Judges 1:33

33 Naphtali did not away the dwellers of Bethshemesh, and of Bethanath; and he dwelled among Canaanites, the dweller(s) of the land; and Bethshemesh and Bethanath were (made) tributaries to him. (And the Naphtalites did not do away the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, and of Bethanath; and they lived among the Canaanites, the people of the land; and the people of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath were made to pay tribute, or taxes, to them.)

Judges 1:33 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 1:33

Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of
Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath
Of which places (See Gill on Joshua 19:38);

but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land;
in the same disgraceful manner as Asher did, owing to cowardice or sloth:

nevertheless, the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, and of Bethanath, became
tributaries unto them;
these two cities did at length exert themselves, and got the mastery over the Canaanites, as to make them pay tribute to them; though they ought to have expelled them, and even destroyed them, according to the command of God, but avarice prevailed over them.

Judges 1:33 In-Context

31 Also Asher did not away the dwellers of Accho (And Asher did not do away the inhabitants of Accho), and of Sidon, of Ahlab, and of Achzib, and of Helbah, and of Aphik, and of Rehob;
32 and Asher dwelled in the midst of Canaanites, the dweller(s) of that land, and Asher killed not him. (and so the Asherites lived in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of that land, and they did not kill them.)
33 Naphtali did not away the dwellers of Bethshemesh, and of Bethanath; and he dwelled among Canaanites, the dweller(s) of the land; and Bethshemesh and Bethanath were (made) tributaries to him. (And the Naphtalites did not do away the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, and of Bethanath; and they lived among the Canaanites, the people of the land; and the people of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath were made to pay tribute, or taxes, to them.)
34 And Amorites held strait the sons of Dan in the hill, and he gave not place to them to go down to [the] plainer places; (And the Amorites held back the Danites in the hill country, and would not allow them to come down into the valley;)
35 and he dwelled in the hill of Heres, which is interpreted, Witnessing, (and) in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim. And the hand of the house of Joseph was made heavy, and he was made tributary to him. (and they lived on Mount Heres, which is translated, Witnessing, and in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim. But then the hand of the house of Joseph was made heavy upon them, and the Amorites were made to pay tribute, or taxes, to them.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.