Josué 16
Bob Utley · Citado em PreceptAustin
Josué 16
Utley - the Archites” One of David’s counselors was from this family group (cf. 2 Sa 15:32; 16:16), but this is all moderns know of this non-Israelite clan. The same is true for the Japhletites in Joshua 16:3. Archi - Holman Bible Dictionary ARCHITE An unknown group of people who gave their name to a border point of the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin (Joshua 16:2 ). They may have been a clan of Benjamin, or more likely remnants of the ancient “Canaanite” inhabitants. Their only representative in the Bible was David's Counselor Hushai. Ataroth - Holman Bible Dictionary Place name meaning, “crowns.” Village on border of Benjamin and Ephraim (Joshua 16:2 ,Joshua 16:2,16:7 ) It may be modern Khirbet el-Oga in the Jordan Valley. ALSO REFERRED TO A. Town desired and built up by tribe of Gad (Numbers 32:3 ,Numbers 32:3,32:34 ). Mesha, king of Moab, about 830 B.C. claims he captured Ataroth but admits it belonged to Gad “from of old” and had been built by an Israelite king. It is located at modern Khirbet Attarus, eight miles northwest of Dibon and eight miles east of the Dead Sea. Joshua 16:3 It went down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of lower Beth-horon even to Gezer, and it ended at the sea. Bethhoron: Jos 18:13 1Ki 9:15-17 1Ch 7:24,28 2Ch 8:5 the sea: Nu 34:6 Joshua 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Map to help visualize descriptions of boundaries FROM THE JORDAN IN THE EAST THEN WEST TOWARD MEDITERRANEAN It went down (descended) westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of lower Beth-horon (see map above) even to Gezer (see map above - Gezer is further west from Beth-horon), and it ended at the sea (the Mediterranean Sea) - The border went toward the west through the territory of the Japhletites not much of which is known otherwise. This description says ended at the sea (the Mediterranean Sea) but the map above does not show this terminus, but has it ending at the border with Dan. Grant - Two further landmarks are provided to identify the route that the southern boundary took: Beth-horon and Gezer. Both places have featured in the narrative prior to his point. Beth-horon was the place to which the Amorite kings fled when Joshua defeated them at Gibeon (10:10–11). The king of Gezer came to assist Lachish in their battle with Joshua and was defeated. His city is thought to have been approximately 15 miles (24 kilometres) from the sea. From Gezer the boundary went to the sea, with Keil & Delitszch assuming that it went “toward the northwest … to the north of Japho, which was assigned to the Danites, according to Joshua 19:46”. Japhleti - Holman Bible Dictionary Place name according to KJV but name of tribal group—Japhletites—according to modern translations (Joshua 16:3 ). The clan's territory lay on border between Ephraim and Benjamin, though the clan apparently belonged to Asher. Beth-Horon - Holman Bible Dictionary Place name of uncertain meaning. Suggestions include, “house of caves,” “house of anger,” “house of the hollow,” “house of (the god) Hauron.” Twin cities, one higher than the other, and so called Upper and Lower Beth Horon. An important road here dominates the path to the Shephelah, the plain between the Judean hills and the Mediterranean coast. Joshua used the road to chase the coalition of southern kings led by the king of Jerusalem (Joshua 10:10 ). Here God cast hail stones on the enemies. The border between the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin was at Beth-horon (Joshua 16:3 ,Joshua 16:3,16:5; Joshua 18:13-14 ). The city belonged to Ephraim but was set aside for the Levites (Joshua 21:22 ). The Philistines sent one unit of their army the way of Beth-horon to attack Saul and Jonathan (1 Samuel 13:18 ). Solomon rebuilt the lower city as a stone city and as a defense outpost (1 Kings 9:17 ). The chronicler preserved an even earlier tradition of a descendant of Ephraim, a woman named Sherah, building the two cities (1 Chronicles 7:22-24 ). When King Amaziah of Judah (796-767 B.C.) followed a prophet's advice and sent home mercenary soldiers he had hired from Israel, those soldiers fought the cities of Judah, including Beth-horon (2 Chronicles 25:13 ). Upper Beth Horon is modern beit Ur el-Foqa, five miles northwest of Gibeon and ten miles northwest of Jerusalem. It Isaiah 1750 feet above sea level. Lower Beth Horon is two miles to the east and only 1050 feet above sea level. It is modern beit Ur et-Tahta. Gezer - Holman Bible Dictionary Place name meaning, “isolated area.” Major Canaanite city nineteen miles northwest of Jerusalem at tell Gezer on the edge of the foothills of Judah near the Shephelah, seven miles southeast of Ramleh. It provides a military post for the highway junction of the Via Maris and the road leading to the valley of Ajalon to Jerusalem, Jericho, and over the Jordan. A site of 30 acres, it was one of the largest and most important cities in Palestine from 1800 B.C. onwards, though occupation reaches back to 3500 B.C. Archaeologists have found important inscriptions here such as the Gezer calendar, one of, if not the, earliest (before 900 B.C.) examples of Hebrew writing known. Even earlier is an inscribed piece of broken pottery in the “Proto-Sinaitic” script. The largest stone structure in Palestine, a fifty-foot wide wall from about 1600 B.C. was found here. A high place or sanctuary with ten stone stele or masseboth demonstrates Canaanite worship practices about 1600 B.C. Some of these tower over nine feet high. Egyptian sources mention Gezer about 1410 B.C., as do the Amarna letters of 100 years later. Three different kings of Gezer wrote the Egyptian pharaoh. Merneptah's stele from about 1200 B.C. claims the pharaoh captured Gezer. Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria pictured the capture of Gezer about 734 B.C. in his palace at Nimrud. Joshua defeated the king of Gezer when he tried to aid the king of Lachish (Joshua 10:33 ). Gezer formed the boundary for Ephraim's tribal allotment (Joshua 16:3 ), but Israel did not control the city (Joshua 16:10; Judges 1:29 ). Still, it was assigned as a city for the Levites (Joshua 21:21 ). David finally wrested control of it from the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:25; 1 Chronicles 20:4 ). A few years later, Egypt's pharaoh captured the city from the Canaanites and gave it to Solomon as a wedding gift for Solomon's marriage with the pharaoh's daughter. Solomon rebuilt its walls (1 Kings 9:15-17 ). Between the Testaments, Gezer became known as Gazara. The Seleucid general Bacchides fortified it (1 Maccabees 9:52 ). In 142 B.C. the Jewish leader Simon Maccabeus captured Gazara and built himself a home there. Then John Hyrcanus, his son, assumed command of the Jewish army and established his headquarters there (1 Maccabees 13:43-53 ). Gezer thus is a peripheral city in the Bible whose magnificent history had begun to recede a century before Joshua entered Palestine. Still, it marked an important military outpost for Philistines, Egyptians, Israelites, and Assyrians trying to control the important trade and military routes. Joshua 16:4 The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. Joshua 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Map to help visualize descriptions of boundaries of Ephraim SUMMATION OF INHERITANCE OF SONS OF JOSEPH Suggestion - Although I have made some attempt (using dictionary descriptions and some commentary notes) to sort out these specific boundary names in Joshua 16:5-9, I would advise not getting too bogged down with the names because many of the locations simply are still not known. Don't miss the forest for the trees! Verses 5-9 show God's attention to details regarding His promised blessing. The tribe of Ephraim understood the boundaries of their blessing for they knew these locations even if we do not today. Ephraim understood what God had blessed them with and did not have to guess. God is a God of order, not confusion. The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance - This verse ends the description of the one lot given as Joseph's inheritance. In the following sections the borders and cities of Ephraim and Manasseh are described separately. Did you notice the order of Joseph's sons in this verse - first Manasseh (he was literally the firstborn) and then Ephraim (cf same order in Ge 46:20, 48:1). But then Jacob soon to pass on makes he following declaration “Now your (ADDRESSING JOSEPH) two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine (JACOB IN ESSENCE "ADOPTS" THEM); Ephraim and Manasseh (NOTE JACOB MENTIONS EPHRAIM BEFORE MANASSEH) shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. (Ge 48:5). And then when Jacob bestows a prophecy and a blessing on Joseph's two sons he does something unexpected: Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right (THIS WOULD BE THE HAND FOR BLESSING THE FIRSTBORN), and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day. 16 The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” 17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. (Ge 48:13-20) So now Joshua follows the same order as Jacob and first blesses Ephraim and then Manasseh, in accord with Jacob's prophetic blessing. Grant - Some commentators suggest that the description of the one border separating the territory of Benjamin (SEE MAP ABOVE FOR BENJAMIN JUST TO SOUTH OF EPHRAIM) and Judah from that of Manasseh and Ephraim and the other more northerly tribes, was an indication that there was a north-south divide (ED: HE IS ALLUDING TO THE "POLITICAL DIVISION" THAT WOULD OCCUR IN SOLOMON'S REIGN), even at the earliest period of the occupation of Canaan. This is reinforced by the absence of a description of Joseph’s northern