"I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multip…" — Exodus 23:29

Exodus 23:29 · KJV

“I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.”

— Exodus 23:29

Verse 28

And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

Verse 30

By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

Exodus 23 — Context

I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. {backs: Heb. neck}

And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

Cross References

Deuteronomy 7:22

And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee. {put...: Heb. pluck off}

Judges 3:1-4

Now these {are} the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, {even} as many {of Israel} as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

Joshua 17:12-13

Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out {the inhabitants of} those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

Joshua 15:63

As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.

Joshua 16:10

And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.