Judges 2:21 (KJV)

What does Judges 2:21 mean?

Judges 2:21 records God’s decision not to drive out any more of the nations that remained in Canaan after Joshua’s death. This means God would no longer remove Israel’s enemies for them, leaving those nations in the land.

In this verse, God is speaking to the Israelites after Joshua, their leader, has died. The situation is that Israel has not fully obeyed God’s commands, and as a result, God announces He will stop helping them conquer the remaining nations. This sets up the rest of the book, showing why Israel faces ongoing struggles with the peoples around them.

The Hebrew behind Judges 2:21

• "henceforth" (יָסַף, yasaf): This word often means "to add" or "to continue." Here, it signals that God will not continue to act as He did before, marking a change in His involvement.
• "out" (יָרַשׁ, yarash): This verb means "to dispossess" or "drive out." It emphasizes the idea of removing people from their land, which was a key part of Israel’s conquest.
• "nations" (גּוֹי, goy): This word refers to the non-Israelite peoples living in Canaan. It highlights that these were distinct groups with their own identities, not just generic enemies.
• "left" (עָזַב, azav): This verb means "to leave" or "abandon." It points out that these nations remained because they were not fully driven out during Joshua’s leadership.

Why Judges 2:21 matters

• Judges 2:21 explains why Israel continues to struggle with other nations throughout the book, showing it was a direct result of their earlier choices and God’s response.
• The verse clarifies that the remaining nations were not an accident or oversight, but part of God’s deliberate decision after Israel’s disobedience.
• This verse helps the reader understand the recurring cycle in Judges, where Israel’s difficulties are tied to their relationship with God and the consequences of their actions.