boundary, underlining the separation of Judah and Benjamin from the other ten tribes (ED: WHEN SOLOMON'S KINGDOM WAS DIVIDED, IN 1 Kings 11:11, 31, TEN TRIBES WENT NORTH AND ONLY TWO STAYED SOUTH - JUDAH AND BENJAMIN, WHICH WAS THE HOME OF JERUSALEM AND SOLOMON'S TEMPLE). The tribe of Dan did receive land which lay between Joseph and Judah (Joshua 19:40–46), yet, as shall be commented upon later, they migrated under pressure from the Amorites (Jdg 1:34) and settled on the northern borders of Naphtali and eastern Manasseh, at the northern extremity of Canaan (ED: SEE DAN'S FINAL TERRITORY IN THE FAR NORTH IN THIS MAP). Gotquestions.org has a helpful note on the tribe of Dan which explains why the map above shows Ephraim's western border ending at Dan's territory. As the Israelites came into the land of Canaan, by lot certain areas of territory were assigned to each tribe. The tribe of Dan was given a tract of land that was smaller than the other land grants but was fertile and also had a boundary along the Mediterranean Sea where there was fishing and commerce available to them. (ED: THIS WOULD CORRESPOND TO THE TERRITORY IN DARK GREEN ON THE MAP ABOVE) However, the tribe of Dan never fully conquered this area as a result of a lack of faith in God. This was true of the other tribes as well, as the early chapters of the book of Judges clearly teach, and led to a time during the period of Judges where it was said, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Jdg 18:1–31+ tells the story of the people of Dan falling into idolatry. They also did not like the territory that was theirs (ED: DON'T MISS THIS NOTE - THEY WERE NOT CONTENT WITH WHAT GOD HAD GIVEN THEM - EVER BEEN THERE, DONE THAT? JUST ASKING!), so they sent out spies to find a better area. In the north, some representatives of Dan learned of an area where a peaceful group of people lived. The tribe of Dan took things into their own hands and wiped out the people of that land so they could then move the entire tribe up to a region close to the sources of the Jordan River, just south of present-day Lebanon. There they established their main city and called it Dan. (ED: SEE THIS MAP FOR THEIR SMALL PARCEL OF LAND IN FAR NORTH NEXT TO MOUNT HERMON). Donald Campbell - Located immediately north of the territory to be assigned to Dan and Benjamin, the allotment of Ephraim stretched from the Jordan to the Mediterranean and included the sites of some of Joshua’s battles as well as Shiloh where the tabernacle would remain for about 300 years. To encourage unity some of Ephraim’s towns were located in the territory of Manasseh (v. 9). (The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament) F B
Josué 16
Utley - Taanath-shiloh” (see map above) This is not the site of the tabernacle in Samuel’s day, but another city (so say Eusebius and Jerome). Michmethah - Smith's Bible Dictionary A place which formed one of the landmarks, of the boundary of the territories, of Ephraim and Manasseh, on the western side of Jordan. Joshua 17:7. The position of the place must be somewhere, on the east of , and not far distant from, Shechem. Fausset's Dictionary adds "A landmark between Ephraim and Manasseh W. of Jordan, on the E. of and facing Shechem (Joshua 17:7); but Joshua 16:6 says Ephraim's border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the N. side; Grove supposes a gap between Joshua 16:5 and Joshua 16:6." Taanath-shiloh - Smith's Bible Dictionary (approach to Shiloh). A place named once only - Joshua 16:6 - as one of the landmarks of the boundary of Ephraim. Perhaps, Taanath was the ancient Canaanite name of the place, and Shiloh was the Hebrew name. Janoah - Holman Bible Dictionary Place name meaning, “he rests.” 1. Town in tribal territory of Ephraim (Joshua 16:6-7 ). It is probably modern khirbet Janun about seven miles south of Nablus. KJV transliterates the Hebrew ah meaning “towards” and so spells Janohah here. 2. City in northern Israel that Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria (744-727 B.C.), captured from Pekah, king of Israel (752-732 B.C.), about 733 B.C. Its location is uncertain, suggestions including khirbet Janun; Janua, six miles south of Megiddo, and Janoah, nine miles east of Acco. Recently, interpreters have sought to establish a military pattern in the report and locate Janoah at khirbet Niha just south of Kefar Giladi on the road south from Abel-beth-Maacah. Joshua 16:7 It went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, then reached Jericho and came out at the Jordan. Ataroth: 1Ch 7:28 Jericho: Jos 3:16 6:1,26 Nu 33:48 Joshua 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries It went down from Janoah (see map above) to Ataroth Tappuah (not on the map above) and to Naarah (see map above on eastern side of Ephraim's border), then reached Jericho (see map above) and came out at the Jordan - This continues (Josh 16:6 begins the description) the