The declaration of this verse may seem like a contradiction, since Israel did not possess all the land until the time of David and Solomon, and even then it is doubtful that it included all that God originally intended that they should possess. However, the statement merely says “the Lord gave unto Israel all the land.” The gift was theirs despite the presence of the Canaanites in a part of the territory. It was in the plan of God not to drive these inhabitants out all at once, but only little by little (Ex. 23:30), to prevent the beasts and brambles from taking over until Israel, in process of time, should become numerous enough to occupy these areas.