Joshua 15:63 · Bible study
Joshua 15:63 Commentary: Unfinished Obedience
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, a study in failure, faith, and the persistence of God's purposes until David's conquest.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Judah could not fully expel the Jebusites from Jerusalem; their failure exposed unbelief and prevented complete possession of the land.
- Key words: ‘could not’ (יָכְלוּ, from יָכֹל), connotes moral and physical inability, not God's limitation; ‘dispossess’ (לְהוֹרִישָׁם, Hiphil infinitive of יָרַשׁ), active, commanded expulsion.
- Main debate: Was the failure due to cowardice/unbelief (majority view) or to a supposed covenant obligation that protected Jebusites (Jewish tradition)?
- Theological theme: Partial obedience is disobedience; God's promises require active faith, not passive inheritance.
- Best use: A sobering mirror for examining areas where we settle for less than God's full design, and a call to trust that He who began a good work will finish it.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
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.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But the children of Juda could not destroy the Jebusite that dwelt in Jerusalem: and the Jebusite dwelt with the children of Juda in Jerusalem until this present day.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas á los Jebuseos que habitaban en Jerusalem, los hijos de Judá no los pudieron desarraigar; antes quedó el Jebuseo en Jerusalem con los hijos de Judá, hasta hoy.
Mas aos jebuseus que habitavam em Jerusalém, os filhos de Judá não os puderam desarraigar; antes restaram os jebuseus em Jerusalém com os filhos de Judá, até hoje.
Les fils de Juda ne purent pas chasser les Jébusiens qui habitaient à Jérusalem, et les Jébusiens ont habité avec les fils de Juda à Jérusalem jusqu’ à ce jour.
Die Jebusiter aber wohnten zu Jerusalem, und die Kinder Juda konnten sie nicht vertreiben; also blieben die Jebusiter mit den Kindern Juda zu Jerusalem bis auf diesen Tag.
Maar de kinderen van Juda konden de Jebusieten, inwoners van Jeruzalem, niet verdrijven; alzo woonden de Jebusieten bij de kinderen van Juda te Jeruzalem, tot dezen dag toe.
Quanto ai Gebusei che abitavano in Gerusalemme, i figliuoli di Giuda non li poteron cacciare; e i Gebusei hanno abitato coi figliuoli di Giuda in Gerusalemme fino al dì d’oggi.
Ale Jebuzejczyka, obywatela Jeruzalemskiego, nie mogli synowie Judowi wypędzić; przetoż mieszkał Jebuzejczyk z syny Juda w Jeruzalemie aż do dnia tego.
Но Иевусеев, жителей Иерусалима, не могли изгнать сыны Иудины, и потому Иевусеи живут с сынами Иуды в Иерусалиме даже до сего дня.
至於 住 耶路撒冷 的耶布斯人，猶大 人 不 能 把他們趕出去，耶布斯人 卻在耶路撒冷 與 猶大 人 同住，直到 今 日。
And as for the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, the children of Judah were unable to make them go out; but the Jebusites are living with the children of Judah at Jerusalem, to this day.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joshua 15:63
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators from every tradition agree on the central point: Judah's failure to expel the Jebusites was not because God could not deliver but because the tribe would not press forward in faith. Calvin calls it 'their own sluggishness', a 'love of ease' that neglected God's command. Wesley puts it bluntly: 'could not drive them out, namely, because of their unbelief, as Christ could do no mighty work, because of the people's unbelief.' Gill and the Geneva Bible underline that the Jebusites were indeed Canaanites (not a people exempted by earlier covenant), so the failure is wholly Israel's. A minor Jewish tradition, noted by Gill and Calvin, claims the Jebusites were descendants of Abimelech and protected by Abraham's oath, but both reformers dismiss this as a ‘fable’ designed to excuse cowardice. The consensus stands: the problem was not God's power but Israel's will.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Failure due to covenant obligation: Jewish tradition (cited by Gill and Calvin) argues that the Jebusites descended from Abimelech, making them protected by Abraham's covenant; therefore expulsion was not permitted. This view relies on an inference from Genesis 21:22–34 and 26:26–31.
- Failure due to unbelief and negligence: The majority of commentators (Calvin, Wesley, Matthew Henry, Clarke) see the inability as self-inflicted—Judah lacked faith and effort. They point to the command to drive out all inhabitants and the pattern of incomplete conquest elsewhere.
- Delayed divine purpose: Some read the Jebusites' endurance as part of God's plan to test Israel (Judges 3:1–4) and to set the stage for David's conquest, which foreshadows Christ's victory over sin. This view draws on the wider canonical narrative.
What is clear: The children of Judah did not drive out the Jebusites, and the Jebusites continued to live in Jerusalem alongside them until at least the time this text was written, before David's conquest.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Cause of failure to dispossess the Jebusites | Judah did not fully drive them out, and this was a failure. | Most commentators (Calvin, Wesley, Matthew Henry) attribute it to unbelief, sloth, or cowardice. A minority Jewish tradition claims the Jebusites were protected by Abraham's covenant with Abimelech, making expulsion inappropriate. |
| Dating of the verse's composition | The phrase 'to this day' indicates the Jebusites were still present when this was written. | Some scholars (Clarke, Matthew Henry) argue this proves the book was written before David's conquest (2 Sam 5). Others allow for an editorial note added later, but all agree it reflects pre-Davidic conditions. |
| Tribal ownership of Jerusalem | Jerusalem lay on the border between Judah and Benjamin. | Joshua 15:63 attributes the city to Judah; Joshua 18:28 lists it among Benjamin's cities. Wesley and Clarke suggest the lower city belonged to Judah, the citadel (Zion) to Benjamin, or that the tribes shared it. No consensus exists on exact boundary lines. |
| Theological meaning of the incomplete conquest | It shows Israel's disobedience had consequences. | Some emphasize human responsibility and the need for vigorous faith (Calvin). Others focus on God's sovereign timeline, He used the Jebusites to test Israel (Judg 3:1, 4) and eventually gave victory through David, pointing to Christ. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jerusalem in Joshua's day was a Jebusite stronghold, perched on the border between Judah and Benjamin. The Jebusites were a Canaanite people listed among the seven nations Israel was commanded to destroy (Deut 7:1, 2). The city itself consisted of two parts: the lower city and the fortified upper city, Mount Zion, which the Jebusites held tenaciously. Although Joshua had defeated the king of Jerusalem (Josh 10:1, 27) and the men of Judah later burned the city (Judg 1:8), they never fully secured the citadel.
This verse belongs to a recurring pattern in Joshua and Judges: the incomplete conquest. Tribe after tribe failed to fully dispossess the inhabitants, and those inhabitants became 'barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides' (Num 33:55). The phrase 'to this day' marks a time before David's conquest of Zion (2 Sam 5:6, 9), showing the book was written, or at least this note added, before Israel's monarchy. The half-obedience recorded here would leave a stubborn enclave inside the Promised Land for centuries, a living reminder that partial faithfulness bears bitter fruit.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Joshua 15:63. The verse appears identically across the Masoretic Text and all major manuscript traditions. The only interpretive nuance comes from the verb forms: the Qal perfect יָכְלוּ ('were able') combined with the negative לֹא creates a strong statement of inability, while the Qal waw-consecutive וַיֵּשֶׁב ('and he dwelt') marks the Jebusites' continued residence as a settled fact. No variant reading alters the sense of the passage.
Reception History
This verse has served as a cautionary text throughout church history. Early Christian writers, such as Origen, allegorized the Jebusites as the carnal passions and worldly desires that remain in the soul even after the initial conquest of grace. Augustine, in his City of God, noted that Jerusalem's mixed population symbolized the dual citizenship of the believer in the earthly and heavenly cities. Medieval commentators often used the verse to teach about the dangers of laxity in spiritual warfare. During the Reformation, Calvin and Luther both stressed that the failure here lies squarely on human shoulders, not on God's promises, a warning against resting in initial conversion without pressing on toward holiness. In modern evangelical preaching, the Jebusites often represent stubborn sins that believers tolerate, and David's eventual victory becomes a type of Christ's final triumph over every stronghold. Across traditions, the verse has been read as a sober call to thorough obedience.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God commands total obedience, His promise to give the land included the condition that Israel drive out the inhabitants. Partial obedience is still disobedience.
- Failure often starts with weariness, Judah had fought hard; the edge of their zeal dulled. As Calvin noted, a 'long period of effeminate ease' rejected the blessing God was ready to give.
- Unfinished business lives on, The Jebusites remained for generations, a thorn that finally required David's sword. Our small compromises today can become tomorrow's entrenched strongholds.
Five-point outline
- The Jebusites represent a specific, identifiable enemy that God had marked for removal.
- ‘Could not’ reveals moral inability more than military failure, unbelief and laziness.
- The verse forces us to ask: what 'Jebusites' have we stopped trying to drive out in our own lives or churches?
- God's timetable is not defeated by our slowness, the Jebusites eventually fell to David, a type of Christ the warrior-king.
- Scripture does not whitewash Israel's failures. The honest record itself is part of the truth that sets us free.
Illustration hooks
- A family that moves into a new home but leaves a single room sealed off, never cleaned, never opened. The rest is clean, but that one room rots and stinks. That is what Judah did with Jerusalem's citadel.
- A student who completes every assignment except the single project that requires long, tedious work. The grade is good, but not what it could have been.
- An old wound or grudge we know we should forgive, but we 'drive by' it year after year, telling ourselves it's too hard. That grudge becomes the Jebusite in the heart.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would an all-powerful God allow his people to fail like this?
- If I struggle with a recurring sin for years, does that mean I'm not really saved?
- How do I know the difference between a battle God wants me to fight now and one He'll fight later, versus one I'm just avoiding?
Leading a Discussion
This verse isn't about Jerusalem's history alone. It's about the gap between what God commands and what we actually do. As you read, notice that the text does not excuse Judah or soften the failure. It simply records it. In a quiet way, this honesty invites us to confront our own unfinished obedience. Let the hard truth sit with you before you try to 'solve' it.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about Judah from the way this verse is phrased? (Focus on 'could not' vs. 'would not'.)
- Read Judges 1:8 and 2 Samuel 5:6, 9. How does the story of Jerusalem unfold across these passages? What does the delay teach us about God's long purposes?
- The Jewish tradition mentioned by Gill claimed the Jebusites were protected by Abraham's treaty with Abimelech (Gen 21:22, 34). Why do you think people sometimes invent justifications for disobedience? Have you ever told yourself 'that sin is just too deep to root out'?
- Calvin said the real obstacle was 'love of ease.' In what areas of life are you most tempted to rest when God calls you to press on?
- This verse ends with 'to this day', a phrase that marks an incomplete conquest. Is there any area of your walk with Christ that you have left 'to this day' unaddressed? What first step could you take?
- How does the ultimate victory of David (a type of Christ) over Zion give hope for our own unfinished battles?
- What would it look like for your small group to 'drive out the Jebusites' together, calling one another to full, not partial, obedience?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Judges 1:8 | The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, took it, struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. |
| Judges 1:21 | The children of Benjamin didn’t drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. |
| II Samuel 5:6 | The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “The blind and the lame will keep you out of here,” thinking, “David can’t come in here.” |
| II Samuel 5:9 | David lived in the stronghold, and called it David’s city. David built around from Millo and inward. |
| I Chronicles 11:4 | David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (also called Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. |
| I Chronicles 11:8 | He built the city all around, from Millo even around; and Joab repaired the rest of the city. |
| Romans 7:14 | For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. |
| Romans 7:21 | I find then the law that, while I desire to do good, evil is present. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that this verse proves the book of Joshua was written before the time of David, since it states the Jebusites still lived in Jerusalem, which they did not after David captured the city. He also notes that many apparent repetitions of city names come from frontier towns belonging to more than one tribe.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists the Israelites' failure to drive out the Jebusites was entirely their own fault, not God's. They grew comfortable and neglected God's command, treating his promised blessing with indifference. He warns against using delay as an excuse for disobedience, urging vigorous action rather than idle rest.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator observes that Judah and Benjamin captured and burned Jerusalem's Lower City but abandoned efforts to take the Upper City, which the Jebusites held. The phrase "unto this day" shows the Book of Joshua was written before David's reign, when the Jebusites were still in control.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note observes that Judah's failure to drive the Jebusites from Jerusalem meant that the original inhabitants continued living alongside God's people. This incomplete conquest is noted matter-of-factly, with the Jebusites still present in Jerusalem at the time of writing.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill rejects the rabbinic claim that the Jebusites were Philistine descendants of Abimelech, insisting they were Canaanites. He argues that Judah could not drive them out not because of an oath, but because the fortress of Zion remained unconquered or later retaken, and the Jebusites held it until David's day.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats this long catalogue of Judah's boundaries and cities as a document of great value for reconstructing the
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
The Lot of Judah. ( b. c. 1444.) 20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains that the Israelites failed to drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem not because of military weakness but because of their own unbelief, sloth, and cowardice, which forfeited God's help. He notes that parts of Jerusalem remained in Jebusite hands until David's time, requiring multiple conquests.