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Joshua 13
Lexham English Bible

Land Still Remains to be Conquered

13 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years,[a] and Yahweh said to him, “You are old and advanced in years,[b] and very much of the land remains to be possessed. 2 This is the remaining land: all the regions of the Philistines, and all of the Geshurites,[c] 3 from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt,[d] up to the border of Ekron to the north, which is reckoned as Canaanite; there are five Philistine rulers: the Gazites,[e] Ashdodites,[f] Ashkelonites,[g] Gittites,[h] Ekronites,[i] and the Avvim. 4 In the south; all the land of the Canaanites,[j] and Mearah, which belongs to the Sidonians up to Aphek, to the border of the Amorites,[k] 5 and the land of the Gebalites, and all the Lebanon,[l] toward the east,[m] from Baal Gad at the foot of[n] Mount Hermon up to Lebo-Hamath; 6 all the inhabitants of the hill country, from the Lebanon[o] up to Misrephoth Maim, and all the Sidonians. I will drive them out from before the Israelites;[p] only allocate it to Israel as an inheritance just as I have commanded you. 7 Therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

8 With it[q] the Reubenites,[r] and the Gadites[s] received their inheritance, which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses Yahweh’s servant gave to them: 9 from Aroer, which is on the edge of the wadi[t] of Arnon, and the city which is in the middle of the wadi, and all the plateau from Medeba up to Dibon; 10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites,[u] who reigned in Heshbon up to the border of the Ammonites;[v] 11 and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurite[w] and the Maacathites,[x] all of Mount Hermon,[y] and Bashan up to Salecah; 12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei—he was left over from the survivors[z] of the Rephaim; these Moses had defeated and driven out. 13 But the Israelites[aa] did not drive out the Geshurites[ab] or the Maacathites;[ac] Geshur and Maacah live among Israel to this day. 14 Only the tribe of Levites[ad] Moses did not give an inheritance; the offerings made by fire to Yahweh the God of Israel are their[ae] inheritance, just as he promised to them.[af]

Reuben’s Inheritance

15 Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the descendants[ag] of Reuben according to their families. 16 Their territory was from Aroer, which was on the edge of the wadi[ah] of Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plateau by Medeba; 17 Heshbon and its cities that are on the plateau; Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, and Zereth Shahar on the hill of the valley; 20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth; 21 all of the cities of the plateau, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites,[ai] who reigned in Heshbon and whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon who dwelled in the land. 22 In addition to their slain, the Israelites[aj] killed with the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination. 23 And the border of the descendants[ak] of Reuben was the Jordan and its banks.[al] This was the inheritance of the descendants[am] of Reuben according to their families, the cities, and their villages.

Gad’s Inheritance

24 Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the descendants[an] of Gad, according to their families. 25 Their territory was Jazer and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites[ao] up to Aroer, which is east of Rabbah;[ap] 26 and from Heshbon up to Ramah-Mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim up to the territory to Debir; 27 in the valley of Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan and its banks,[aq] up to the lower end of the Kinnereth Sea[ar] beyond the Jordan to the east. 28 This is the inheritance of the Gadites[as] according to their families, the cities, and their villages.

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh’s Inheritance

29 Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; it was for the half-tribe of the descendants[at] of Manasseh according to their families. 30 Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the settlements[au] of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities, 31 and half of Gilead, with Ashtaroth, Edrei, and the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the children of Makir son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Makir according to their families. 32 These are the territories that Moses gave as an inheritance on the desert-plateau of Moab, beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho. 33 But to the tribe of Levi Moses did not give an inheritance; Yahweh the God of Israel, he is their inheritance, just as he promised them.[av]

