Joshua 17:12

12 The people of Manasseh never were able to take over these towns - the Canaanites wouldn't budge.

Joshua 17:12 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 17:12

Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out [the
inhabitants] of these cities
Mentioned in ( Joshua 17:11 ) ; they had not strength at first to do it, or either were negligent and slothful, and suffered them to dwell among them, and did not take the advantage they might have done; and afterwards it was too late, they became too strong and numerous for them, at least for a time:

but the Canaanites would dwell in the land;
whether they would or not.

Joshua 17:12 In-Context

10 The land to the south belonged to Ephraim; the land to the north to Manasseh, with the Sea as their western border; they meet Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also held Beth Shan, Ibleam, and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, together with their villages, and the third in the list is Naphoth.

12 The people of Manasseh never were able to take over these towns - the Canaanites wouldn't budge.

13 But later, when the Israelites got stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor. But they never did get rid of them.

14 The people of Joseph spoke to Joshua: "Why did you give us just one allotment, one solitary share? There are a lot of us, and growing - God has extravagantly blessed us."