50 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho , saying , 51 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ' When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan , 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones , and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places ; 53 and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54 ' You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families ; to the larger you shall give more inheritance , and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance . Wherever e e the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers . 55 'But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides , and they will trouble you in the land in which you live . 56 'And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.' "
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 33:50-56
Commentary on Numbers 33:50-56
(Read Numbers 33:50-56)
Now that they were to pass over Jordan, they were entering again into temptation to follow idols; and they are threatened that, if they spared either the idols or the idolaters, their sin would certainly be their punishment. They would foster vipers in their own bosoms. The remnant of the Canaanites, if they made any peace with them, though but for a time, would be pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their sides. We must expect trouble and affliction from whatever sin we indulge; that which we are willing should tempt us, will vex us. It was intended that the Canaanites should be put out of the land; but if the Israelites learned their wicked ways, they also would be put out. Let us hear this and fear. If we do not drive out sin, sin will drive us out. If we are not the death of our lusts, our lusts will be the death of our souls.