Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse reveals a subtle but crucial point: even after God's promised land was largely conquered, and Joshua was actively distributing it, parts of it remained occupied by enemies. This wasn't a failure of God's promise, but rather a sign that completing the conquest was an ongoing task for Israel, not a completed event.
Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day.
English Standard Version (ESV)
With Joshua now old, the task of dividing the promised land among the tribes begins, though much of it remains unconquered. This verse highlights a specific instance where the Israelites failed to fully drive out the Geshurites and Maacathites, allowing them to continue living within Israel's borders, a situation that persisted even into later times. This incomplete conquest foreshadows future complications and a recurring theme of unpurified territory within the land.
Joshua's conquest was monumental, but the job wasn't fully done. Why would God allow enemies to remain within Israel's borders?
Joshua 13 marks a pivotal moment: the land is divided, but the conquest is incomplete. God commanded Israel to drive out all the inhabitants of the land, yet verse 13 states, 'the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites or the Maacathites.' This wasn't an oversight; it was a test.
A Test of Obedience and Faith
What happens when the enemies of God's people aren't fully removed? The consequences can be long-lasting and deeply damaging.
The continued presence of the Geshurites and Maacathites within Israelite territory was more than just an administrative oversight; it was a recipe for future trouble.
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Seeds of Future Strife
This reality serves as a powerful warning: unaddressed sin and disobedience, even when seemingly minor, can have devastating ripple effects.
This verse highlights the ongoing reality of incomplete obedience and the persistent presence of those who were meant to be driven out, revealing a long-standing compromise that would continue to challenge Israel's spiritual and national identity.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Conquest of Canaan Under Joshua
Following God's command, Joshua led the Israelites in conquering much of Canaan, defeating numerous kings and establishing a presence in the land. However, the conquest was not total.
c. 1400 BC - 1300 BC
Incomplete Expulsion of Canaanites
Despite significant victories, the Israelites failed to completely drive out all the original inhabitants of the land, including groups like the Geshurites and Maacathites.
c. 1000 BC
Geshur and Maacah as Kingdoms
Geshur and Maacah, though living within Israelite territory, maintained their own distinct kingdoms, even intermarrying with Israelite royalty like David with the king of Geshur's daughter.
c. 950 BC
David's Daughter Married to King of Geshur
David's son Absalom fled to Geshur after murdering his half-brother, and later, David himself took a wife from Geshur, indicating continued relations and the persistence of Geshurite identity.
This passage echoes Joshua 13:13 by highlighting another instance where the Israelites failed to completely drive out the Canaanites, allowing them to remain within the land.
Judges 3:1-4Similar to Joshua's generation, this text shows that the succeeding generation did not learn to fight the remaining peoples, allowing them to remain as a test and a snare.
2 Samuel 3:3This verse provides later evidence of the continued existence of Geshur and Maacah, showing that these groups persisted as distinct entities, even into the time of David, illustrating the long-term consequence of the incomplete conquest.
Numbers 33:55This earlier passage from Moses warns the Israelites that if they do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those who remain will become like thorns in their eyes and pricks in their sides, directly foreshadowing the ongoing problems caused by the Geshurites and Maacathites.
calvinJoshua 13:1-14: "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."
From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
A Nilo qui est e regione AEgypti usque ad terminum Ecron, qui es…
gillJoshua 13:13: "Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day."
Nevertheless, the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites,.... Neither in the times of Moses, nor in the times of Joshua: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day: in full possession of their cities unmolested; yea, in later times they became…
This verse reveals a subtle but crucial point: even after God's promised land was largely conquered, and Joshua was actively distributing it, parts of it remained occupied by enemies. This wasn't a failure of God's promise, but rather a sign that completing the conquest was an ongoing task for Israel, not a completed event.
With Joshua now old, the task of dividing the promised land among the tribes begins, though much of it remains unconquered. This verse highlights a specific instance where the Israelites failed to fully drive out the Geshurites and Maacathites, allowing them to continue living within Israel's borders, a situation that persisted even into later times. This incomplete conquest foreshadows future complications and a recurring theme of unpurified territory within the land.
With Joshua now old, the task of dividing the promised land among the tribes begins, though much of it remains unconquered. This verse highlights a specific instance where the Israelites failed to fully drive out the Geshurites and Maacathites, allowing them to continue living within Israel's borders, a situation that persisted even into later times. This incomplete conquest foreshadows future complications and a recurring theme of unpurified territory within the land.
"Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day." — This verse reveals a subtle but crucial point: even after God's promised land was largely conquered, and Joshua was actively distributing it, parts of it remained occupied by enemies. This wasn't a…
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Last reviewed October 2026