description of the northern border. NLT = "From Janoah it turned southward to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan River. " ICB = "Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah. It continued until it touched Jericho and stopped at the Jordan River." Janoah is apparently at the NE border of Ephraim and thus is very near or even in the Jordan valley. Keil and Delitzsch - From Janoah the boundary went down “to Ataroth and Naarath,” Ataroth, a different place from the Ataroth or Atroth-addar mentioned in vv. 3 and 5 (KITTO'S NOTE = Ataroth, on the borders of Ephraim Joshua 16:2; Joshua 16:7, which some identify with, and others distinguish from, the Ataroth-Addar of the same tribe mentioned in Joshua 16:5; Joshua 18:13), is apparently to be sought for on the eastern slope of the mountains by the side of the Ghor, judging from the expression “went down;” but it has not yet been discovered. Naarath, probably the same as Naaran, in eastern Ephraim (1 Chron. 7:28), is described in the Onom. (s. v. Naaratha) as viculus Judaeorum Naorath, five Roman miles (i.e., two hours) from Jericho, probably on the north-east. The boundary line then touched Jericho, i.e., the district of Jericho, namely on the north side of the district, as Jericho was allotted to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. 18:21). At this point it also coincided with the southern boundary of the tribe of Joseph (v. 1) and the northern boundary of Benjamin (Josh. 18:12). Naarah - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia A town in the territory of Ephraim Joshua 16:7 . It appears as "Naaran" in 1 Chronicles 7:28 (Codex Vaticanus Νααρνάν , Naarnán ; Codex Alexandrinus Νααράν , Naarán ). Eusebius, Onomasticon (s.v. "Noorath") places it 5 Roman miles from Jericho. The name has not been recovered, and no identification is certain. The position would agree with that of el - ‛Aujeh , about 5 miles Northeast of Jericho. Joshua 16:8 From Tappuah the border continued westward to the brook of Kanah, and it ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim according to their families, Tappuah: Jos 12:17 17:8 brook of Kanah: Jos 17:9 19:28 the sea: Jos 16:3-6 Nu 34:6 Joshua 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries From Tappuah (see map above) the border continued westward to the brook of Kanah (see map above where it is designated "Kanah Ravine" - Wikipedia), and it ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim according to their families Tappuah - Jewish Encyclopedia City in Ephraim, marking the western boundary of the tribe (Joshua 16:8). Kanah - Easton's Bible Dictionary A stream forming the boundary between Ephraim and Manasseh, from the Mediterranean eastward to Tappuah (see map above) (Joshua 16:8 ). It has been identified with the sedgy streams that constitute the Wady Talaik, which enters the sea between Joppa and Caesarea. Joshua 16:9 together with the cities which were set apart for the sons of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. Joshua 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Joshua 17:9 (MANASSEH'S BORDER) The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook (these cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh), and the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook and it ended at the sea. CITIES IN MANASSEH PART OF EPHRAIM'S INHERITANCE Together with the cities which were set apart for the sons of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages - NLT - "In addition, some towns with their surrounding villages in the territory allocated to the half-tribe of Manasseh were set aside for the tribe of Ephraim." This text teaches that some of the cities given to Ephraim were located in the area of the inheritance given to Manasseh. This might be designed to maintain tribal unity between these two groups, but that is conjecture. Grant says that "There is no explanation provided for Ephraim gaining cities that lay beyond their borders, although it is worth pointing out that Manasseh was also granted cities that were not within its boundaries (Joshua 17:11)." Keil - The tribe of Ephraim also received some scattered towns in the territory of the tribe of Manasseh, in fact all those towns to which Tappuah belonged, according to Josh. 17:8, with the dependent villages. In summary, from the map above note that Ephraim was bounded on the WEST by the tribe of Dan (at least at the beginning, until Dan opted to move north as discussed above), on the SOUTH by Benjamin and a portion of Dan, on the EAST by the Jordan, and in the NORTH by the half tribe of Manasseh. The inheritance itself was 38 miles east and west and 20 miles north and south. This is the inheritance of Ephraim. Joshua 16:10 But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, and they became forced laborers. did not drive Jos 15:63 Jdg 1:29 1Ki 9:16,21 the Canaanites: Nu 33:52-55 De 7:1-2 Joshua 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Joshua 15:63+ Now as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day. Judges 1:28-30, 33, 35 + It came about when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely. 29 Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer; so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them. 30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and became subject to forced labor. (1:33) Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became forced labor for them...