The verse lists the nations Israel lived among, but the crucial detail is that this list is identical to those God commanded them to drive out entirely in earlier commands. This repetition subtly highlights that Israel's failure wasn't a misunderstanding of who to confront, but a deliberate choice to "dwell among" them rather than obey.
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. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After leading Israel into the Promised Land and defeating many of its inhabitants, God intentionally left some nations in place as a test for the Israelites. This verse marks the beginning of a period where Israel began to live alongside these remaining Canaanite groups, instead of driving them out completely. The situation sets the stage for the cycles of disobedience and deliverance that define the book of Judges.
Why did God allow these nations to remain in the land? It wasn't an oversight, but a divine strategy.
After promising the land of Canaan to Israel, God intentionally left several of its original inhabitants in place. This wasn't a failure of conquest, but a deliberate measure to 'test' Israel. The purpose was to see if they would remain faithful to God's commands or be swayed by the surrounding cultures. It was a spiritual proving ground, designed to reveal their hearts and build their resilience in God.
This familiar list of nations wasn't just a roll call; it represented a significant spiritual threat.
The enumeration of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites is a standard list found in other parts of Scripture. These weren't just different tribes; they represented the entire population of the land, each with their own distinct cultures and, crucially, their own pagan religions. Dwelling 'among' them meant exposure to their idolatry, their corrupt practices, and their ways of life, which were contrary to God's covenant. This close proximity created a dangerous environment where assimilation and compromise were constant risks.
The greatest danger wasn't the world's enmity, but its allure and the temptation to conform.
The commentary highlights a crucial point: the friendship of the world can be more destructive than its enmity. When Israel began to live 'among' these nations, they moved from a posture of potential conflict to one of interaction and, eventually, assimilation. This led to intermarriage, trade, and the adoption of local customs and worship. The comfort and prosperity that came from these relationships came at a steep price – the loss of spiritual purity and faithfulness to God. This verse sets the stage for the cycle of sin and deliverance that defines the book of Judges.
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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.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The covenant name of the God of Israel, revealing His nature as the self-existent, eternal, and faithful Redeemer who enters into a personal relationship with His people.
Baal · Hebrew Noun
A general term for male Canaanite fertility deities associated with weather, rain, and agricultural success. Their worship involved moral degradation and was strictly forbidden by God's covenant with Israel.
Asherah · Hebrew Noun
Cultic objects or symbols, often wooden poles, representing the Canaanite mother goddess Asherah, associated with fertility rites and forbidden idolatrous worship in Israel.
This verse marks a critical turning point where Israel's failure to fully conquer the land leads to prolonged cohabitation with Canaanite peoples, setting the stage for cycles of sin and deliverance throughout the book of Judges.
c. 1400-1200 BC— this verse
Israelites Settle in Canaan
After generations in the wilderness, the Israelites enter and begin to occupy the Promised Land, but fail to drive out all the existing inhabitants.
c. 13th century BC
Philistine Migration
The Philistines, a sea-faring people, migrate and settle along the southern coast of Canaan, becoming a significant and often antagonistic presence.
c. 13th-12th century BC
Hittite Empire Declines
The powerful Hittite empire, which once dominated the region, begins to weaken and fragment, reducing their direct influence in Canaan.
c. 12th century BC
Era of the Judges Begins
Following Joshua's death and the initial settlement, Israel enters a period where various tribal leaders, or 'judges,' arise to govern and deliver them from oppression.
This passage lists the same Canaanite nations that the Israelites were commanded to drive out, highlighting the direct violation of God's command that occurs in Judges 3:5.
Joshua 24:11This verse also mentions the same Canaanite groups, but in the context of Joshua's final address where he recounts God's mighty acts against them, underscoring the contrast with Israel's later 'dwelling among' them.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2Here, God explicitly warns Israel not to make covenants with these nations, nor to show them mercy, directly correlating with the disobedience seen in Judges 3:5.
Judges 2:2This verse states that Israel 'made no covenant with the inhabitants of this land' and tore down their altars, setting up a direct parallel to the subsequent failure in Judges 3:5 where they indeed 'dwelt among' them and likely compromised their faith.
Romans 12:2This New Testament passage provides a spiritual parallel, urging believers not to conform to the world, which echoes the danger Israel faced in Judges 3:5 of being assimilated by the surrounding pagan cultures.
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.
The verse lists the nations Israel lived among, but the crucial detail is that this list is identical to those God commanded them to drive out entirely in earlier commands. This repetition subtly highlights that Israel's failure wasn't a misunderstanding of who to confront, but a deliberate choice to "dwell among" them rather than obey.
After leading Israel into the Promised Land and defeating many of its inhabitants, God intentionally left some nations in place as a test for the Israelites. This verse marks the beginning of a period where Israel began to live alongside these remaining Canaanite groups, instead of driving them out completely. The situation sets the stage for the cycles of disobedience and deliverance that define the book of Judges.
After leading Israel into the Promised Land and defeating many of its inhabitants, God intentionally left some nations in place as a test for the Israelites. This verse marks the beginning of a period where Israel began to live alongside these remaining Canaanite groups, instead of driving them out completely. The situation sets the stage for the cycles of disobedience and deliverance that define 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 the…" — The verse lists the nations Israel lived among, but the crucial detail is that this list is identical to those God commanded them to drive out entirely in earlier commands. This repetition subtly hig…
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Last reviewed October 2026
