Judges 1:27 (KJV)

What does Judges 1:27 mean?

Judges 1:27 means that the tribe of Manasseh did not remove the people living in several important towns—Bethshean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo—so the Canaanites continued to live in that area. The verse highlights that Manasseh failed to fully take control of the land as they had been instructed.

This verse is part of a larger section describing how the Israelite tribes settled in Canaan after Joshua’s leadership. The writer is explaining to later readers that Manasseh, one of the tribes of Israel, did not completely drive out the original Canaanite inhabitants from key cities and their surrounding villages, which was a significant issue for the Israelites’ settlement and identity.

The Hebrew behind Judges 1:27

• "Drive out" (יָרַשׁ, yarash): This word means to dispossess or remove people from a place. The verse uses it to show that Manasseh did not fulfill the command to remove the Canaanites, underlining a failure to complete their task.
• "Would dwell" (יָאָה, ya'ah): This word is often understood as "insisted on living" or "persisted in living." It suggests that the Canaanites were determined to stay, not just passively remaining but actively continuing to live in the land.
• "Towns" (בָּנוֹת, banot): This word literally means "daughters" but refers to the smaller villages or settlements around a main city. The verse is not just talking about the main cities but also their surrounding communities.

Why Judges 1:27 matters

• This verse clarifies that the Israelites’ failure to fully take the land was not just about military weakness but also about incomplete obedience to what they believed God had commanded.
• The mention of specific towns and their villages shows the scale of what was left undone, helping readers understand the ongoing presence and influence of the Canaanites in Israel’s territory.
• Judges 1:27 sets up a recurring theme in the book: the Israelites’ incomplete conquest leads to ongoing challenges and difficulties in their history.