Joshua 16:10
in Joshua 16But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, but they are forced laborers.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they drove not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell in the midst of Ephraim unto this day, and are become servants to do taskwork.
KJV
And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.
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This verse in Joshua 16
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer - It appears that the Canaanites were not expelled from this city till the days of Solomon, when it was taken by the king of Egypt his father-in-law, who made it a present to his daughter, Solomon’s queen. See 1Ki 9:16. And see the note on Jos 10:33. The Ephraimites, however, had so far succeeded in subjecting these people as to oblige them to pay tribute, though they could not, or at least did not, totally expel them.
This site's exposition
they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer
The chapter ends on a town not taken, and Judges 1:29 repeats it of the same tribe and city. The Canaanites stay as forced laborers, an arrangement rather than a conquest, and Judges 1:28 and 1:30 show the same terms spreading. Gezer is cleared at last by Pharaoh, who burns it, kills its Canaanites and gives it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife, at 1 Kings 9:16.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this very day." But Ephraim is interpreted as "fruitful." Therefore, although it is fruitful, it is not able to eject the Canaanite (who is of a different and cursed seed) from its territory until …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And they drove not out the Canaanites which dwelt in Gezer,....
Though Joseph was one of the younger sons of Jacob, yet he was his eldest by his most just and best beloved wife Rachel, was himself his best beloved son, and had been the greatest ornament and support of his family, kept it from perishing in a time of famine, and had been the shepherd and stone of Israel, and therefore his posterity were very much favoured by the lot.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
they drave not out the Canaanites . . . but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute--This is the first mention of the fatal policy of the Israelites, in neglecting the divine command (De 20:16) to exterminate the idolaters.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The separated cities. These too were included in the inheritance of Ephraim. They had cities that were separated from their portion and were incorporated within the boundary of the inheritance of Menashe.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הוֹרִ֔ישׁוּ | horishu | they dispossessed | H3423 → | 231 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י | hakenaani | the Canaanite[s] | H3669 → | 73 times |
| הַיּוֹשֵׁ֣ב | haiyoshev | who dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בְּגָ֑זֶר | begazer | in Gezer | H1507 → | 15 times |
| וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב | vaiyeshev | and he has dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֜י | hakenaani | the Canaanite[s] | H3669 → | 73 times |
| בְּקֶ֤רֶב | bekerev | in [the] midst of | H7130 → | 227 times |
| אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ | ʾefrayim | Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֣וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וַיְהִ֖י | vayhi | and he became | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְמַס־ | lemas- | <into> a slave gang of | H4522 → | |
| עֹבֵֽד׃ פ | ʾoved | laboring | H5647 → | 288 times |
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
הוֹרִ֔ישׁוּthey dispossessed
horishuH3423 →231 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖יthe Canaanite[s]
hakenaaniH3669 →73 times
הַיּוֹשֵׁ֣בwho dwelt
haiyoshevH3427 →1079 times
בְּגָ֑זֶרin Gezer
begazerH1507 →15 times
וַיֵּ֨שֶׁבand he has dwelt
vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֜יthe Canaanite[s]
hakenaaniH3669 →73 times
בְּקֶ֤רֶבin [the] midst of
bekerevH7130 →227 times
אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙Ephraim
ʾefrayimH669 →180 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֣וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וַיְהִ֖יand he became
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
לְמַס־<into> a slave gang of
lemas-H4522 →
עֹבֵֽד׃ פlaboring
ʾovedH5647 →288 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 1:29Ephraim also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; so the Canaanites continued to dwell among them in Gezer.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 9:16
Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.
- 1 Kings 9:16
Through
1 Kings 9:16Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 3:1
Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the…
- 1 Kings 7:8
And the palace where Solomon would live, set further back, was of similar construction. He also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.
- 1 Kings 3:1
Through
Joshua 17:13However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor; but they failed to drive them out completely.
it leads to
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Judges 1:35
And the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph grew in strength, they pressed the Amorites into forced labor.
- Judges 1:30
Zebulun failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced laborers.
- 2 Chronicles 8:7–8
As for all the people who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (the people who were not Israelites)—
- Judges 1:33
Naphtali failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. So the Naphtalites also lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath served them as forced…
- Philippians 4:13
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Procopius of Gaza, COMMENTARY ON JOSHUA 16.10.