Judges 2:23 (DBY)

Passage

Therefore Jehovah left those nations, without dispossessing them hastily, neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Nearby Context

Judges 2:21 I also will not henceforth dispossess from before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died;

Judges 2:22 that through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Jehovah to walk therein, as their fathers did keep [it], or not.

Judges 2:23 Therefore Jehovah left those nations, without dispossessing them hastily, neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "jehovah", "left", "nations", "without", "dispossessing", "hastily", and "neither". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "jehovah", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "that through them I may prove Israel...", giving immediate footing for "therefore" and "jehovah". In Judges context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "jehovah" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.