Which statement about the Canaanites in Judges is highlighted?

• A. They were not driven out when they were strong
• B. They were driven out completely
• C. They never existed in the land
• D. They were expelled by other nations

Answer: (A)

Judges repeatedly shows that Israel did not fully remove the Canaanites even when they could do so in strength. The narrative records several tribes leaving pockets of Canaanites in the land, which meant that these communities remained and influenced Israel’s practices and worship. That pattern—strength and opportunity met with partial obedience—highlights the idea that the Canaanites were not driven out when they were strong. This incomplete conquest helps explain the cycle of sin, oppression, and calls to deliverance that runs through Judges, as the lingering presence of these peoples led Israel away from wholehearted obedience. The other statements don’t fit the biblical account: the Canaanites are shown as existing in the land, they were not described as being completely driven out by others, and the text does not present them as having been expelled solely by external nations.