How Can Coexistence and Conquest Coexist?
In this article, you will learn how Judges 1:33 contradicts Deuteronomy 7:2, Joshua 23:13, Numbers 33:52, Exodus 23:31-33, Deuteronomy 20:16-18, Joshua 11:15, Judges 3:5-6 and Exodus 34:12-16. Find the translations at the bottom of the page..
The story in Judges 1:33 presents a curious scenario where the people of Naphtali chose to live among the original inhabitants of Bethshemesh and Bethanath without enforcing their eviction. This peaceful coexistence and imposition of tributes seem to stand in stark contrast to the stern commands of earlier scriptures that called for a more aggressive approach.
Consider Deuteronomy 7:2 and Numbers 33:52, where the instructions are unequivocal: the nations are to be utterly destroyed, and no treaties or mercy should be extended. Joshua 23:13 further warns of the dire consequences should the Israelites fail to fully drive out the inhabitants. Meanwhile, Exodus 23:31-33 and Deuteronomy 20:16-18 emphasize the need to expel the current residents to prevent their influence and idolatry from diluting the Israelites’ faith.
These commands were not just idle advice but carried significant weight, akin to a parent telling a child not to play with fire. Ignoring such counsel could lead to severe consequences, paralleling the wisdom in Judges 3:5-6 where cohabitation led to intermarriage and idol worship—acts explicitly warned against in Exodus 34:12-16.
However, while Joshua 11:15 speaks of perfect adherence to the divine commands by Joshua, Judges 1:33 details a far more lenient approach, raising questions of obedience and practicality.
This contradiction is reminiscent of trying to follow a strict diet while simultaneously indulging in occasional treats. The goals are clear, but the execution diverges, leading to mixed results. The Israelites' actions in Judges 1:33 prompt reflections on the complexity of adhering to ideal standards when faced with real-world challenges. Why did the people of Naphtali choose coexistence over conquest, and what does this reveal about the broader narrative of faith, obedience, and compromise?
| # | Verse | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Judges 1:33 | 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. |
| 2. | Deuteronomy 7:2 | And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, [and] utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: |
| 3. | Joshua 23:13 | Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out [any of] these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you. |
| 4. | Numbers 33:52 | Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: |
| 5. | Exodus 23:31-33 | And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. |
| 6. | Deuteronomy 20:16-18 | But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee [for] an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: |
| 7. | Joshua 11:15 | As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses. [left...: Heb. removed nothing] |
| 8. | Judges 3:5-6 | And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: |
| 9. | Exodus 34:12-16 | Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: |