I also will not destroy the nations which Josue left, when he died:

I also continue not to dispossess any from before them of the nations which Joshua hath left when he dieth,

From now on I will not go on driving out from before them any of the nations which at the death of Joshua were still living in this land;

I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died;

And so, I will not destroy the nations that Joshua left behind when he died,

I will not henceforth drive out - As a people, they never had personal courage, discipline, or hardihood, sufficient to stand before their enemies: the advantages they gained were by the peculiar interference of God. This they had while obedient; when they ceased to obey, his strong arm was no longer stretched out in their behalf; therefore their enemies continued to possess the land which God purposed to give them as their inheritance for ever.

I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the (l) nations which Joshua left when he died:
(l) As the Hivites, Jebusites, Amorites, etc.

I also henceforth will not drive out and from before them,.... At least not as yet, not very soon nor hastily, as in Judges 2:23,
of the nations which Joshua left when he died; that is, unsubdued; which was owing either to the infirmities of old age coming upon him, which made him incapable of engaging further in war with the Canaanites; or to the sloth and indolence of the people, being weary of war, and not caring to prosecute it; or to want of men to cultivate any more land, and people other cities, than what they were possessed of; and chiefly this was owing to the providence of God, who had an end to answer hereby, as follows.