Judges 1:32

Commentary on Judges 1:32 (KJV)

Judges 1:32 offers a concise yet significant insight into the post-Joshua period, detailing the Asherite tribe's failure to fully obey God's command regarding the inhabitants of the land. This verse is part of a larger narrative in Judges 1, which details the incomplete conquests of various Israelite tribes after the death of Joshua.

Context

The Book of Judges opens by recounting how the various Israelite tribes, after the death of Joshua, began to conquer their allotted territories. However, unlike the unified campaigns under Joshua, these efforts were often fragmented and incomplete. Judges 1:32 specifically highlights the Asherites' situation, contrasting with the earlier successes of Judah and Simeon and aligning with the failures of other tribes like Benjamin and Manasseh. God's explicit command to utterly drive out the Canaanite nations was a recurring theme from the time of Moses, essential for Israel's spiritual purity and faithfulness.

Key Themes

• Disobedience and Compromise: The central theme of Judges 1:32 is the Asherites' act of disobedience and compromise. God had commanded the Israelites to completely drive out the inhabitants of the land to prevent idolatry and moral corruption. Their decision to "dwell among" the Canaanites rather than "drive them out" represents a direct violation of divine instruction.
• Consequences of Partial Obedience: This partial obedience, or outright failure, sets a pattern for the entire book of Judges. The presence of the Canaanites would later become a snare, leading Israel into idolatry and oppression. This act of compromise foreshadows the cycle of sin, servitude, and salvation that characterizes the entire Book of Judges, as further detailed in Judges 2:2-3, where the angel of the Lord rebukes Israel for this very failure.
• Loss of Inheritance: By failing to drive out the Canaanites, the Asherites did not fully possess their allotted inheritance, leaving pockets of resistance and pagan influence within their borders.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "did not drive them out" (Hebrew: לֹא הוֹרִישׁוּם, lo horishum) directly contrasts with "dwelt among" (Hebrew: וַיֵּשֶׁב, vayyeshev). The Hebrew verb for "drive out" (יָרַשׁ, yarash) often implies taking possession by dispossessing others, highlighting the active, decisive action required. The passive acceptance of dwelling "among" them signifies a failure of will and a yielding to convenience over covenantal faithfulness. The repetition of this phrase throughout Judges 1 emphasizes the pervasive nature of this disobedience among the tribes.

Practical Application

For believers today, Judges 1:32 serves as a powerful reminder about the dangers of spiritual compromise. Just as the Canaanites represented spiritual dangers to ancient Israel, so too are there "inhabitants" in our lives—sinful habits, worldly influences, or ungodly attitudes—that God calls us to "drive out" rather than "dwell among." This verse underscores the importance of radical obedience and the constant need to purge influences that could lead us astray from God's commands, much like the call to come out from among them and be separate in the New Testament. It challenges us to consider areas where we might be tolerating sin or worldly values, rather than actively pursuing holiness and complete devotion to God, as emphasized in passages like Romans 12:2.