Judges 2:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died,

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

NASB: I in turn will no longer drive out from them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,

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

NLT: I will no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died.

KJV: I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:

NKJV: I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,

A pattern in the relationship between God and Israel repeats over and over in the book of Judges:

The people abandon the Lord to worship idols, often in perverse or violent ways.
The Lord's anger burns at His people Israel for their unfaithfulness to Him; this is "spiritual adultery."
In His anger, the Lord uses Israel's enemies to bring the people to their knees.
When Israelite suffering is terrible, God sends a judge—a deliverer—to save the people.
God maintains His protection so long as that judge lives.
When the judge dies, the people fall further into sin than before.

Here, the Lord promises not to drive out any of Israel's enemies that were still in the land when Joshua died. The implication is that God would have allowed Israel to take all her allotted territory if they had remained faithful. That was the goal He communicated to them. That was not the path they followed. As a result, they would never come close to possessing all the territory to which they were entitled (Joshua 1:4). Only in the end times will Israel realize full possession of the Promised Land (Revelation 20:1–6).

Those living in unconquered territories will be persistent oppressors and raiders against Israel (Judges 3:1–4). The groups living in conquered territories—those whom Israel failed to destroy (Deuteronomy 20:16–18)—will be a constant source of temptation and spiritual poison (Judges 2:22; 3:5–6).

Judges 2:16–23 describes the pattern developed and repeated after the death of Joshua. The Israelites begin with freedom and faithfulness towards God. Then they fall into idolatry and sin. In response, they are overcome by their enemies. When the suffering of the Israelites becomes great, God raises up judges—military and civic leaders—to save Israel from their enemies. When the judge dies, the Israelites soon return to their sinful worship of Canaan's gods. Each time, Israel's idolatry worsens, and their faith becomes weaker.

The tribes of Israel committed great sin when they failed to drive the depraved, wicked Canaanites from the land. God rebukes them harshly, warning them of the consequences to follow. The people weep and offer sacrifices. And yet, the generations after Joshua abandon God. They worship false gods and perform heinous sins. The Lord burns with anger and uses Israel's enemies as punishment. When the suffering becomes intense, God rescues Israel through a human "judge." When the judge dies, the people return to their sin, deeper even than before.

Judges 2 follows reports about the failure of Israel to drive the Canaanites from each tribes' territories. Despite being rebuked by God, the generations after Joshua eventually abandon the Lord to worship the gods of the Canaanites: the Baals and the Ashtaroth. This establishes a pattern to be repeated in the chapters to come. Israel will worship Canaan's gods. God punishes the people through their enemies. God saves the people through a human judge. When the judge dies, the people return to their sin. This cycle continues throughout the rest of the book of Judges.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).