Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

By my reading of the geography of the region, these two kingdoms lay on the east side of the Jordan River. Although the tribes of Reuben and Gad, as well as the half-tribe of Manasseh, also settled on the east side of the Jordan (and thus adjoined Geshur and Maakah, which might have resulted in the reference in the verse noted in the question to those kingdoms dwelling "in the midst of Israel"), I would say that the Israelites did not drive them out because they were not located within the territory west of the Jordan that consituted the "Promised Land" that God gave to the Israelites as their possession.

In addition, there were other Canaanite tribes or nations whom the Bible specifically references as not having been destroyed or driven out by the various Israelite tribes (as noted in Judges 1:27-36, for example), in disobedience to God's command to do so, causing God to allow them to remain in the land as a test or "thorn" for the Israelites (as indicated by later references to the men of those kingdoms actively fighting against Israel), so that also may have played a role in the continued presence of Geshur and Maakah.

October 15 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report