Judges 1:28

Modern

When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.

Traditional

And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.

Literal

And it came to pass, when Israel became strong, that he put the Canaanite to forced labor, and he did not drive him out completely.

Latin

Postquam autem confortatus est Israël, fecit eos tributarios, et delere noluit.

Hebrew

English

When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.

Mentions of Joseph's descendants (Judges 1:22, 35) highlight the northern tribes' failures to remove their enemies.

The tribes of Israel did not keep the covenant. Their complacency was rebellion against the Lord, as shown in the rest of the book of Judges.

The first prologue talks about how the tribes did not follow Joshua's farewell instructions (Joshua 23).

Theme notes and profiles

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes

Canaan: Ancient region; descendants of Ham; promised to Abraham's descendants