The people of Judah couldn’t get rid of the Jebusites who lived in
Jerusalem. The Jebusites stayed put, living alongside the people of
Judah. They are still living there in Jerusalem. Joshua 15:63 (TM)
"If only…" – "But if…" – "If I had…"
Retrospect is an interesting thing. This little tag at the end of Joshua 15 would figure prominently a few hundred years later when David makes Jerusalem the capital city and location for the temple. The Jebusites were living there. David made some of them key figures in his military and administration. As is still happening today, the Israelites and Jebusites could not live together and the conflict was an important component in nearly breaking David’s kingdom. It would help propel the civil war between Judah and Israel a few years later.
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