Judges 2:22

22 I will use them to find out whether or not these Israelites will follow my ways, as their ancestors did."

Judges 2:22 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 2:22

That through them I may prove Israel
Afflict them by them, and so prove or try them, their faith and patience, which are tried by afflictions; and such were the Canaanites to them, as afflictions and temptations are to the spiritual Israel of God; or rather, whether they would keep in the ways of God, or walk in those the Canaanites did, as follows:

whether they will keep the way of the Lord, as their fathers did keep
[it], or not;
whether they would worship the true God their fathers did, or the gods of the Canaanites; not that the Lord was ignorant of what they would do, and so made the experiment; but that the sincerity and faithfulness, or insincerity and unfaithfulness of their hearts, might appear to themselves and others.

Judges 2:22 In-Context

20 Then the Lord would become furious with Israel and say, "This nation has broken the covenant that I commanded their ancestors to keep. Because they have not obeyed me,

21 I will no longer drive out any of the nations that were still in the land when Joshua died.

22 I will use them to find out whether or not these Israelites will follow my ways, as their ancestors did."

23 So the Lord allowed these nations to remain in the land; he did not give Joshua victory over them, nor did he drive them out soon after Joshua's death.