And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that the Canaanites didn't just remain in Gezer, but lived "among" the Ephraimites. This subtle wording implies a disturbing integration, where the very people meant to be driven out became neighbors, a compromise that would later cause ongoing trouble.
And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The tribes of Israel are supposed to be driving out the remaining Canaanites after conquering the land, but this passage reveals that many are failing in their task. Instead of eradicating the native inhabitants from their territories, tribes like Ephraim are allowing them to live alongside them, creating a dangerous spiritual and social compromise. This failure to obey God's commands sets the stage for ongoing conflict and corruption throughout the period of the Judges.
God gave Israel the land, but they didn't fully drive out its inhabitants. What happens when we leave a spiritual enemy 'living among us'?
The book of Judges opens with a sobering reality: Israel, despite initial victories, failed to complete the job God commanded. This verse highlights a critical failure with the tribe of Ephraim. They didn't drive out the Canaanites from Gezer.
The Danger of 'Living Among'
Instead of eradication, there was coexistence. The Canaanites were not expelled; they 'lived among them.' This wasn't just a territorial issue; it was a spiritual and moral one. The Canaanites were idolaters, deeply entrenched in corrupt practices that God had explicitly warned Israel against. Allowing them to remain meant constant exposure to these dangerous influences.
A Recipe for Future Trouble
This failure to obey God's command had profound consequences. It wasn't a neutral decision. It set the stage for future generations to be tempted, oppressed, and led astray by these very people. Leaving a spiritual compromise 'to live among us' is never a neutral act; it always carries a hidden cost.
Why is it so hard to completely remove the things God calls us to conquer? This verse shows the subtle beginnings of compromise.
The failure of Ephraim isn't presented as a sudden rebellion, but as a lack of action, a passive letting things be. They didn't drive them out. The commentaries suggest they might have even made covenants with them, or at least exacted no tribute, essentially agreeing to a peaceful coexistence.
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From Tolerance to Assimilation
This 'living among' created an environment where the distinctiveness of Israel's faith could easily erode. Instead of being a holy nation, set apart for God, they began to assimilate into the surrounding culture. The Canaanites remained, and their influence, their practices, their gods, slowly but surely began to seep into Israelite life.
Not Just an Old Testament Problem
This principle echoes throughout Scripture and into our own lives. When we tolerate sin or compromise with worldly values in our lives, even in small ways, we open the door for those things to take root. What starts as 'just living among us' can become a defining characteristic.
Understand the original words
Ephrayim · Hebrew Proper Noun
The tribe descended from Joseph’s younger son, inheriting a major portion of the central hill country. Their failure to remove the Canaanites from Gezer highlights the widespread pattern of tribal disobedience and incomplete conquest throughout the early history of the judges.
This passage reveals a critical failure in obedience during Israel's early settlement, where allowing Canaanites to remain in cities like Gezer sowed the seeds for future compromise and struggle. The ongoing presence of the Canaanites in Gezer, even until Solomon's reign, underscores the long-term consequences of incomplete faithfulness.
c. 1400 BC
Canaanite City of Gezer Established
Gezer was an ancient, significant Canaanite city located on the border of the Ephraimite territory, as evidenced by its mention in ancient Egyptian records like the Amarna tablets and lists from Thutmose III.
c. 1400-1200 BC
Israel's Conquest of Canaan
Following their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, began their military campaign to conquer the land of Canaan, fulfilling God's promises to Abraham.
c. 1200-1050 BC
Period of the Judges Begins
After Joshua's death, the tribes of Israel entered a period where they were governed by judges. This era was marked by cycles of disobedience, oppression, and deliverance.
c. 1200-1050 BC— this verse
Ephraim Fails to Drive Out Canaanites from Gezer
The tribe of Ephraim, despite being assigned territory that included Gezer, did not fully conquer the Canaanite inhabitants. Instead, they allowed them to remain living within their midst, compromising their distinctiveness and obedience to God's commands.
c. 1000-900 BC
Pharaoh Captures and Gifts Gezer to Solomon
Centuries after the initial conquest, the Canaanite city of Gezer was captured by the Egyptian Pharaoh and subsequently given as a dowry to his daughter, who married King Solomon of Israel.
c. 970 BC
Solomon Refortifies Gezer
King Solomon rebuilt and fortified Gezer, turning it into a significant strategic fortress on the border of the Philistine territory, highlighting its continued importance.
This passage parallels Judges 1:29, stating that Ephraim did not drive out the inhabitants of Gezer, allowing them to live among them, a failure that continued into later periods.
Judges 1:21This verse describes the tribe of Benjamin's failure to drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem, highlighting a recurring theme of incomplete obedience and compromise with Canaanites among the tribes.
Judges 1:28This verse shows that when Israel became strong, they made the Canaanites forced laborers, illustrating the consequence of not fully expelling them and instead finding ways to coexist or exploit them.
Judges 1:30This verse notes that Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol, revealing that Ephraim's failure was not an isolated incident but a pattern seen in other tribes as well.
1 Kings 9:16This passage explains that Gezer remained in Canaanite hands until Pharaoh conquered it and gave it to Solomon, showing the long-term consequences of Israel's failure to possess the land as God commanded.
bensonJudges 1:29: "Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them."
Jdg 1:29 . Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites — So far from it, that it appears they did not so much as exact any tribute from them, but made a covenant of friendship with them, which was a still greater crime. The Canaanites dwelt in Gezer — Which they possessed till Solomon’s time; 1 Kings 9:6 . And to dwell among a people often signifies to have a quiet set…
gillJudges 1:29: "Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them."
Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer,.... Not so much as made them tributaries, but made a covenant with them, it is probable, contrary to the express will of God: but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them; the Ephraimites agreeing to it, and here they dwelt to the times of Solomon; See Gill on Joshua 16:10; where indeed they are said to b…
The verse highlights that the Canaanites didn't just remain in Gezer, but lived "among" the Ephraimites. This subtle wording implies a disturbing integration, where the very people meant to be driven out became neighbors, a compromise that would later cause ongoing trouble.
The tribes of Israel are supposed to be driving out the remaining Canaanites after conquering the land, but this passage reveals that many are failing in their task. Instead of eradicating the native inhabitants from their territories, tribes like Ephraim are allowing them to live alongside them, creating a dangerous spiritual and social compromise. This failure to obey God's commands sets the stage for ongoing conflict and corruption throughout the period of the Judges.
The tribes of Israel are supposed to be driving out the remaining Canaanites after conquering the land, but this passage reveals that many are failing in their task. Instead of eradicating the native inhabitants from their territories, tribes like Ephraim are allowing them to live alongside them, creating a dangerous spiritual and social compromise. This failure to obey God's commands sets the stage for ongoing conflict and corruption throughout the period of the Judges.
"And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them." — The verse highlights that the Canaanites didn't just remain in Gezer, but lived "among" the Ephraimites. This subtle wording implies a disturbing integration, where the very people meant to be driven…
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Last reviewed October 2026