Judges 3:5

And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

And the children {H1121} of Israel {H3478} dwelt {H3427} among {H7130} the Canaanites {H3669}, Hittites {H2850}, and Amorites {H567}, and Perizzites {H6522}, and Hivites {H2340}, and Jebusites {H2983}:

So the people of Isra'el lived among the Kena'ani, Hitti, Emori, P'rizi, Hivi and Y'vusi;

Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

Commentary

Judges 3:5 serves as a pivotal verse in understanding the recurring cycle of disobedience and judgment detailed throughout the Book of Judges. It succinctly describes the Israelites' failure to fully obey God's command to dispossess the inhabitants of the land of Canaan.

Context

Following the death of Joshua and the generation that had witnessed God's mighty acts in delivering Israel and establishing them in the Promised Land, a new generation arose that "knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10). God had explicitly commanded Israel to drive out all the native inhabitants, warning that their presence would lead to idolatry and moral corruption, as seen in Deuteronomy 7:2 and reiterated in Judges 2:2. This verse highlights that instead of conquering, they chose to "dwell among" them, setting the stage for the spiritual decline and oppression that define this historical period.

Key Themes

  • Disobedience to God's Commands: The most prominent theme is Israel's direct failure to fulfill the divine mandate. God had given them the land and the instructions for its purification, but they neglected this crucial task.
  • Compromise and Coexistence: Rather than actively driving out the nations, the Israelites settled for living alongside them. This compromise was not born of mercy but of a lack of faith and resolve, leading to spiritual contamination.
  • Consequences of Unfaithfulness: This verse foreshadows the troubles that would plague Israel. The presence of these nations would become a snare, leading Israel into idolatry and eventually into the hands of their oppressors, as detailed in subsequent chapters like Judges 3:7.

Linguistic Insights

The list of nations—Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—represents the dominant ethnic groups inhabiting the land before Israel's arrival. Their inclusion here emphasizes the scope of Israel's failure to complete the conquest. The phrase "dwelt among" (Hebrew: יָשַׁב בְּקֶרֶב, yashav b'kerev) signifies not just physical proximity but an integration and settling within their midst, contrary to God's segregating command.

Practical Application

For believers today, Judges 3:5 serves as a potent reminder of the dangers of spiritual compromise. Just as Israel was commanded to dispossess the nations that threatened their spiritual purity, Christians are called to be "not conformed to this world" but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. When we allow sinful influences, worldly values, or ungodly practices to "dwell among" us in our lives, we risk spiritual compromise, leading to a diminished faith and potential bondage. This verse encourages us to actively put off the old self and pursue holiness, remembering that God's commands are for our protection and flourishing.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Exodus 3:8

    And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

  • Genesis 10:15

    ¶ And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,

  • Genesis 10:18

    And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.

  • Psalms 106:34

    ¶ They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them:

  • Psalms 106:38

    And shed innocent blood, [even] the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

  • 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;

  • Genesis 15:19

    The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
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