Judges 1:21 Meaning and Explanation
“And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Benjamin fails to drive out the Jebusites of Jerusalem, who continue to dwell there alongside them.
What Does Judges 1:21 Mean?
The account turns to Benjamin, in whose territory part of Jerusalem lay, and records a failure: the Jebusites were not driven out but remained dwelling among the tribe to the time of writing. After the earlier note of Judah's assault on the city, this shows the conquest there left incomplete.
The verse begins a sobering refrain that will sound again and again through the chapter, that this tribe and then another did not drive out the people they were meant to displace. Compromise with what should have been cleared away would later become a snare to Israel. The lesson is plain for any who follow God: unfinished obedience, tolerated rather than completed, tends to settle in and abide, dwelling alongside us unto our own day.
Judges 1:21 in the Original Language
yarash (יָרַשׁ), 'drive out' -- to dispossess and take possession, the act left undone here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 1:21
What does Judges 1:21 mean?
Benjamin fails to drive out the Jebusites of Jerusalem, who continue to dwell there alongside them.