chapter 16 specifically outlines the boundaries and inheritance of the descendants of Joseph, namely Ephraim and half of Manasseh. Gezer was a strategically important city, controlling a vital route between the coastal plain and the central highlands.

God's repeated command to Israel was to utterly drive out the inhabitants of the land, or even destroy them, to prevent their pagan practices and idolatry from corrupting the Israelites. This complete dispossessing was crucial for Israel's spiritual purity and faithfulness to the covenant. Failure to do so, as warned in Numbers 33:55, would result in the remaining inhabitants becoming "pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides."

Key Themes

  • Incomplete Obedience and Compromise: The primary theme is Ephraim's partial obedience. Instead of fully executing God's command to expel the Canaanites, they chose a pragmatic, yet disobedient, path by subjugating them for economic gain ("serve under tribute"). This compromise highlights a lack of faith and determination.
  • Lasting Consequences: The phrase "unto this day" emphasizes the long-term repercussions of this failure. The presence of the Canaanites in Gezer would later contribute to the spiritual decline and internal conflicts seen throughout the period of the Judges.
  • Human Weakness vs. Divine Command: Despite God's clear instructions and His demonstrated power in delivering the land, human fear, laziness, or desire for immediate gain often led to a failure to fully appropriate the victory God had promised.

Linguistic Insights

  • "drave not out": The Hebrew verb used here, garash (גָּרַשׁ), means to expel, cast out, or drive away. The negation emphatically highlights Ephraim's failure to perform this decisive action. It implies a conscious decision not to complete the task.
  • "serve under tribute": The Hebrew term mas (מַב) refers to forced labor, a levy, or conscripted gang labor. This indicates that the Ephraimites were using the Canaanites for their own benefit, turning them into a subservient workforce, rather than eliminating the spiritual threat they represented. This was a deviation from the divine mandate.

Practical Application

Joshua 16:10 serves as a powerful cautionary tale for believers today. Just as the Israelites were commanded to clear their land of spiritual enemies, we are called to be vigilant against sin and worldly influences in our lives. This verse reminds us that:

  • Partial obedience is still disobedience: God desires our complete surrender and faithfulness. Compromising with sin or allowing "small" areas of disobedience can lead to larger spiritual struggles down the line.
  • Compromise leads to lasting problems: What seems like a convenient solution today (e.g., tolerating certain habits or worldly associations) can become a "thorn in the side" that hinders spiritual growth and opens doors to temptation later.
  • Spiritual battles require decisive action: We are called to put on the full armor of God and actively resist the schemes of the enemy, not to make peace with them for temporary gain.

The lesson from Ephraim's failure at Gezer is clear: true blessing and peace come from unwavering, complete obedience to God's commands, trusting in His wisdom above our own perceived expediency.

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Cross-References

  • Judges 1:29 (7 votes)

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

  • 1 Kings 9:16 (5 votes)

    [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 (5 votes)

    ΒΆ 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 (5 votes)

    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 (4 votes)

    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 (3 votes)

    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 (3 votes)

    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: