Judges 1:28

28 And it happened, when Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites^[a] to forced labor, but they never totally drove them out.

Judges 1:28 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 1:28

And it came to pass, when Israel was strong
All the tribes of Israel were become numerous, and able to drive the Canaanites out of the land everywhere, and particularly were able to assist Manasseh in expelling the Canaanites out of the above places, yet they did not; but all they did was,

that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive
them out;
which flowed from covetousness, and a love of ease; they did not care to be at the trouble of expelling them, as they found it turned more to their account and present advantage to make them tributaries; and this was true of the Israelites in general, and of the half tribe of Manasseh in particular; which, as Abarbinel thinks, is here respected.

Judges 1:28 In-Context

26 And the man went [to] the land of the Hittites, and he built a city and named it Luz; this [is] its name to this day.

27 Manasseh did not drive out Beth-Sean and its towns, or Taanach and its towns, or the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; the Canaanites [were] determined to live in this land.

28 And it happened, when Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they never totally drove them out.

29 Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in their midst in Gezer.

30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived in their midst and became [subjected] to forced labor.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "Canaanite"