Commentators point out that one of the cities listed, 'Beth-dagon,' means 'house of Dagon,' indicating a place of worship for a Philistine god. This highlights a key challenge for Israel: their inheritance was not a blank slate but a land steeped in paganism. Their mission was to possess the territory and rededicate it to the one true God, reminding believers that we are often called to transform the culture we inhabit.