Judges 2:21 Study Bible: I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died;

◄ Judges 2:21 ►

I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.

I will no longer drive out before them
This phrase indicates a shift in divine strategy. Previously, God had promised to drive out the Canaanite nations before Israel (Exodus 23:30-31). The Israelites' disobedience and failure to fully follow God's commands led to this change. This reflects the conditional nature of God's promises, where blessings are contingent upon obedience (Deuteronomy 28). Theologically, it underscores the importance of faithfulness in maintaining God's favor.

any of the nations
The "nations" refer to the various Canaanite tribes inhabiting the Promised Land, such as the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (Joshua 3:10). These groups were known for their idolatrous practices, which posed a spiritual threat to Israel. The presence of these nations would test Israel's faithfulness to God and adherence to His laws (Judges 2:22). Historically, these nations were advanced in agriculture and trade, which could have been tempting for the Israelites to assimilate.

Joshua left when he died
Joshua, the successor of Moses, led the Israelites into the Promised Land and initiated the conquest of Canaan. However, not all territories were conquered by the time of his death (Joshua 13:1). This incomplete conquest left Israel vulnerable to the influence of the remaining Canaanite nations. Joshua's leadership is often seen as a type of Christ, leading God's people into the promised inheritance. His death marks a transition to a period of decentralized leadership, where the tribes were responsible for their own territories, leading to the cyclical pattern of sin and redemption seen throughout the Book of Judges.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who is speaking in this verse, expressing His decision regarding the nations left in Canaan.

2. Joshua
The leader of Israel who succeeded Moses and led the Israelites into the Promised Land. His death marks a transition in Israel's history.

3. The Nations of Canaan
These are the various peoples inhabiting the Promised Land, whom God had commanded Israel to drive out completely.

4. Israel
The chosen people of God, who are now facing the consequences of their disobedience and incomplete conquest of the land.

5. Canaan
The Promised Land, a region that Israel was commanded to possess fully, but where they failed to drive out all the inhabitants.

Teaching Points

The Consequences of Disobedience
Israel's failure to fully obey God's command led to ongoing struggles and temptations. This serves as a reminder of the importance of complete obedience to God's Word.

God's Sovereignty and Justice
God's decision not to drive out the nations reflects His justice and sovereignty. He allows consequences to unfold as a means of teaching and refining His people.

The Importance of Faithful Leadership
Joshua's leadership was crucial for Israel's initial success. The absence of strong, godly leadership after his death contributed to Israel's spiritual decline.

The Danger of Compromise
Allowing the nations to remain led to Israel's spiritual compromise and idolatry. Believers today must be vigilant against compromising their faith.

God's Faithfulness Despite Human Failure
Even in judgment, God remains faithful to His covenant. He uses Israel's failures to ultimately bring about His redemptive purposes.

Bible Study Questions

1. What were the specific reasons God had for commanding Israel to drive out the nations, and how does this relate to His holiness?

2. How does the failure of Israel to drive out the nations serve as a warning for believers today regarding partial obedience?

3. In what ways can we identify and address areas of compromise in our own lives, drawing from the lessons in Judges 2:21?

4. How does the leadership transition from Joshua to the judges illustrate the need for godly leadership in the church today?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced the consequences of disobedience. How did God use that situation to teach or refine you?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Joshua 23
Joshua's farewell address warns Israel about the dangers of not driving out the remaining nations, highlighting the consequences of disobedience.

Judges 1
Provides context for the incomplete conquest, detailing the tribes' failures to fully obey God's command to drive out the inhabitants.

Deuteronomy 7
God's original command to Israel to completely destroy the nations in Canaan, emphasizing the importance of obedience to His commands.

