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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Exodus 23:29 I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/exodus/23-29.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/16/02_Exo_23_29.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Exodus 23:29 - God's Angel to Lead" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/exodus/23.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/exodus/23.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/exodus/23.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />I will not drive them out from you in a single year, so that the land will not become desolate and the animals of the field become too numerous for you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/exodus/23.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/exodus/23.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate, and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/exodus/23.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />I will not drive them out before you in a single year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/exodus/23.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />I will not drive them out before you in a single year, so that the land does not become desolate [due to lack of attention] and the [wild] animals of the field do not become too numerous for you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/exodus/23.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />I will not drive them out ahead of you in a single year; otherwise, the land would become desolate, and wild animals would multiply against you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/exodus/23.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />I will not drive them out ahead of you in a single year; otherwise, the land would become desolate, and wild animals would multiply against you. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/exodus/23.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/exodus/23.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />But I won't do all this in the first year, because the land would become poor, and wild animals would be everywhere. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/exodus/23.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/exodus/23.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />I will not force them out of your way in one year. Otherwise, the land would be deserted, and wild animals would take over.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/exodus/23.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />I will not drive them out within a year's time; if I did, the land would become deserted, and the wild animals would be too many for you. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/exodus/23.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />I won't drive them out before you in a single year, so that the land does not become desolate and so that wild animals do not overrun you. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/exodus/23.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/exodus/23.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />I will not drive them out before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild animals multiply against you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/exodus/23.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the animals of the field multiply against you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/exodus/23.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land should become desolate, and the beast of the field should multiply against thee.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/exodus/23.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the animals of the field multiply against you. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/exodus/23.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />I do not cast them out from before you in one year, lest the land be a desolation, and the beast of the field has multiplied against you;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/exodus/23.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> I cast them not out from before thee in one year, lest the land be a desolation, and the beast of the field hath multiplied against thee;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/exodus/23.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />I will not drive them out from thy face in one year, lest the land shall be desolate, and the beast of the field multiply upon thee.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/exodus/23.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />I will not cast them out from thy face in one year: lest the land be brought into a wilderness, and the beasts multiply against thee. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/exodus/23.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />I will not cast them out from your face in one year, lest the land be reduced to a wilderness and the wild beasts increase against you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/exodus/23.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />But I will not drive them all out before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild animals multiply against you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/exodus/23.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />I will not drive them out from before you in one year, or the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply against you.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/exodus/23.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />I will not destroy them from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/exodus/23.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />I shall not destroy them from before you in one year, that the land will not be a desolation, and wild animals multiply upon you.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/exodus/23.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/exodus/23.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />I will not cast them out in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/exodus/23-29.