Judges 1:29

1:21-36 The people of Israel were very careless of their duty and interest. Owing to slothfulness and cowardice, they would not be at the pains to complete their conquests. It was also owing to their covetousness: they were willing to let the Canaanites live among them, that they might make advantage of them. They had not the dread and detestation of idolatry they ought to have had. The same unbelief that kept their fathers forty years out of Canaan, kept them now out of the full possession of it. Distrust of the power and promise of God deprived them of advantages, and brought them into troubles. Thus many a believer who begins well is hindered. His graces languish, his lusts revive, Satan plies him with suitable temptations, the world recovers its hold; he brings guilt into his conscience, anguish into his heart, discredit on his character, and reproach on the gospel. Though he may have sharp rebukes, and be so recovered that he does not perish, yet he will have deeply to lament his folly through his remaining days; and upon his dying bed to mourn over the opportunities of glorifying God and serving the church he has lost. We can have no fellowship with the enemies of God within us or around us, but to our hurt; therefore our only wisdom is to maintain unceasing war against them.

Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer,.... Not so much as made them tributaries, but made a covenant with them, it is probable, contrary to the express will of God: but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them; the Ephraimites agreeing to it, and here they dwelt to the times of Solomon; See Gill on Joshua 16:10; where indeed they are said to be under tribute; but that seems to respect some later time, and not when they were first admitted to dwell among them, since no mention is made of it here.

Jdg 1:29 . Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites — So far from it, that it appears they did not so much as exact any tribute from them, but made a covenant of friendship with them, which was a still greater crime. The Canaanites dwelt in Gezer — Which they possessed till Solomon’s time; 1 Kings 9:6 . And to dwell among a people often signifies to have a quiet settlement, as 2 Kings 4:13 .

29 . Cf. Joshua 16:10 . Gezer ] An ancient Canaanite city mentioned in the list of Thothmes III, in the ‘Israel Inscription’ of Merenptah (see Ency. Bibl. 1242), and as Gazri in the Amarna tablets (163 etc.), situated on the S.W. border of Ephraim ( Joshua 16:3 ), near the Philistine territory ( 2 Samuel 5:25 ). It remained Canaanite until conquered by Pharaoh Shishak, who gave it to his daughter, Solomon’s wife ( 1 Kings 9:16 ). Solomon rebuilt the city as a frontier fortress against the Philistines ( 1 Kings 9:15 ; 1 Kings 9:17 ). It was an important place during the Maccabaean wars (Gazara, 1Ma 4:15 ; 1Ma 9:52 ; 1Ma 14:34 ; 1Ma 15:28 ; 1Ma 15:35 etc.). The site, = the mod. Tell el-Jezer, a little S. of the Jaffa-Jerusalem road and 13 m. from Jerusalem, was recovered by Clermont-Ganneau in 1871. Several bilingual inscriptions in Hebr. and Gk. have been found near the Tell containing the words “boundary of Gezer [Hebr.]: of Alkios [Gk.],” supposed to refer to the sabbatic limits and the local governor who thus defined them. See Cl.-Ganneau, Rec. d’arch. Orientale iii. §§ 25, 47.

The excavations recently conducted on the site have thrown much light on the past history of Canaan; seven strata of successive occupations have been ascertained; the area of the Canaanite temple or high place, much pottery, and, in the Israelite stratum, the bones of infants built into the foundations of houses (cf. 1 Kings 16:34 ), and what has been identified as Solomon’s work of fortification, are among the most important discoveries; see Palest. Explor. Fund Qtly. Statements for 1903, and Driver, Schweich Lecture s, pp. 46–59. in Gezer among them ] Joshua 16:10 b reads ‘in the midst of Ephraim unto this day and became subject to forced labour,’ probably representing the original form of J; cf. Jdg 1:28; Jdg 1:30; Jdg 1:33; Jdg 1:35 . Judges 1:29

27-36. The same course of subjugation was carried on in the other tribes to a partial extent, and with varying success. Many of the natives, no doubt, during the progress of this exterminating war, saved themselves by flight and became, it is thought, the first colonists in Greece, Italy, and other countries. But a large portion made a stout resistance and retained possession of their old abodes in Canaan. In other cases, when the natives were vanquished, avarice led the Israelites to spare the idolaters, contrary to the express command of God; and their disobedience to His orders in this matter involved them in many troubles which this book describes.

[Reformed Biblical] of Canaan, which seems to be northward from Canaan, and near unto it. See 1Ki_11:1 2Ch_1:17. ## Judges 1:27 Manasseh, i.e. that half of this tribe which dwelt in Canaan. ## Beth-shean; a place near Jordan, Jos_17:11. ## Taanach; of which see Jos_12:21 17:11 . ## Dor; a great city with large territories. See Jos_11:2 12:23 Jos_17:11. ## Megiddo; a royal city. See Jos_12:21 17:11 . Judges 1 :28 No text from Poole on this verse. Judges 1 :29 Which they possessed till Solomon’s time. Judges 1:30 No text from Poole on this verse. Judges 1:31 No text from Poole on this verse.