Joshua 15:63 (KJV)

What does Joshua 15:63 mean?

Joshua 15:63 explains that the people of Judah were not able to remove the Jebusites, who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites continued to live alongside the people of Judah in that city up to the time the text was written. This verse highlights an incomplete conquest, showing that not all the land assigned to Judah was fully taken from its original inhabitants.

Joshua 15:63 comes near the end of a section listing the territory given to the tribe of Judah after the Israelites entered the land of Canaan. The verse notes a specific exception: the Jebusites, who were the original inhabitants of Jerusalem, remained in the city because the people of Judah could not drive them out. This sets the stage for later events in Israel’s history, since Jerusalem would not come under full Israelite control until much later.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 15:63

• "Jebusites" (יְבוּסִי, yəvusi): This word refers to the specific Canaanite group living in Jerusalem. Their continued presence in the city is a reminder that not all local peoples were displaced immediately.
• "could" (יָכֹל, yakhol): This word is often understood as "were not able" or "did not have the power." The verse does not say Judah did not try, but that they were unable to succeed in removing the Jebusites.
• "dwell" (יָשַׁב, yashav): This word means "to live" or "to remain." The verse uses it to show that the Jebusites continued to live in Jerusalem together with the people of Judah, not as a separate group outside the city.

Why Joshua 15:63 matters

• Joshua 15:63 clarifies that the conquest of Canaan was not total or immediate, even for important cities like Jerusalem, which would later become central in Israel’s story.
• The verse highlights the reality that some Canaanite groups, like the Jebusites, remained in the land for generations, shaping the social and political landscape.
• This detail helps explain why Jerusalem did not become the main city for Israel until the time of King David, who finally captured it from the Jebusites (see 2 Samuel 5:6-7).