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kVae3PiKqhs?start=5984" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/exodus/23.htm">God's Angel to Lead</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">28</span>I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. <span class="reftext">29</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">I will not</a> <a href="/hebrew/1644.htm" title="1644: ’ă·ḡā·rə·šen·nū (V-Piel-Imperf-1cs:: 3mse) -- To drive out, cast out. A primitive root; to drive out from a possession; especially to expatriate or divorce.">drive them out</a> <a href="/hebrew/6440.htm" title="6440: mip·pā·ne·ḵā (Prep-m:: N-cpc:: 2ms) -- Face, faces. Plural of an unused noun; the face; used in a great variety of applications; also as a preposition.">before you</a> <a href="/hebrew/259.htm" title="259: ’e·ḥāṯ (Number-fs) -- One. A numeral from 'achad; properly, united, i.e. One; or first.">in a single</a> <a href="/hebrew/8141.htm" title="8141: bə·šā·nāh (Prep-b:: N-fs) -- A year. (in plura or shanah; from shanah; a year.">year;</a> <a href="/hebrew/6435.htm" title="6435: pen- (Conj) -- Lest. From panah; properly, removal; used only adverb as conjunction, lest.">otherwise</a> <a href="/hebrew/776.htm" title="776: hā·’ā·reṣ (Art:: N-fs) -- Earth, land. From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth.">the land</a> <a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: tih·yeh (V-Qal-Imperf-3fs) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass.">would become</a> <a href="/hebrew/8077.htm" title="8077: šə·mā·māh (N-fs) -- Devastation, waste. Or shimamah; feminine of shamem; devastation; figuratively, astonishment.">desolate</a> <a href="/hebrew/7704.htm" title="7704: haś·śā·ḏeh (Art:: N-ms) -- Field, land. Or saday; from an unused root meaning to spread out; a field.">and wild</a> <a href="/hebrew/2416.htm" title="2416: ḥay·yaṯ (N-fsc) -- Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life. From chayah; alive; hence, raw; fresh, strong; also life, whether literally or figuratively.">animals</a> <a href="/hebrew/7231.htm" title="7231: wə·rab·bāh (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConjPerf-3fs) -- A primitive root; properly, to cast together, i.e. Increase, especially in number; also to multiply by the myriad.">would multiply</a> <a href="/hebrew/5921.htm" title="5921: ‘ā·le·ḵā (Prep:: 2ms) -- Properly, the same as al used as a preposition; above, over, upon, or against in a great variety of applications.">against you.</a> </span><span class="reftext">30</span>Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/7-22.htm">Deuteronomy 7:22</a></span><br />The LORD your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be enabled to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals would multiply around you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/joshua/13-1.htm">Joshua 13:1</a></span><br />Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/judges/2-21.htm">Judges 2:21-23</a></span><br />I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. / In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did.” / That is why the LORD had left those nations in place and had not driven them out immediately by delivering them into the hand of Joshua.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/leviticus/26-22.htm">Leviticus 26:22</a></span><br />I will send wild animals against you to rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and reduce your numbers, until your roads lie desolate.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/numbers/33-55.htm">Numbers 33:55</a></span><br />But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/9-3.htm">Deuteronomy 9:3</a></span><br />But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as the LORD has promised you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/31-3.htm">Deuteronomy 31:3-5</a></span><br />The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said. / And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when He destroyed them along with their land. / The LORD will deliver them over to you, and you must do to them exactly as I have commanded you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/joshua/23-13.htm">Joshua 23:13</a></span><br />know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/judges/3-1.htm">Judges 3:1-4</a></span><br />These are the nations that the LORD left to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan, / if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly: / the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/17-25.htm">2 Kings 17:25-26</a></span><br />Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them. / So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The peoples that you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land. Because of this, He has sent lions among them, which are indeed killing them off.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/7-22.htm">Isaiah 7:22-25</a></span><br />and from the abundance of milk they give, he will eat curds; for all who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. / And on that day, in every place that had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, only briers and thorns will be found. / Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/12-4.htm">Jeremiah 12:4</a></span><br />How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field be withered? Because of the evil of its residents, the animals and birds have been swept away, for the people have said, “He cannot see what our end will be.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/14-15.htm">Ezekiel 14:15</a></span><br />Or if I send wild beasts through the land to leave it childless and desolate, with no man passing through it for fear of the beasts,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/13-29.htm">Matthew 13:29-30</a></span><br />‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. / Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/18-7.htm">Luke 18:7-8</a></span><br />Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them? / I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">I will not drive them out from before you in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against you.</p><p class="hdg">in one year</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/7-22.htm">Deuteronomy 7:22</a></b></br> 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.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/joshua/15-63.htm">Joshua 15:63</a></b></br> 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.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/joshua/16-10.htm">Joshua 16:10</a></b></br> 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.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/exodus/23-26.htm">Animals</a> <a href="/exodus/23-11.htm">Beast</a> <a href="/exodus/23-11.htm">Beasts</a> <a href="/exodus/23-28.htm">Cast</a> <a href="/genesis/47-19.htm">Desolate</a> <a href="/luke/21-20.htm">Desolation</a> <a href="/exodus/23-28.htm">Drive</a> <a href="/exodus/23-27.htm">Fear</a> <a href="/exodus/23-16.htm">Field</a> <a href="/exodus/19-19.htm">Increased</a> <a href="/exodus/11-9.htm">Multiplied</a> <a href="/exodus/11-9.htm">Multiply</a> <a href="/exodus/10-14.htm">Numerous</a> <a href="/ephesians/5-18.htm">Overmuch</a> <a href="/exodus/21-3.htm">Single</a> <a href="/exodus/19-2.htm">Waste</a> <a href="/exodus/23-11.htm">Wild</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/leviticus/1-2.htm">Animals</a> <a href="/leviticus/5-2.htm">Beast</a> <a href="/leviticus/7-24.htm">Beasts</a> <a href="/exodus/23-30.htm">Cast</a> <a href="/leviticus/26-22.htm">Desolate</a> <a href="/leviticus/26-31.htm">Desolation</a> <a href="/exodus/23-30.htm">Drive</a> <a href="/exodus/33-3.htm">Fear</a> <a href="/leviticus/14-7.htm">Field</a> <a href="/exodus/23-30.htm">Increased</a> <a href="/leviticus/26-9.htm">Multiplied</a> <a href="/exodus/30-15.htm">Multiply</a> <a href="/numbers/22-3.htm">Numerous</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/7-22.htm">Overmuch</a> <a href="/exodus/37-22.htm">Single</a> <a href="/exodus/23-31.htm">Waste</a> <a href="/exodus/32-25.htm">Wild</a><div class="vheading2">Exodus 23</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-1.htm">Of slander, false witness, and partiality</a></span><br><span class="reftext">4. