Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.
The tribe of Naphtali didn't drive out the people living in Beth-shemesh or Beth-anath either. Instead, they lived among the Canaanites who were already in the land. However, the people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath eventually became their servants and paid them taxes.
This verse shows that the tribe of Naphtali failed to completely conquer their assigned territory, but they did manage to make some of the local people serve them and pay taxes.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Israel's conquest of the Promised Land after Moses' death, when Joshua was dividing the land among the twelve tribes. God had commanded the Israelites to completely drive out the Canaanite peoples to avoid being influenced by their pagan religions and practices. However, many tribes, including Naphtali, only partially obeyed this command.
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