Sermons

The Judges, Their Choice, Function, and Administration	L. H. Wiseman, M. A.	Judges 2:16-23
Tested by Temptation	W.F. Adeney	Judges 2:21, 22

People

Israelites, Joshua, Nun

Places

Bochim, Egypt, Gaash, Gilgal, Timnath-heres

Topics

Continue, Death, Died, Dieth, Dispossess, Drive, Driving, Henceforth, Joshua, Longer, Nations

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Judges 2:6-23

8705 apostasy, in OT

Judges 2:10-23

8728 enemies, of Israel and Judah

Judges 2:20-23

1305 God, activity of

Judges 2:21-22

4019 life, believers' experience
4207 land, divine gift

Library

A Summary of Israel's Faithlessness and God's Patience
'And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 3. Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Israel's Obstinacy and God's Patience
'And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim; 12. And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. 13. And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. 14. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Whether the Female Sex is an Impediment to Receiving Orders?
Objection 1: It would seem that the female sex is no impediment to receiving Orders. For the office of prophet is greater than the office of priest, since a prophet stands midway between God and priests, just as the priest does between God and people. Now the office of prophet was sometimes granted to women, as may be gathered from 4 Kings 22:14. Therefore the office of priest also may be competent to them. Objection 2: Further, just as Order pertains to a kind of pre-eminence, so does a position …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Judges.
Judges 1; 1 Sam. 7. The Characteristics of the Times. This is a period of transition for Israel Nothing was quite certain, and "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (17:6). In consequence of this there was lack of organization, cooperation or leadership. While we do not have all the history covered by the period and while we do not easily understand or explain its events, it is clear that things did not run smoothly. In Judges 2:16-19 the author gives a vivid picture of the conditions …
Josiah Blake Tidwell—The Bible Period by Period

The Unmistakable Honesty of the Writers of the Bible Attests to Its Heavenly Origin
The title of this chapter suggests a wide field of study the limits of which we can now only skirt here and there. To begin with the writers of the Old Testament. Had the historical parts of the Old Testament been a forgery, or the production of uninspired men, their contents would have been very different to what they are. Each of its Books was written by a descendant of Abraham, yet nowhere do we find the bravery of the Israelites extolled and never once are their victories regarded as the outcome …
Arthur W. Pink—The Divine Inspiration of the Bible

The Death of Abraham
'Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.'--GENESIS xxv. 8. 'Full of years' does not seem to me to be a mere synonym for longevity. That would be an intolerable tautology, for we should then have the same thing said three times over--'an old man,' 'in a good old age,' 'full of years.' There must be some other idea than that in the words. If you notice that the expression is by no means a usual one, that it is only …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon.
1. The Greek word canon (originally a straight rod or pole, measuring-rod, then rule) denotes that collection of books which the churches receive as given by inspiration of God, and therefore as constituting for them a divine rule of faith and practice. To the books included in it the term canonical is applied. The Canon of the Old Testament, considered in reference to its constituent parts, was formed gradually; formed under divine superintendence by a process of growth extending through …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Doctrine of Angels.
I. THEIR EXISTENCE. 1. THE TEACHING OF JESUS. 2. THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES. II. THEIR NATURE. 1. CREATED BEINGS. 2. SPIRITUAL BEINGS. 3. GREAT POWER AND MIGHT. 4. VARIOUS GRADES. 5. THE NUMBER OF ANGELS. III. THE FALL OF ANGELS. 1. TIME AND CAUSE. 2. THE WORK OF FALLEN ANGELS. 3. THE JUDGMENT OF FALLEN ANGELS. IV. THE WORK OF ANGELS. 1. THEIR HEAVENLY MINISTRY. 2. THEIR EARTHLY MINISTRY. a) In Relation to the Believer. b) In Relation to Christ's Second Coming. THE DOCTRINE OF ANGELS. We are not …
Rev. William Evans—The Great Doctrines of the Bible

A Case of Conscience Resolved
WHETHER, WHERE A CHURCH OF CHRIST IS SITUATE, IT IS THE DUTY OF THE WOMEN OF THAT CONGREGATION, ORDINARILY, AND BY APPOINTMENT, TO SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR BRETHREN, AND SO TO ASSEMBLE TOGETHER, TO PERFORM SOME PARTS OF DIVINE WORSHIP, AS PRAYER, ETC., WITHOUT THEIR MEN? AND THE ARGUMENTS MADE USE OF FOR THAT PRACTICE, EXAMINED. BY JOHN BUNYAN. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. This exceedingly rare tract was first published in 1683, and was not reprinted, either separately, or in any edition of Bunyan's …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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