Joshua 15:63 Meaning: Why the Jebusites Stayed
As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah couldn’t drive them out; but the Jebusites live with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.
And as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.
As to the Jebusites, inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah have not been able to dispossess them, and the Jebusite dwelleth with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem unto this day.
But as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not dispossess them; and the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
Meaning in one sentence
Learn why the tribe of Judah could not remove the Jebusites from Jerusalem and what this incomplete conquest reveals about obedience to God.
Context
Joshua 15 lists the boundaries and cities given to the tribe of Judah. After detailing towns that were taken, verse 63 adds an honest report: the Jebusites still lived in Jerusalem. They shared the city with Judah’s descendants. This verse comes at the end of Judah’s allotment, serving as a quiet reminder that the conquest was not complete. It foreshadows the pattern of partial obedience that will fill the book of Judges. The phrase “to this day” suggests this was written before David’s reign, when Jerusalem finally fell to Israel. The land was promised, but the people did not fully take it.
Key Words
Two Hebrew verbs carry the weight here. The word translated “could not” comes from yakhole, which means to be able or to prevail. It describes a lack of power, but not because God had withheld it. God had promised the land. The real obstacle was inside Judah. The second key verb is yarash, to dispossess or take possession. God had commanded Israel to drive out the Canaanites, not to live alongside them. Then we see the third verb, yashav, “dwell.” The Jebusites sat down and stayed. They did not flee; they settled among God’s people. The phrase “to this day” uses yom (day) and zeh (this), anchoring the failure in time. When we read this, we see a failure of will and faith more than a failure of strength.
How Christians Read This Verse
Reformed commentators like Calvin and Wesley see this verse as a clear indictment of Judah’s faithlessness. They argue that God had given them the victory; their inability was really unwillingness. Jewish expositors, according to Gill, sometimes offered a different explanation: that the Jebusites were descendants of Abimelech, with whom Abraham had made a covenant, so Israel could not lawfully expel them. Clarke notes the historical difficulties, pointing out that the Jebusites likely held only the stronghold of Zion, and that the verse helps date the book before David’s conquest. Christians across traditions agree that this incompleteness mattered, but they differ on why.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume that “could not” means the Jebusites were simply too strong for Judah to defeat. In fact, the surrounding context and later commentary consistently point to spiritual failure, lack of faith, courage, and obedience. God had promised to drive out the nations. The problem was not God’s power but Judah’s willingness. The verse does not excuse them; it records their failure to trust and act.
Living This Out
This verse asks us to consider the “Jebusites” in our own lives. Not literal enemies, but areas where we have accepted less than what God commands. A habit we know He wants us to leave. A relationship we have not set right. A step of obedience we have put off. The gentle question here is not “Why didn’t you?” but “What is still sitting in your Jerusalem that needs to go?” The verse invites us to identify one area of incomplete obedience and bring it to God, asking for the courage to finish what He started.
Main takeaway: When God commands us to remove something, our failure to act in faith leaves an unresolved problem that persists.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told the people of Judah to remove the Jebusites from Jerusalem. But they didn’t do it. So the Jebusites stayed and lived with them. Sometimes we don’t do what God says, and that causes problems later.
For ages 9, 12
When the tribe of Judah got their land, there was one city they couldn’t take completely: Jerusalem. The Jebusites still lived there. The Bible says Judah “could not” drive them out. But God had promised to help them. The real reason was that they didn’t trust God enough. Maybe you have something in your life that you know God wants you to change, but you keep putting it off. This verse says: don’t leave it there. Ask God to help you deal with it.
Questions People Ask
Why does Joshua 15:63 say Judah 'could not' drive out the Jebusites?
The Hebrew word yakhole can mean they lacked ability, but the broader context and many commentators suggest the problem was spiritual. They failed to trust God's promise and did not exert the effort to complete the conquest. In Judges 1, we see similar language, and the book makes clear that disobedience was the root cause.
Who were the Jebusites?
The Jebusites were a Canaanite people descended from Canaan, the son of Ham. They lived in the hill country around Jerusalem, which was originally called Jebus. Jerusalem itself was a Jebusite stronghold until David captured it (2 Samuel 5).
Did the Jebusites eventually leave Jerusalem?
Yes, eventually. David captured the stronghold of Zion and made it his city (2 Samuel 5:6-9). However, some Jebusites may have remained, as Araunah the Jebusite sold David the threshing floor where the temple was built (2 Samuel 24).
How does this verse relate to God's command to drive out the Canaanites?
God had commanded Israel to completely dispossess the Canaanite nations and not make covenants with them (Deuteronomy 7). Joshua 15:63 records a clear failure to obey that command. The incomplete conquest becomes a major theme in Judges, where the remaining nations become snares to Israel.
What spiritual lesson can we learn from Joshua 15:63?
This verse warns against accepting partial obedience. When God commands something, He also provides the strength to do it. Our failure to act in faith leaves unresolved problems that can persist 'to this day' in our lives. It invites us to examine areas where we have stopped short of full obedience.
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