This verse isn't just a historical list; it's a warning disguised as a census. By dwelling "among" these nations, Israel chose proximity over purity, setting the stage for the cycle of sin and deliverance that defines the book of Judges.
So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After God grants Israel victory and rest, this verse describes the new status quo: the Israelites are now living amongst the very nations God commanded them to conquer, not as masters, but as cohabitants. This sets the stage for the cycle of disobedience and deliverance that defines the Book of Judges, showing how Israel's proximity to these peoples will ultimately lead them astray.
Why does the Bible list so many names here? It’s more than just a roll call – it sets the stage for a critical moment in Israel’s history.
The repeated listing of these specific Canaanite nations (Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites) isn't accidental. It serves as a stark reminder of the peoples God had commanded Israel to dispossess.
What does it mean for Israel to 'dwell among' these nations? It wasn't just about coexisting; it was about a dangerous slide into conformity.
The word 'dwelt' here implies more than just temporary residence; it signifies settling in and becoming accustomed to their surroundings. This proximity led to several critical issues:
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This verse marks the beginning of a cycle where Israel's failure to obey God's command to separate leads directly to the oppressions described later in the book.
Understand the original words
elohim · Hebrew Noun
A general term for spiritual beings or deities worshipped by nations other than the one true God, often associated with idols and demonic influence. In the Bible, these are frequently set in direct opposition to the worship of Yahweh.
This verse marks a critical turning point where Israel's failure to fully obey God's command to drive out the Canaanites leads to prolonged periods of oppression and spiritual compromise throughout the book of Judges.
c. 1400 BC
Israel Conquers Canaan
Following the Exodus and 40 years in the wilderness, Joshua leads the Israelites in conquering the Promised Land, driving out many of the inhabitants.
c. 1390 BC— this verse
Joshua's Death and the Commission to Conquer
After Joshua's death, the remaining Canaanite nations are intentionally left in the land by God to test Israel's faithfulness. Many Israelites had not yet experienced the wars of Canaan.
c. 1380 BC
Israel Compromises with Canaanites
Instead of driving out the remaining nations, the Israelites begin to live among them, forming alliances and adopting their customs and idolatrous worship.
c. 1350 BC
Aramaean Oppression Begins
The people of Israel fall into sin and idolatry, leading God to allow Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, to oppress them for eight years.
c. 1340 BC
Othniel Delivers Israel
The Israelites cry out to God, and the Spirit of the Lord empowers Othniel, a skilled warrior and judge, to defeat Cushan-rishathaim and bring peace to the land for 40 years.
This passage lists the same nations that Israel was commanded to drive out, highlighting the command to not make covenants with them or their gods, which directly relates to the consequence of Israel dwelling among them.
Deuteronomy 7:1-5This passage reiterates the command to dispossess the nations and not show them pity, nor intermarry with them, because they would turn Israel's hearts away from the Lord.
Joshua 23:11-13Joshua warns the Israelites that if they do not drive out the remaining inhabitants, they will become snares and scourges to them, and their gods will be a temptation, mirroring the situation described in Judges.
Psalm 106:34-36This psalm directly references the period after Joshua, stating that Israel did not destroy the nations as the Lord commanded, and instead mingled with them and served their idols, leading to their downfall.
gillJudges 3:5: "And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:"
And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites,.... As if they had been only sojourners with them, and not conquerors of them; and dwelt by sufferance, and not as proprietors and owners; such were their sloth and indolence, and such the advantage the inhabitants of the land got over them through it, and through their compliances with them; and this was…
pulpitJudges 3:5: "And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:"
Verse 5. - The Canaanites, etc. The same enumeration of the tribes of the Canaanites as in Exodus 34:11.
This verse isn't just a historical list; it's a warning disguised as a census. By dwelling "among" these nations, Israel chose proximity over purity, setting the stage for the cycle of sin and deliverance that defines the book of Judges.
After God grants Israel victory and rest, this verse describes the new status quo: the Israelites are now living amongst the very nations God commanded them to conquer, not as masters, but as cohabitants. This sets the stage for the cycle of disobedience and deliverance that defines the Book of Judges, showing how Israel's proximity to these peoples will ultimately lead them astray.
After God grants Israel victory and rest, this verse describes the new status quo: the Israelites are now living amongst the very nations God commanded them to conquer, not as masters, but as cohabitants. This sets the stage for the cycle of disobedience and deliverance that defines the Book of Judges, showing how Israel's proximity to these peoples will ultimately lead them astray.
"So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and the…" — This verse isn't just a historical list; it's a warning disguised as a census. By dwelling "among" these nations, Israel chose proximity over purity, setting the stage for the cycle of sin and delive…
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Last reviewed October 2026
