The Jebusites were a Canaanite people mentioned throughout the Old Testament as one of the nations inhabiting the land of Canaan before Israel entered and conquered it. Their story is deeply intertwined with the city of Jerusalem, which they originally controlled under the name Jebus. To understand the significance of the Jebusites, we must look at their origin, presence in Canaan, resistance to Israel, and their place in God’s redemption.
Who The Jebusites Were
The Jebusites were descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. In Genesis 10, the table of nations lists the Jebusites as one of the peoples that descended from Canaan:
“Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth; the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite…”
(Genesis 10:15–16)
This lineage places the Jebusites squarely under the curse that Noah pronounced upon Canaan in Genesis 9:25. As such, they became one of the nations God commanded Israel to drive out of the Promised Land. They were not just pagans, they were part of a line that stood in opposition to God’s covenant purposes for His people.
The land of the Jebusites was centered around Jerusalem, which was then known as Jebus. Their city was strategically located in the hill country of Judah and Benjamin, making it a fortified and highly defensible stronghold. This geographical position made them difficult to dislodge and explains why they remained in Jerusalem for so long, even after Israel had entered the land.
The Jebusites During The Conquest
When Israel entered Canaan under Joshua’s leadership, God gave them a clear command to destroy the Canaanite nations, including the Jebusites:
“But of the cities of these peoples which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite…”
(Deuteronomy 20:16–17)
However, despite this command, the Jebusites were not driven out. In fact, they maintained control of Jerusalem for centuries. Joshua fought against a coalition of kings that included the king of Jerusalem, but the city itself remained unconquered. The book of Judges reveals that both Judah and Benjamin failed to remove them:
“As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.”
(Joshua 15:63)
That last phrase, “to this day,” shows the stubbornness of their presence. Though surrounded by Israel, the Jebusites held onto their city, resisting the dominion of God’s chosen people.
David Conquers Jerusalem
The turning point came during the reign of David. After becoming king over all Israel, David set his sights on Jerusalem. The Jebusites taunted him, believing their fortress was impenetrable:
“Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).”
(2 Samuel 5:7)
David did what generations before him had failed to do. He conquered Jerusalem and established it as his capital. From that point on, Jerusalem would be the political and spiritual heart of Israel. The Jebusites were finally subdued, but not entirely destroyed. David’s conquest was not one of total annihilation, but of dominion. He took the city, but some Jebusites continued to live in the land under his rule.
Araunah The Jebusite
The most notable Jebusite in Scripture is Araunah, also called Ornan. After David sinned by numbering the people, God sent a plague on Israel. When David saw The Angel of The LORD at the threshing floor of Araunah, he was instructed to build an altar there. Araunah offered to give David the threshing floor and oxen for free, but David refused:
“Then the king said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.’”
(2 Samuel 24:24)
That act of worship marked the very place where Solomon’s temple would later be built. So the temple, the place where God’s presence would dwell among His people, was built on land that had belonged to a Jebusite. It’s a profound moment of redemption and a testimony of how God reclaims territory, even from pagan hands, for His holy purposes.
The End of The Jebusites
Over time, the Jebusites were absorbed into Israelite society. By the days of Solomon, they were among the remnants of the Canaanite peoples whom Solomon conscripted for labor.
“All the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel— that is, their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Israel had not been able to destroy completely— from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day.”
(1 Kings 9:20–21)
By the time of the post-exilic prophets like Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jebusites are no longer mentioned as a distinct people group. They had either been fully integrated or faded into history as the nation of Israel expanded and matured.
Spiritual Lessons from the Jebusites
The Jebusites represent resistance to the promises of God. They were a people who occupied territory that had been promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
“To your descendants I will give this land.”
(Genesis 12:7)
Their stubborn hold on Jerusalem reminds us that there will always be spiritual opposition to God’s kingdom. Just as David had to rise up and take Jerusalem, so too must the believer fight to claim and hold onto the promises of God in the face of spiritual strongholds.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”
(2 Corinthians 10:4)
The story of Araunah also reminds us that even those outside the covenant can recognize the holiness of God. Araunah respected David’s mission and honored the command to yield his land. The land of a foreigner became the foundation for God’s dwelling place. In this, we see a picture of redemption, what was once in darkness can be made holy when surrendered to God.
The conquest of the Jebusites was not immediate. It took centuries. And yet, God’s Word stood firm. He had declared the land would belong to Israel, and in time, it did.
“Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”
(Joshua 21:45)
This teaches us that delay is not denial. God will accomplish what He has promised, but in His timing. Our job is to walk in obedience and not grow weary in the process.
my final thoughts
The Jebusites stood in the way of God’s covenant people, but they could not stand forever. Though they were persistent, God’s purpose prevailed. Their account serves as a warning against resisting God, a lesson in the patience of divine timing, and a reminder of the holiness that God demands when reclaiming what is His.
Every stronghold must fall. Every high place must be surrendered. Just as David took Jerusalem, we must conquer the areas of our lives still held by the enemy. And when we do, we offer it fully to God (just like David did with the threshing floor), because nothing is worthy to be offered to God unless it costs us something.
