3
He left the five Philistine tyrants, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon to Hamath's Pass.
1
These are the nations that God left there, using them to test the Israelites who had no experience in the Canaanite wars.
2
He did it to train the descendants of Israel, the ones who had no battle experience, in the art of war.
3
He left the five Philistine tyrants, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon to Hamath's Pass.
4
They were there to test Israel and see whether they would obey God's commands that were given to their parents through Moses.
5
But the People of Israel made themselves at home among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.