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-4.htm">Of charitableness</a></span><br><span class="reftext">6. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-6.htm">Of justice in judgment</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-8.htm">Of taking bribes</a></span><br><span class="reftext">9. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-9.htm">Of oppressing a stranger</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-10.htm">Of the year of rest</a></span><br><span class="reftext">12. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-12.htm">Of the Sabbath</a></span><br><span class="reftext">13. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-13.htm">Of idolatry</a></span><br><span class="reftext">14. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-14.htm">Of the three feasts</a></span><br><span class="reftext">18. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-18.htm">Of the blood and the fat of the sacrifice</a></span><br><span class="reftext">20. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/exodus/23-20.htm">An angel is promised, with a blessing, if they obey him</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/exodus/23.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/exodus/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/exodus/23.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>I will not drive them out before you in a single year;</b><br>This phrase indicates God's strategic plan for the Israelites' conquest of Canaan. The gradual process reflects God's wisdom in ensuring the Israelites' readiness to occupy the land. Historically, the conquest of Canaan was a complex military and spiritual endeavor, requiring time for the Israelites to grow in strength and numbers. This gradual approach also allowed for the Israelites to develop spiritually and culturally, aligning with God's covenantal promises. Theologically, this reflects God's patience and understanding of human limitations, as well as His sovereignty in orchestrating events according to His divine timeline.<p><b>otherwise the land would become desolate</b><br>The concern for the land becoming desolate highlights the agricultural and economic realities of the ancient Near East. If the land were left uninhabited, it would quickly fall into disrepair, with fields becoming overgrown and infrastructure deteriorating. This reflects the importance of stewardship and the need for a settled population to maintain the land's productivity. Biblically, this can be seen as a call to responsible management of God's creation, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation.<p><b>and wild animals would multiply against you.</b><br>The multiplication of wild animals is a practical concern, as uninhabited areas would naturally see an increase in wildlife, posing a threat to human settlers. In the ancient world, wild animals such as lions, bears, and wolves were a significant danger, especially to livestock and agriculture. This phrase underscores the balance between human habitation and the natural world, a balance that God intended to maintain through the gradual conquest. Symbolically, wild animals can also represent chaos and disorder, contrasting with the order and peace that God desires for His people. This imagery is echoed in prophetic literature, where peace is often depicted as a time when humans and animals coexist harmoniously (e.g., <a href="/isaiah/11-6.htm">Isaiah 11:6-9</a>).<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God (Yahweh)</a></b><br>The speaker of the verse, who is providing guidance and assurance to the Israelites regarding their conquest of the Promised Land.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/i/israelites.htm">Israelites</a></b><br>The chosen people of God, who are being led into the Promised Land and are the recipients of God's promises and instructions.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/p/promised_land.htm">Promised Land (Canaan)</a></b><br>The land promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which the Israelites are to inhabit.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/c/canaanite_nations.htm">Canaanite Nations</a></b><br>The inhabitants of the Promised Land whom God promises to drive out before the Israelites.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/b/beasts_of_the_field.htm">Beasts of the Field</a></b><br>Represents the potential danger and chaos that could arise if the land were left uninhabited too quickly.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_timing_is_perfect.htm">God's Timing is Perfect</a></b><br>Trust in God's timing, as He knows what is best for us and orchestrates events for our ultimate good.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/gradual_growth_and_maturity.htm">Gradual Growth and Maturity</a></b><br>Spiritual growth often occurs gradually. Just as the Israelites were to take the land little by little, we should be patient with our spiritual journey.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/a/avoiding_spiritual_desolation.htm">Avoiding Spiritual Desolation</a></b><br>Rapid changes can lead to spiritual desolation. We must be cautious and allow God to guide us step by step.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/d/dependence_on_god_for_protection.htm">Dependence on God for Protection</a></b><br>Just as God protected the Israelites from the beasts, we must rely on Him for protection against spiritual dangers.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/w/wisdom_in_god's_plans.htm">Wisdom in God's Plans</a></b><br>God's plans are wise and purposeful. We should seek His wisdom in our decisions and trust His overarching plan for our lives.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_exodus_23.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Exodus 23</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_does_canaanite_culture_persist.htm">Why does archaeological evidence show Canaanite culture continuing uninterrupted, contradicting the conquest narrative?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_josh._23_5_align_with_later_battles.htm">How does Joshua 23:5’s promise of complete conquest align with later biblical texts showing ongoing battles and incomplete occupation of Canaan? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_couldn't_manasseh_defeat_canaanites.htm">Joshua 17:12: Why couldn’t Manasseh drive out the Canaanites if God had already promised total victory? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_are_israelites_seen_as_canaanites.htm">Why does archaeological evidence show that the Israelites were originally Canaanites rather than an invading force?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/exodus/23.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(29) <span class= "bld">The beast of the field.</span>--Comp. <a href="/context/2_kings/17-25.htm" title="And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.">2Kings 17:25-26</a>, where we find that this result followed the deportation of the Samaritans by the Assyrians.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/exodus/23.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 29.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">I will not drive them out from before thee in one year.</span> The Divine action is for the most part "slack, as men count slackness" - it is not hasty, spasmodic, precipitate, as human action is too often. Men are impatient; God is strangely, wonderfully patient. He would not drive out the Canaanitish nations all at once - <p><span class="Text_Heading">1.</span> <span class="cmt_word">Lest the land should become desolate</span>, there being an insufficient population to keep down the weeds and maintain the tillage; and <p><span class="Text_Heading">2.</span> <span class="cmt_word">Lest the beast of the field should multiply</span> so as to become a danger to the new-comers. It is related that when the kingdom of Samaria was depopulated by the removal of the Ten Tribes, there was a great increase of lions, which preyed upon the scanty remnant left (<a href="/2_kings/17-25.htm">2 Kings 17:25</a>). Even in France, after the Franco-German war, it was found that in many districts wolves increased. A third reason why the nations were not subdued all at once, not mentioned here, is touched in <a href="/judges/2-21.htm">Judges 2:21-23</a> - "The Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily, that through them he might prove Israel, whether they would keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, or not." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/exodus/23-29.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">I will not</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹ֧א</span> <span class="translit">(lō)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">drive them out</span><br /><span class="heb">אֲגָרְשֶׁ֛נּוּ</span> <span class="translit">(’ă·ḡā·rə·šen·nū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1644.htm">Strong's 1644: </a> </span><span class="str2">To drive out from a, possession, to expatriate, divorce</span><br /><br /><span class="word">before you</span><br /><span class="heb">מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ</span> <span class="translit">(mip·pā·ne·ḵā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6440.htm">Strong's 6440: </a> </span><span class="str2">The face</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in a single</span><br /><span class="heb">אֶחָ֑ת</span> <span class="translit">(’e·ḥāṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Number - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_259.htm">Strong's 259: </a> </span><span class="str2">United, one, first</span><br /><br /><span class="word">year;</span><br /><span class="heb">בְּשָׁנָ֣ה</span> <span class="translit">(bə·šā·nāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8141.htm">Strong's 8141: </a> </span><span class="str2">A year</span><br /><br /><span class="word">otherwise</span><br /><span class="heb">פֶּן־</span> <span class="translit">(pen-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6435.htm">Strong's 6435: </a> </span><span class="str2">Removal, lest</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the land</span><br /><span class="heb">הָאָ֙רֶץ֙</span> <span class="translit">(hā·’ā·reṣ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_776.htm">Strong's 776: </a> </span><span class="str2">Earth, land</span><br /><br /><span class="word">would become</span><br /><span class="heb">תִּהְיֶ֤ה</span> <span class="translit">(tih·yeh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1961.htm">Strong's 1961: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall out, come to pass, become, be</span><br /><br /><span class="word">desolate</span><br /><span class="heb">שְׁמָמָ֔ה</span> <span class="translit">(šə·mā·māh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8077.htm">Strong's 8077: </a> </span><span class="str2">Devastation, astonishment</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and wild</span><br /><span class="heb">הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃</span> <span class="translit">(haś·śā·ḏeh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7704.htm">Strong's 7704: </a> </span><span class="str2">Field, land</span><br /><br /><span class="word">animals</span><br /><span class="heb">חַיַּ֥ת</span> <span class="translit">(ḥay·yaṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2416.htm">Strong's 2416: </a> </span><span class="str2">Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life</span><br /><br /><span class="word">would multiply</span><br /><span class="heb">וְרַבָּ֥ה</span> <span class="translit">(wə·rab·bāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7227.htm">Strong's 7227: </a> </span><span class="str2">Much, many, great</span><br /><br /><span class="word">against you.</span><br /><span class="heb">עָלֶ֖יךָ</span> <span class="translit">(‘ā·le·ḵā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition | second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5921.htm">Strong's 5921: </a> </span><span class="str2">Above, over, upon, against</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/exodus/23-29.htm">Exodus 23:29 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/exodus/23-29.htm">Exodus 23:29 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/exodus/23-29.htm">Exodus 23:29 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/exodus/23-29.htm">Exodus 23:29 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/exodus/23-29.htm">Exodus 23:29 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/exodus/23-29.htm">Exodus 23:29 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/exodus/23-29.htm">Exodus 23:29 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/exodus/23-29.htm">Exodus 23:29 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/exodus/23-29.htm">Exodus 23:29 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/exodus/23-29.htm">Exodus 23:29 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/exodus/23-29.htm">OT Law: Exodus 23:29 I will not drive them out (Exo. Ex) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/exodus/23-28.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Exodus 23:28"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Exodus 23:28" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/exodus/23-30.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Exodus 23:30"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Exodus 23:30" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>