(1:35) yet the Amorites persisted in living in Mount Heres, in Aijalon and in Shaalbim; but when the power of the house of Joseph grew strong, they became forced labor. 1 Kings 9:16, 21 For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire, and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. (1Ki 9:21) their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel were unable to destroy utterly, from them Solomon levied forced laborers, even to this day. EPHRAIMITES' CANAANITE CONSCRIPTION COMPROMISE Conscription means compulsory enlistment for state service, typically into the armed forces. But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, and they became forced laborers - The Ephraimites failed to drive out the inhabitants of Gezer as shown on the map at the top of this page. This "sowing" of compromise with the wicked and abominably sinful Canaanites leads to a "reaping" (Gal 6:7-8+) with much grief and many struggles recorded in the sad book of Judges. (See THOUGHT on "COULD NOT" and "WOULD NOT") Compromise with evil never pays. In the end, disobedience to God will cost you Disobedience to God's clear commands ALWAYS has consequences (almost always negative ones) beloved! This is a clear breach of the covenant stipulations clearly stated by Yahweh... Deuteronomy 7:1-5+ “When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, 2 and when the LORD your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. 3 “Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. 4 “For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. 5 “But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire. Madvig comments on the cost of compromise writing "The commands of God allowed them to subject the people from cities outside Palestine to forced labor, but the population of the cities inside the Promised Land—men, women, and children—were to be put to death without pity and without exception (Dt 20:10–18). As a result of this failure, the Israelites were corrupted by intermarrying with these pagans and engaging in their perverse and idolatrous worship (Jdg 2:1–3; 3:5–6; 10:6). We cannot be sure of the exact time reference of the phrase “to this day,” but it seems that Gezer was not subjected to Israel until the time of Solomon (1 Kings 9:15–17). (The Expositor's Bible Commentary Volume 3) Utley - This verse is meant to express the disobedience of these large tribes (cf. Nu 33:55; Jdgs. 1:27, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34). This was the common experience of all the tribes (cf. Joshua 17:13). R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament, makes a good point about this verse. “If scholars had differentiated a little more closely in the past between occupation and subjugation(see below) ,the picture of conquest as represented in Joshua would have emerged in far clearer focus than it did, and as a result there would have been no need to regard the initial narratives of Judges as historical at the expense of their counterparts in Joshua” (ED: WHILE I AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT, THE FACT IS THAT GOD DID NOT SAY OCCUPY OR SUBJUGATE BUT UTTERLY DESTROY - THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO ASSURE THE PAGANS WOULD NOT DEFILE THE HOLINESS OF ISRAEL!). Occupation - the action, state, or period of occupying or being occupied by military force. Subjugation - the action of bringing someone or something under domination or control. Campbell adds this insightful comment - But the men of Ephraim, like those of Judah, did not completely drive out the Canaanites from their region. Motivated by a materialistic attitude, they chose to put the Canaanites in Gezer under tribute to gain additional wealth. That proved to be a fatal mistake for in later centuries, in the time of the Judges, the arrangement was reversed as the Canaanites rose up and enslaved the Israelites. In addition to the historical lesson there is a spiritual principle here. It is all too easy for a believer to tolerate and excuse some pet sin only to wake up some day to the grim realization that it has risen up to possess and drive him to spiritual defeat. It pays to deal with sin decisively and harshly. (ED: AND THE BIBLE DOES NOT JUST SUGGEST DOING SO BUT COMMANDS IT!!! - cf COMMAND IN Col 3:5NLT+). (The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament)