Matthew Henry Commentary Judges 1:21-36

"And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day. And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el; and Jehovah was with them. And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el. (Now the name of the city beforetime was Luz.) And the watchers saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with thee. And he showed them the entrance into the city; and they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man go and all his family. And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz, which is the name thereof unto this day. And Manasseh did not drive out [the inhabitants of] Beth-shean and its towns, nor [of] Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. And it came to pass, when Israel was waxed strong, that they put the Canaanites to taskwork, and did not utterly drive them out. And Ephraim drove not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. Zebulun drove not out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became subject to taskwork. Asher drove not out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob; but the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out. Naphtali drove not out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to taskwork. And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill-country; for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley; but the Amorites would dwell in mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to taskwork. And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward." — Judges 1:21-36 (ASV)

The people of Israel were very neglectful of their duty and their own best interest. Because of slothfulness and cowardice, they would not take the trouble to complete their conquests. It was also because of their covetousness: they were willing to let the Canaanites live among them so that they might profit from them. They did not have the dread and detestation of idolatry that they should have had.

The same unbelief that kept their fathers out of Canaan for forty years now kept them from the full possession of it. Distrust of God's power and promise deprived them of advantages and brought them into troubles. Thus, many a believer who begins well is hindered. His graces languish, his lusts revive, Satan persistently tempts him with suitable temptations, and the world recovers its hold; he brings guilt into his conscience, anguish into his heart, discredit on his character, and reproach on the gospel.

Though he may receive sharp rebukes and be so recovered that he does not perish, yet he will deeply lament his folly through his remaining days, and on his deathbed mourn over the opportunities he has lost to glorify God and serve the church. We can have no fellowship with the enemies of God within us or around us, except to our own hurt; therefore, our only wisdom is to maintain unceasing war against them.