Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
So the LORD allowed those nations to remain in the land, not driving them out quickly, and he didn't give them over to Joshua to defeat.
God chose to let enemy nations stay in the land rather than having Joshua completely conquer them all at once.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Judges, which follows the conquest led by Joshua, the Israelites were in the process of settling the Promised Land but had failed to completely drive out the surrounding pagan nations as God had instructed. God allowed these nations to remain as a test of the Israelites' loyalty and to train them in warfare, ensuring they would learn to rely on Him rather than their own strength. This verse specifically notes that the Lord did not hastily remove these nations or hand them over to Joshua, reflecting a deliberate part of His ongoing plan for His people.
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