But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a crucial point of failure: the Benjamites didn't drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem itself. This wasn't just a minor oversight; it meant allowing a pagan people to remain in the very heart of Israel's land, which would sow seeds of compromise and trouble for generations to come.
But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the tribe of Judah successfully conquered Jerusalem, the tribe of Benjamin failed to drive out the Jebusites from their portion of the city. This meant that the original inhabitants continued to live alongside the Benjamites in Jerusalem, a situation that persisted until King David eventually conquered the stronghold. The book's author notes this ongoing presence "to this day," indicating the text was written before David's reign.
Why did the tribe of Benjamin fail where others succeeded? This verse highlights a critical moment where obedience faltered, leaving a dangerous foothold for the enemy.
Incomplete Victory
The command from God was clear: drive out all the inhabitants of the land. Yet, in Judges 1:21, the tribe of Benjamin falls short. They don't drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem, allowing them to live side-by-side with the Israelites.
When we fail to fully obey God, the consequences aren't always immediate destruction. Sometimes, it's a slow erosion of faith and purity.
The Slippery Slope
This verse isn't just about a military failure; it's a spiritual one. Allowing the Jebusites to remain wasn't just a political or territorial issue; it was a compromise of God's command.
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Understand the original words
yarash · Hebrew Verb
The act of dispossessing, removing, or expelling occupants from land, frequently commanded by God in the context of the conquest of Canaan to avoid the influence of idolatry.
Yebusi · Hebrew Noun
The inhabitants of Jerusalem prior to the Israelite conquest; a Canaanite people identified in the text as remaining in the city despite the divine mandate for total expulsion.
Yerushalayim · Hebrew Noun
The city of Jerusalem, which served as a Jebusite stronghold; in biblical theology, it later becomes the site of the Temple and the City of David.
This verse highlights a recurring theme in the book of Judges: incomplete obedience and conquest. The failure to fully drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem, even when it lay within Benjamin's territory, led to ongoing challenges and served as a constant reminder of their unfinished task until David's reign.
c. 1400 BC
Israelite Conquest of Canaan Begins
Following Moses' death, Joshua leads the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan, claiming much of the land but not expelling all inhabitants.
c. 1375 BC
Joshua's Death and Tribal Allotments
After Joshua's death, the land is divided among the twelve tribes. The city of Jerusalem (Jebus) lies on the border between Judah and Benjamin, with its stronghold held by the Jebusites.
c. 1375-1050 BC
Period of the Judges
A tumultuous era where Israel experiences cycles of disobedience, oppression, and deliverance, marked by various tribal leaders (Judges) and continued conflict with Canaanite peoples.
c. 1050 BC— this verse
David Captures Jerusalem
King David finally conquers the Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem, establishing it as the capital of Israel and expelling the remaining Jebusites.
This passage is nearly identical, stating that Judah also failed to drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem, highlighting a shared pattern of incomplete conquest among the tribes.
2 Samuel 5:6-8This passage shows David finally conquering the Jebusites in Jerusalem, fulfilling the task that Benjamin and Judah had left undone, marking a significant moment of national unity and strength.
Judges 1:27-28This shows a similar failure by the tribe of Manasseh to drive out inhabitants from Beth-shean and its villages, illustrating that Benjamin's failure with the Jebusites was not an isolated incident but part of a larger pattern of compromise.
1 Corinthians 10:13This New Testament passage speaks to the ongoing spiritual battle, reminding us that God provides a way of escape from every temptation, a principle that Israel failed to uphold when they allowed sin to remain among them.
Hebrews 12:1-2This passage calls believers to run the race with perseverance, laying aside anything that hinders, which directly contrasts with the Israelites' failure to fully dispossess the Canaanites, showing the importance of persistent faithfulness.
gillJudges 1:21: "And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day."
And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem,.... That is, that part of it which belonged to them, for it lay between Judah and Benjamin; and neither of them separately, nor both conjunctly, could drive out the Jebusites from it, particularly the strong hold on the top of M…
barnesJudges 1:21: "And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day."
This verse is nearly identical with Joshua 15:63 , except in the substitution of Benjamin for Judah. Probably the original reading Judah was altered in later times to Benjamin, because Jebus was within the border of Benjamin, and neither had the Benjamites expelled the Jebusites.
The verse highlights a crucial point of failure: the Benjamites didn't drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem itself. This wasn't just a minor oversight; it meant allowing a pagan people to remain in the very heart of Israel's land, which would sow seeds of compromise and trouble for generations to come.
While the tribe of Judah successfully conquered Jerusalem, the tribe of Benjamin failed to drive out the Jebusites from their portion of the city. This meant that the original inhabitants continued to live alongside the Benjamites in Jerusalem, a situation that persisted until King David eventually conquered the stronghold. The book's author notes this ongoing presence "to this day," indicating the text was written before David's reign.
While the tribe of Judah successfully conquered Jerusalem, the tribe of Benjamin failed to drive out the Jebusites from their portion of the city. This meant that the original inhabitants continued to live alongside the Benjamites in Jerusalem, a situation that persisted until King David eventually conquered the stronghold. The book's author notes this ongoing presence "to this day," indicating the text was written before David's reign.
"But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day." — The verse highlights a crucial point of failure: the Benjamites didn't drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem itself. This wasn't just a minor oversight; it meant allowing a pagan people to remain…
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Last reviewed October 2026