What is the meaning of Numbers 33:55?

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you

- The command is clear and non-negotiable: total removal of pagan influence (see Exodus 23:31-33; Deuteronomy 7:1-2).

- God links obedience to blessing and disobedience to danger (Leviticus 26:14-17).

- Partial compliance is not obedience; like Saul sparing Agag (1 Samuel 15:9), it reveals a divided heart.

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those you allow to remain

- “Allow” signals permissiveness rather than inability. Israel’s failure would stem from reluctance, not weakness (Judges 1:27-33).

- Sin that is tolerated eventually dominates. Paul echoes this principle: “Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch?” (1 Corinthians 5:6).

- Compromise often appears minor, yet it opens the door to larger troubles (James 1:14-15).

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will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides

- A vivid picture of persistent irritation and pain (Joshua 23:13).

- What should have been destroyed now blinds and wounds. Compare Samson’s literal blindness after yielding to Delilah (Judges 16:19-21).

- Spiritual “thorns” hinder vision, drain strength, and distract from God’s purposes (Hebrews 12:1).

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they will harass you in the land where you settle

- Instead of enjoying rest, Israel would face constant pressure—raids, idolatry, intermarriage (Judges 2:11-15; 6:1-6).

- Disobedience forfeits the peace God intends (Isaiah 48:18).

- Even Israel’s kings felt this sting: Solomon’s foreign wives “turned his heart after other gods” (1 Kings 11:4).

- The pattern repeats for believers today: unaddressed sin robs joy and invites spiritual oppression (Galatians 6:7-8).

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summary

Numbers 33:55 warns that incomplete obedience breeds enduring trouble. God calls His people to wholehearted separation from corrupting influences; anything less becomes a source of continual pain and harassment, undermining the very inheritance He longs for them to enjoy.