Judges 3 5

Judges 3:5 kjv

And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

Judges 3:5 nkjv

Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Judges 3:5 niv

The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

Judges 3:5 esv

So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Judges 3:5 nlt

So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,

Judges 3 verses

Judges 3 5 Meaning

Judges 3:5 describes the state of the children of Israel after their initial conquest, highlighting their failure to fully obey God's command. Instead of driving out the native inhabitants of Canaan, as they had been instructed, the Israelites settled and lived amongst these nations. This act of cohabitation signified a direct departure from divine instructions and set the stage for spiritual compromise, idolatry, and subsequent cycles of oppression throughout the book of Judges.

Judges 3 5 Context

Judges 3:5 follows a theological introduction (Jdg 2:6-3:4) that explains why the various pagan nations were left in Canaan after Joshua's generation passed. According to Judges 2:20-23 and 3:1-4, the Lord allowed these nations to remain as a test for Israel, to see if they would obey His commands and also to teach future generations how to wage war. Verse 3:5 directly articulates Israel's immediate failure in this test. Instead of remaining distinct and consecrated to Yahweh, the Israelites deliberately chose to coexist with these idolatrous peoples. This verse marks a crucial turning point, setting the stage for the recurring cycles of sin, servitude, sorrow, and salvation that characterize the entire book of Judges. The nations listed were part of the peoples whose land Israel was promised and whom God commanded them to utterly dispossess and destroy to prevent spiritual contamination. Their failure to do so led to cultural absorption, intermarriage (Jdg 3:6), and widespread adoption of pagan worship, directly fulfilling the negative warnings given by Moses (Deut 7) and Joshua (Josh 23).

Judges 3 5 Word analysis

• And the children of Israel (וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל - u'vnei Yisrael):
  • "children of Israel": This phrase emphasizes the corporate identity of the nation, their heritage as God's chosen covenant people, descendants of Jacob (Israel). It underscores their special relationship with God, making their disobedience more poignant. It is not just individuals but the whole people who failed.
• dwelt among (יָשְׁב֣וּ בְקֶרֶב - yashvu beqerev):
  • "dwelt" (יָשְׁב֣וּ - yashvu): From the Hebrew root יָשַׁב (yashab), meaning "to sit," "to reside," "to dwell," "to inhabit." It signifies permanent settlement, establishment of residence, and a choice of cohabitation rather than transient interaction. This term stands in stark contrast to the command "to drive out" (Exod 23:31) or "to dispossess" (Num 33:52) given by God.
  • "among" (בְקֶרֶב - beqerev): From the Hebrew noun קֶרֶב (qerev), meaning "in the midst of," "inside," "among." The prefix 'ב' (be-) means "in" or "among." This explicitly describes physical proximity and integration. It highlights a relationship of being intertwined with, not separated from, these foreign groups. This was a violation of the divine intention for separation and distinctiveness.
• the Canaanites (הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ - ha-kna'ani), the Hittites (הַֽחִתִּ֜י - ha-chitti), and the Amorites (וְהָאֱמֹרִ֗י - veha-emori), and the Perizzites (וְהַפְּרִזִּי֙ - veha-p'rizzi), and the Hivites (וְהַחִוִּי֙ - veha-chivvi), and the Jebusites (וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י - veha-y'vusi):
  • Listing of nations: This enumeration is significant. God repeatedly named these specific groups whom Israel was to drive out (e.g., Exod 3:8, Deut 7:1). Their continued presence highlights a comprehensive and widespread failure to execute the divine mandate. These nations practiced polytheism, Baal worship, Asherah worship, child sacrifice, and temple prostitution—practices abhorrent to Yahweh. Their remaining constituted an ever-present spiritual danger and a direct source of defilement. The list represents the diversity and pervasiveness of the pagan cultures with whom Israel integrated.
    • Canaanites: A general term, but also a specific group; known for pervasive fertility cults.
    • Hittites: A powerful historical empire, but also smaller enclaves in Canaan; known for sophisticated treaty arrangements that might tempt Israel into alliances.
    • Amorites: Dominated central and eastern parts of Canaan; deeply associated with idolatry and practices detestable to God.
    • Perizzites: Dwellers of open, unwalled villages, often scattered, suggesting Israel did not consolidate their control even in accessible areas.
    • Hivites: Including the people of Gibeon who deceived Israel (Josh 9), indicating cunning adversaries that Israel failed to decisively deal with.
    • Jebusites: Inhabited Jerusalem, a formidable fortress, symbolizing a major unconquered spiritual and physical stronghold in the very heart of the promised land.

Word-group by word-group analysis:

• "And the children of Israel dwelt among": This phrase directly states Israel's chosen posture – active residency and integration – rather than the commanded act of separation and conquest. It underscores their initiative in compromise.
• "the Canaanites... Jebusites": The long list emphasizes the extensive nature of Israel's disobedience, involving multiple distinct and dangerous pagan cultures. It shows the widespread nature of the problem, indicating that this was not an isolated incident but a national pattern. The persistence of these diverse groups implied the severe spiritual compromise that Israel entered into.

Judges 3 5 Bonus section

• Prophetic Fulfillment: This verse stands as a direct fulfillment of negative prophecies given by Moses and Joshua concerning the consequences of failing to dispossess the land (e.g., Num 33:55; Deut 7:16; Josh 23:13). The snares and traps that would come upon Israel, which the earlier prophets foretold, begin precisely with this act of 'dwelling among.'
• A "Test" for Israel: As stated in Judges 3:4, God had left these nations "to test Israel," to determine if they would walk in His ways. Their choice to "dwell among" these nations instead of fighting them revealed a fundamental lack of faith and commitment, proving their failure in the divine test.
• The Problem of "Rest": Israel was meant to find rest (נ֫וּחַ - nuach) in the land through obedience and driving out their enemies. However, "dwelling among" these nations indicates a false sense of rest achieved through compromise rather than faithful conquest, which ultimately led to restlessness and oppression.
• God's Sovereignty and Discipline: Despite Israel's disobedience, God sovereignly uses this situation to bring about His purposes, which included revealing their spiritual state and employing the very nations they refused to expel as instruments of His discipline (Jdg 2:23; 3:3-4).

Judges 3 5 Commentary

Judges 3:5 concisely records Israel's primary failure that precipitates the entire historical narrative of the book: the choice to cohabitate with, rather than conquer, the indigenous pagan nations of Canaan. This was not a passive omission but an active decision to live among cultures steeped in idolatry and abhorrent practices, directly contravening Yahweh's explicit commands (e.g., Deut 7). The consequences were immediate and profound: intermarriage, assimilation of pagan religious practices (Jdg 3:6), and ultimately, abandonment of God. This verse powerfully illustrates the principle that spiritual compromise inevitably leads to spiritual corruption and divine discipline. For believers, it stands as a stark warning against mingling with the corrupting influences of the world or entering into alliances that jeopardize one's devotion to God. To "dwell among" implies a comfortable co-existence where God demanded holy distinction, thus compromising their unique covenant identity.