Judges 1:31
Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just a list of places the tribe of Asher failed to conquer; it highlights a subtle but critical shift. By listing these specific cities and their inhabitants, the text emphasizes that Asher, instead of driving out these peoples, allowed them to remain, indicating a quiet compromise that would have lasting, negative consequences.
The book of Judges is chronicling the Israelites' failure to fully conquer and possess the Promised Land, despite God's commands and promises. This passage specifically highlights the tribe of Asher's continued coexistence with Canaanite peoples in their allotted territory, rather than driving them out as they were instructed. This sets the stage for ongoing conflict and spiritual compromise for Israel throughout the rest of the book.
God gave Israel a clear directive for the Promised Land. But what happens when a tribe doesn't fully obey?
The Book of Judges reveals a recurring problem: Israel failed to drive out the Canaanites completely from the land God gave them.
The Divine Mandate
God's promise to Abraham was that his descendants would possess the land.
The Failure of Asher
Judges 1:31 highlights the tribe of Asher's specific failure. They did not drive out the inhabitants of several key cities, including important coastal ones like Acco and Sidon.
This wasn't just a minor oversight; it was a disobedience to God's command for total purification of the land from its idolatrous inhabitants.
Leaving the Canaanites among them wasn't just a missed opportunity; it was a dangerous compromise with potentially devastating consequences.
The failure of tribes like Asher to fully conquer the land had long-term spiritual repercussions.
Seeds of Future Trouble
Leaving the Canaanites in place meant leaving the seeds of idolatry and opposition to God within Israel's borders.
Understand the original words
yarash · Hebrew Verb
To dispossess, cast out, or evict, often used in the context of Israel taking possession of the Promised Land from the idolatrous nations. It carries the weight of a divine command and mission to cleanse the land of spiritual corruption.
This verse highlights a critical failure in the Israelites' mandate to fully possess the land. The tribe of Asher's inability or unwillingness to displace the Canaanite populations in key coastal cities like Acco and Sidon had lasting consequences, allowing foreign influence and idolatry to persist.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites enter Canaan
Following their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, begin conquering the Promised Land. This marked the beginning of their possession of Canaan.
c. 1350-1200 BC
Egyptian rule in Canaan
During the New Kingdom period, Egypt exerted significant influence and control over Canaan, as evidenced by the Amarna letters. This may have partially restricted full Israelite settlement and conquest.
c. 1200 BC
Period of the Judges begins
After Joshua's death, the Israelites enter a period characterized by cycles of disobedience, oppression by Canaanite rulers, and deliverance by divinely appointed judges.
c. 1150 BC— this verse
Asher fails to fully conquer territory
The tribe of Asher, assigned territory along the Phoenician coast, fails to drive out the existing Canaanite inhabitants of key cities like Acco and Sidon. This marks the specific context of the verse.
This passage lists the cities that were allotted to the tribe of Asher, providing the original divine inheritance that Asher failed to fully possess.
Judges 1:21This verse highlights a similar failure by the tribe of Benjamin to drive out the inhabitants of Jerusalem, showing a pattern of disobedience and incomplete conquest across different tribes.
Exodus 23:29-30This passage from the Law promises that God would drive out the Canaanites gradually, so that the land would not become desolate and overrun by wild beasts, directly contrasting with the Israelites' failure to follow through.
1 Kings 9:10-14This passage shows Solomon giving twenty cities in Galilee to King Hiram of Tyre, indicating that Israel had still not secured full possession of these areas centuries later, likely due to continued compromise.
Romans 6:12-13Paul uses the concept of not letting sin reign in our mortal bodies, mirroring the idea that allowing the 'inhabitants' (sinful influences) to remain in the 'land' (our lives) leads to detrimental consequences and a weakened spiritual walk.
gillJudges 1:31: "Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:"
Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho,.... The same with Ptolemais; see Gill on Acts 21:7 ; so called from the first Ptolemy king of Egypt, who enlarged it; but it has since recovered its ancient name pretty nearly, and is now called Acca or Acra."On its north and east sides (Mr. Maundrell says (w)) it is encomp…
ellicottJudges 1:31: "Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:"
(31) Neither did Asher. —See Joshua 19:24-31 . Accho.—The seaport so famous under the names of Ptolemais (Acts 21:7; 1 Maccabees 5:15; 1 Maccabees 10:1), Acre, and St. Jean d’Acre (now Acca). Josephus called it Ako (Antt. ix. 14, § 2). Zidon.—(Joshua 11:8.) Asher never succeeded in conquering Zidon, which was the capital of Ph…
This verse isn't just a list of places the tribe of Asher failed to conquer; it highlights a subtle but critical shift. By listing these specific cities and their inhabitants, the text emphasizes that Asher, instead of driving out these peoples, allowed them to remain, indicating a quiet compromise that would have lasting, negative consequences.
The book of Judges is chronicling the Israelites' failure to fully conquer and possess the Promised Land, despite God's commands and promises. This passage specifically highlights the tribe of Asher's continued coexistence with Canaanite peoples in their allotted territory, rather than driving them out as they were instructed. This sets the stage for ongoing conflict and spiritual compromise for Israel throughout the rest of the book.
The book of Judges is chronicling the Israelites' failure to fully conquer and possess the Promised Land, despite God's commands and promises. This passage specifically highlights the tribe of Asher's continued coexistence with Canaanite peoples in their allotted territory, rather than driving them out as they were instructed. This sets the stage for ongoing conflict and spiritual compromise for Israel throughout the rest of the book.
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The Downward Spiral
This compromise led to a cycle of sin, judgment, and distress for Israel throughout the period of the Judges.
c. 1050 BC
Rise of Phoenician city-states
Coastal cities like Sidon and Tyre, which Asher failed to conquer, grow in prominence as major maritime and commercial centers. Their independence impacts the region.
"Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob," — This verse isn't just a list of places the tribe of Asher failed to conquer; it highlights a subtle but critical shift. By listing these specific cities and their inhabitants, the text emphasizes tha…
