Judges 1 32

Judges 1:32 kjv

But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.

Judges 1:32 nkjv

So the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

Judges 1:32 niv

The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out.

Judges 1:32 esv

so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.

Judges 1:32 nlt

Instead, the people of Asher moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land, for they failed to drive them out.

Judges 1 verses

Judges 1 32 Meaning

Judges chapter 1 verse 32 records the failure of the tribe of Asher to dispossess the inhabitants of the cities within their allotted territory. Despite the divine command to drive out all the Canaanite inhabitants, Asher allowed the peoples of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob to remain in the land. This indicates a significant act of disobedience and compromise, allowing pagan cultures and idolatry to persist within Israel's boundaries.

Judges 1 32 Context

Judges 1:32 is part of the introductory chapter of the Book of Judges, which serves as a prologue detailing the period after Joshua's death. This chapter catalogues the tribes of Israel's initial attempts, successes, and, significantly, their widespread failures to completely drive out the Canaanite inhabitants from their God-given inheritances. The verse specifically details the shortcomings of the tribe of Asher. This recurring "but they did not drive out" refrain sets the stage for the recurring cycles of disobedience, foreign oppression, cries for deliverance, and divine judges that characterize the entire book. Historically, this period reflects the nascent Israelite nation grappling with establishing itself in Canaan amidst formidable existing cultures and powers. The command to dispossess was fundamental to preserving Israel's distinct identity and worship of the One True God, preventing the corruption that eventually plagued them.

Judges 1 32 Word analysis

• Neither did Asher:
  • Neither did: This phrasing highlights a direct negation of the divine command given to all Israel, including Asher, to fully dispossess the inhabitants of Canaan (Num 33:52, Deut 7:2). It points to a failure of will or strength.
  • Asher: The tribe of Asher, descendants of Jacob's eighth son. Their assigned territory lay along the fertile Phoenician coast, north of Carmel, extending inland and touching the major coastal cities. The name "Asher" means "happy" or "blessed," which ironically contrasts with their disobedient and ultimately troubled future due to their compromise.
• drive out: The Hebrew verb used is gārash (גָּרַשׁ), meaning "to expel, cast out, drive away, divorce." This term is used repeatedly in the context of God's command for Israel to forcefully remove the indigenous peoples. Its use here indicates that Asher failed to fulfill this divine mandate, suggesting a lack of decisive action or complete military victory where complete expulsion was required. This was not about mere subjugation or tribute, but eradication of pagan presence as instructed by God.
• the inhabitants: Refers to the indigenous Canaanite peoples dwelling in these specific cities. Their continued presence represented a direct threat to Israel's spiritual purity and monotheistic worship, as they brought with them their idolatrous practices, moral decay, and pagan religions.
• of Acco: (עַכּוֹ, Akko). A significant coastal city, strategically important, later known as Ptolemais in the New Testament (Acts 21:7). Its retention by Canaanites allowed a strong maritime and cultural gateway for foreign, non-Yahwistic influences into Asher's territory.
• nor the inhabitants of Sidon: (צִידוֹן, Tzidon). An ancient and powerful Phoenician city-state, north of Asher's core territory. Its inclusion suggests Asher's failure even to establish full control over peripheral but assigned areas or to secure its northern border. Sidon was a major center of Baal worship and pagan commerce (1 Ki 16:31, Matt 11:21-22), and its non-expulsion profoundly influenced Israel's spiritual decline.
• nor of Ahlab: (אַחְלָב, Aḥlav). The exact location is uncertain but likely within Asher's designated tribal lands, possibly near Tyre. Its continued non-expulsion signals internal compromise even in smaller, less famous towns.
• nor of Achzib: (אַכְזִיב, Akhziv). Another coastal town north of Acco, part of Asher's allotment (Josh 19:29). Like Acco and Sidon, it highlights Asher's inability to secure the vital Mediterranean coastline, crucial for both defense and spiritual purity.
• nor of Helbah: (חֶלְבָּה, Ḥelbah). Its precise location is debated but probably also in Asher's northern territory, suggesting another failure in cleansing their borders.
• nor of Aphik: (אֲפִיק, Aphik). There are several locations by this name. The one referred to here is most likely the Aphik in Asher's territory mentioned in Joshua 19:30, probably near the Syrian border.
• nor of Rehob: (רְחוֹב, Reḥov). Like Aphik, there are multiple locations. This one refers to Rehob that was given to Asher in their lot (Josh 19:28, 30), further north, bordering Sidon and Zobah, pointing to the incomplete conquest in the northern reaches of their inheritance.

• "Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon...": This phrase-level analysis underscores the repetition of failure across multiple significant urban centers. The sheer length of the list for Asher, more extensive than for other tribes, could indicate a particularly widespread or severe extent of non-compliance. These specific cities—coastal and strategic—imply that Asher prioritized economic interests (trade with the wealthy Phoenicians) or succumbed to the formidable military strength of these urban centers rather than faithfully obeying God's command. This failure allowed centers of idolatry and cultural compromise to remain deeply entrenched within their borders.

Judges 1 32 Bonus section

• The lengthy list of unexpelled cities within Asher's territory in Judges 1:32, compared to other tribes, highlights the severity of Asher's failure. It suggests a more profound or widespread dereliction of duty, possibly indicating a greater affinity or dependency on these powerful pagan neighbors.
• The coastal cities of Acco and Sidon were significant trade centers, which may have led Asher to prioritize economic convenience or alliances over military conquest and spiritual purity, thereby sacrificing divine mandate for worldly gain.
• The absence of the "put them to forced labor" clause (as seen with other tribes like Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun in Jdg 1:28, 29, 30) for Asher suggests an even deeper failure; not only did they not drive them out, but they apparently failed to even subjugate these particular listed cities, indicating their ongoing independent and pagan influence within Asher's borders.
• This verse provides a prophetic foreshadowing. The unexpelled peoples later became "thorns in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land" (Num 33:55). Asher's spiritual compromise would later contribute to the nation's spiritual decline, affecting future generations who then readily assimilated pagan practices, directly impacting their relationship with God.

Judges 1 32 Commentary

Judges 1:32 succinctly presents a crucial indictment of the tribe of Asher: their blatant failure to fulfill the divine command to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants from their God-given territory. This was not a minor oversight but a profound act of disobedience, mirroring similar failures among other tribes mentioned in Judges 1. The named cities—Acco, Sidon, and others—were vital strongholds of Canaanite/Phoenician culture and idolatry, particularly along the coast. Asher's unwillingness or inability to dispossess them directly contravened God's strategic instruction, which aimed to preserve Israel's spiritual distinctiveness and prevent corruption. This compromise set the stage for pervasive idolatry, moral decay, and the recurring cycles of foreign oppression seen throughout the Book of Judges, serving as a cautionary tale for God's people of all generations against compromising with the world around them. It underscores that partial obedience is, in God's eyes, disobedience, leading to severe consequences.