Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
The tribe of Ephraim also failed to drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; instead, the Canaanites continued to live there among them.
The writer is recording how the tribe of Ephraim didn't completely obey God's command to remove the Canaanites from their territory, allowing them to stay and live alongside the Israelites.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes from the period after Joshua's death when the individual tribes of Israel were supposed to finish conquering their assigned territories. God had commanded the Israelites to drive out all the Canaanite peoples to prevent them from leading Israel into idolatry and compromise. Gezer was an important Canaanite city in Ephraim's territory that remained unconquered for many years.
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