Psalm 78:55
New International Version
He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

New Living Translation
He drove out the nations before them; he gave them their inheritance by lot. He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.

English Standard Version
He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

Berean Standard Bible
He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

King James Bible
He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

New King James Version
He also drove out the nations before them, Allotted them an inheritance by survey, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

New American Standard Bible
He also drove out the nations from them And apportioned them as an inheritance by measurement, And had the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

NASB 1995
He also drove out the nations before them And apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

NASB 1977
He also drove out the nations before them, And He apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

Legacy Standard Bible
He also drove out the nations before them And apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

Amplified Bible
He also drove out the nations before the sons of Israel And allotted their land as an inheritance, measured out and partitioned; And He had the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents [the tents of those who had been dispossessed].

Christian Standard Bible
He drove out nations before them. He apportioned their inheritance by lot and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He drove out nations before them. He apportioned their inheritance by lot and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

American Standard Version
He drove out the nations also before them, And allotted them for an inheritance by line, And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

Contemporary English Version
He made nations run from the tribes of Israel, and he let the tribes take over their land.

English Revised Version
He drove out the nations also before them, and allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He forced nations out of their way and gave them the land of the nations as their inheritance. He settled the tribes of Israel in their own tents.

Good News Translation
He drove out the inhabitants as his people advanced; he divided their land among the tribes of Israel and gave their homes to his people.

International Standard Version
He drove out nations before them and allotted their tribal inheritance, settling the tribes of Israel in their tents.

Majority Standard Bible
He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

NET Bible
He drove the nations out from before them; he assigned them their tribal allotments and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down.

New Heart English Bible
He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

Webster's Bible Translation
He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

World English Bible
He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And casts out nations from before them, "" And causes them to fall in the line of inheritance, "" And causes the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents,

Young's Literal Translation
And casteth out nations from before them, And causeth them to fall in the line of inheritance, And causeth the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents,

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will cast out the nations from their face, and he will divide them by lot in the measure of inheritance, and he will cause the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he caused the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.

New American Bible
He drove out the nations before them, allotted them as their inherited portion, and settled in their tents the tribes of Israel.

New Revised Standard Version
He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He cast out the Gentiles from before them, and allotted them an inheritance by measure, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He destroyed the Gentiles from before them and he cast them the lots of his inheritance and the tribes of Israel dwelt in their tents.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He drove out the nations also before them, And allotted them for an inheritance by line, And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he cast out the nations from before them, and made them to inherit by a line of inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
54He brought them to His holy land, to the mountain His right hand had acquired. 55He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. 56But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees.…

Cross References
Joshua 23:4-5
See, I have allotted as an inheritance to your tribes these remaining nations, including all the nations I have already cut off, from the Jordan westward to the Great Sea. / The LORD your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.

Acts 13:19
And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.

Nehemiah 9:22-24
You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner of the land. So they took the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and of Og king of Bashan. / You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had told their fathers to enter and possess. / So their descendants went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land, to do with them as they wished.

Deuteronomy 7:1
When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you—

Judges 2:6-7
After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went out to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. / And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel.

Exodus 23:28-30
I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. / I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you. / Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.

Joshua 21:43-45
Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it. / And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. / Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.

Acts 7:45
And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,

Deuteronomy 32:8
When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He divided the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.

Numbers 33:54
And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.

Joshua 13:1-7
Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed. / This is the land that remains: All the territory of the Philistines and the Geshurites, / from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites; ...

Joshua 24:18
And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God!”

1 Chronicles 16:18
‘I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.’

Deuteronomy 11:23
then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and stronger than you.

1 Kings 8:56
“Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses.


Treasury of Scripture

He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

cost

Psalm 44:2
How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

Psalm 105:44,45
And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; …

Psalm 135:10-12
Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings; …

divided

Numbers 33:54
And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.

Joshua 13:7
Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

Joshua 19:51
These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country.

and made

Deuteronomy 6:10-12
And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, …

Jump to Previous
Allotted Apportioned Cast Casteth Causeth Divided Driving Drove Dwell Fall Heathen Heritage Homes Inheritance Israel Line Marking Measurement Nations Possession Resting-Place Settled Tents Tribes
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Allotted Apportioned Cast Casteth Causeth Divided Driving Drove Dwell Fall Heathen Heritage Homes Inheritance Israel Line Marking Measurement Nations Possession Resting-Place Settled Tents Tribes
Psalm 78
1. An exhortation both to learn and to preach, the law of God
9. The story of God's wrath against the incredulous and disobedient
67. The Israelites being rejected, God chose Judah, Zion, and David.














