Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

And drive them - out - and ye shall possess - The same Hebrew word ירש yarash is used here to signify to expel from an inheritance, and to succeed those thus expelled. Ye shall disinherit them from your sight, and ye shall inherit their land.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And the Lord your God he shall expel them from before you,.... That is, such of them as yet remained among them:

and drive them from out of your sight; the same thing expressed by different words, for the confirmation of it:

and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you; all which is to be understood on condition of their good behaviour towards the Lord, and obedience to his commands; by which tenure they held the possession of the land when put into it, and for their disobedience did not possess the whole.

Geneva Study Bible

(b) Which yet remain and are not overcome, as in (Joshua 13:2).

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Joshua 23:5 And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.

Ver. 5. And drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess.] The same Hebrew word Jarash here signifieth to possess and to dispossess. Canaanites shall be cast out of what they get or detain from God’s people.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

“And YHWH your God, he will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight. And you will possess their land, as YHWH your God spoke to you.”

They could be sure of success because YHWH their God was with them. It was He Who would thrust them out, and drive them from their sight. Through faith in Him and obedience to the covenant they would find success, and it was only if they had faith and were obedient that they could they expect YHWH to work for them. And the result would be that they would possess the whole land, as YHWH had promised. For these words compare Joshua 1:15; Joshua 3:10; Deuteronomy 6:19; Deuteronomy 9:4.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

as = according as.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.

The Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you ... The actual possessions which God had given were a pledge of the complete fulfillment of His promise in giving them the parts of the country still unconquered. But the accomplishment of the divine promise depended on their inviolable fidelity to God's law-on their keeping resolutely aloof from all familiar contact and intimate connections with the Canaanites, or in any way partaking of their idolatrous sins. In the event of their continuing in stedfast adherence to the cause of God, as happily distinguished, the nation at that time, His blessing would secure them a course of brilliant and easy victories (Leviticus 26:7; Deuteronomy 28:7; Deuteronomy 32:30).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

he shall

12,13; 13:6; Exodus 23:30,31; 33:2; 34:11; Deuteronomy 11:23

as the Lord

Numbers 33:52,53