He drove out nations before them
This phrase refers to God's actions in the conquest of Canaan, where He enabled the Israelites to defeat and displace the existing inhabitants of the land. This event is a fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding the land of Canaan (Genesis 15:18-21). The driving out of nations is also a demonstration of God's sovereignty and judgment against the Canaanites' idolatry and immorality (Deuteronomy 9:4-5). Archaeological evidence supports the existence of various Canaanite city-states during this period, which were eventually overtaken by the Israelites.

and apportioned their inheritance
This phrase highlights God's role in dividing the land among the tribes of Israel, as described in the book of Joshua (Joshua 13-21). The land was distributed by lot, which was seen as a means of divine decision-making (Proverbs 16:33). This apportionment was not just a physical allocation but also a spiritual inheritance, as the land was considered a gift from God, fulfilling His covenant promises. The concept of inheritance is significant in biblical theology, symbolizing the blessings and responsibilities of being God's chosen people.

He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents
This phrase indicates the establishment of the Israelites in the Promised Land, where each tribe received its designated territory. The reference to "tents" may evoke the imagery of the Israelites' nomadic past during the wilderness wanderings, contrasting with their new settled life in Canaan. This settlement was a crucial step in the formation of Israel as a nation, allowing them to develop socially, economically, and religiously. Theologically, it points to God's faithfulness in providing rest and security for His people, a theme echoed in the New Testament with the spiritual rest found in Christ (Hebrews 4:8-10).

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The central figure in this verse, God is depicted as the one who actively drives out nations and apportions the land to Israel.

2. Nations
These are the pagan nations that occupied the Promised Land before the Israelites. God drove them out to fulfill His promise to Israel.

3. Israel
The chosen people of God, who receive the inheritance of the land as promised to their forefathers.

4. Tribes of Israel
The twelve tribes that descended from the sons of Jacob, each receiving a portion of the land.

5. Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which God promised to Abraham and his descendants.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty and Faithfulness
God is sovereign over nations and history. He fulfills His promises, as seen in the inheritance given to Israel.

The Importance of Obedience
Israel's inheritance was contingent upon their obedience to God's commands. We, too, must live in obedience to receive God's blessings.

Spiritual Inheritance
Just as Israel received a physical inheritance, believers receive a spiritual inheritance in Christ. We are called to live in the fullness of this inheritance.

God's Provision and Guidance
God not only provides but also guides His people to their rightful place. Trust in His provision and guidance in your life.

The Role of Faith in God's Promises
Faith is essential in receiving God's promises. Israel had to trust God to drive out the nations and give them the land.Verse 55. - He cast out the heathen also before them (comp. Exodus 34:24; Deuteronomy 7:1; 1 Kings 21:26: Psalm 44:2, etc.). "They get not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but God's right hand, and his arm, and the light of his countenance" (Psalm 44:3). And divided them an inheritance by line. The measuring line, which was employed in parcelling out territory, is intended (comp. Jeremiah 31:39; Amos 7:17). Joshua's division of the land (Joshua 15-19.) among the tribes is specially pointed at. And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents; i.e. in the tents of the heathen - the abodes of the Hivites, Hittites, Amorites, Porizzites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He drove out
וַיְגָ֤רֶשׁ (way·ḡā·reš)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1644: To drive out from a, possession, to expatriate, divorce

nations
גּוֹיִ֗ם (gō·w·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

before them
מִפְּנֵיהֶ֨ם ׀ (mip·pə·nê·hem)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

and apportioned
וַֽ֭יַּפִּילֵם (way·yap·pî·lêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

their inheritance;
נַחֲלָ֑ה (na·ḥă·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5159: Something inherited, occupancy, an heirloom, an estate, patrimony, portion

He settled
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֥ן (way·yaš·kên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7931: To settle down, abide, dwell

the tribes
שִׁבְטֵ֥י (šiḇ·ṭê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

in their tents.
בְּ֝אָהֳלֵיהֶ֗ם (bə·’ā·ho·lê·hem)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 168: A tent


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OT Poetry: Psalm 78:55 He also drove out the nations before (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 78:54
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