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 13:1 Literally “he went in the days”
  2. Joshua 13:1 Literally “you went in the days”
  3. Joshua 13:2 Hebrew “Geshurite”
  4. Joshua 13:3 Literally “on the face of Egypt”
  5. Joshua 13:3 Hebrew “Gazite”
  6. Joshua 13:3 Hebrew “Ashdodite”
  7. Joshua 13:3 Hebrew “Ashkelonite”
  8. Joshua 13:3 Hebrew “Gittite”
  9. Joshua 13:3 Hebrew “Ekronite”
  10. Joshua 13:4 Hebrew “Canaanite”
  11. Joshua 13:4 Hebrew “Amorite”
  12. Joshua 13:5 Or “white mountain”
  13. Joshua 13:5 Literally “the rise of the sun”
  14. Joshua 13:5 Or “below” or “under”
  15. Joshua 13:6 Or “white mountain”
  16. Joshua 13:6 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  17. Joshua 13:8 That is, the other half-tribe of Manasseh
  18. Joshua 13:8 Hebrew “Reubenite”
  19. Joshua 13:8 Hebrew “Gadite”
  20. Joshua 13:9 A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
  21. Joshua 13:10 Hebrew “Amorite”
  22. Joshua 13:10 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
  23. Joshua 13:11 Hebrew “Geshurite”
  24. Joshua 13:11 Hebrew “Maacathite”
  25. Joshua 13:11 Or “the hill country of Hermon”
  26. Joshua 13:12 Hebrew “survivor”
  27. Joshua 13:13 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  28. Joshua 13:13 Hebrew “Geshurite”
  29. Joshua 13:13 Hebrew “Maacathite”
  30. Joshua 13:14 Hebrew “Levite”
  31. Joshua 13:14 Hebrew “his”
  32. Joshua 13:14 Hebrew “he said to him”
  33. Joshua 13:15 Or “sons”
  34. Joshua 13:16 A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
  35. Joshua 13:21 Hebrew “Amorite”
  36. Joshua 13:22 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  37. Joshua 13:23 Or “sons”
  38. Joshua 13:23 Hebrew “bank”
  39. Joshua 13:23 Or “sons”
  40. Joshua 13:24 Or “sons”
  41. Joshua 13:25 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
  42. Joshua 13:25 Literally “which is before Rabbah”
  43. Joshua 13:27 Hebrew “bank”
  44. Joshua 13:27 That is, the Sea of Galilee
  45. Joshua 13:28 Literally “sons/children of Gad”
  46. Joshua 13:29 Or “sons”
  47. Joshua 13:30 Or “tent villages”
  48. Joshua 13:33 Literally “he said to them”
Close VOICE

Joshua 13
The Voice

This second section of the book (chapters 13–22), which details the parceling out of the land of Canaan, makes for slower reading, but it has a distinct literary purpose. It contains some of the elements we often find in ancient epics such as the catalog of the defeated kings and towns that give the scope of the conquest. The list also orients us in the larger story of the people of God, since later books of the Bible will set their action here. That means it’s valuable for us to know where the tribes settle and what their lands are like.

13 Now the years passed and Joshua grew old; and one day the Eternal came to him.

Eternal One (to Joshua): You have grown old and there is still work to do, for part of the land I have promised has yet to be conquered. 2 This still remains: all the coastal regions inhabited by the Philistines and the Geshurites 3 (from the Shihor tributary of the Nile, east of Egypt, north to the boundary of Ekron, is Canaanite territory); the five capital cities of the Philistines are Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, and the Avvites 4 remain in the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah (which belongs to the Sidonians), as far as Aphek, and to the boundary of the Amorites, 5 and also the land of the Gebalites, and all of Lebanon east from Baal-gad, near Mount Hermon, to Lebo-hamath.[a]

6-7 For the sake of the people of Israel, I will chase out all the inhabitants of the highlands from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, and all the Sidonians, but allot the land among you. Divide the land among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh as their inheritance, as I have commanded.

The twelve tribes of Israel are spread out all across the country side. Moses has already given some of them land on the east side of the Jordan River, as we read here; but the others are awaiting their land on the west side, in the land of Canaan. Eventually every tribe will have land allotted to them because that has been God’s promise.

8 The other half-tribe of Manasseh and the tribes of Reuben and Gad received their inheritance. Moses, the Eternal’s servant, gave them land on the far side of the Jordan and toward the east, 9 from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Valley, with the town that is in the middle of the valley, and the plains from Medeba to Dibon; 10 and all the cities of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had reigned from Heshbon, as far as the border regions of the Ammonites; 11 and the land of Gilead, and the lands of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all of Mount Hermon, and all of Bashan as far as Salecah; 12 in Bashan, this includes all the kingdom of Og who had reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (who was the last of the survivors of the giants). Moses conquered these kings and took over their lands, 13 although the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, which is why the people of Geshur and Maacath survive among the Israelites to this day.

14 The tribe of Levi was the only tribe of Israel that was not given land then as its inheritance. To offer burnt offerings to the Eternal God of Israel was their inheritance, as He told them.

15 Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the Reubenites, clan by clan. 16 Their territory comprised the plateau from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Valley, including the city in the middle of the valley, and the entire plain by Medeba; 17 Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the plains: Dibon, Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath; 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the mount of the valley; 20 Beth-peor, the foothills of Mount Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth. 21 The tribe of Reuben received, then, all these cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites who had reigned in Heshbon until Moses defeated him and the leaders of Midian (Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba) who were the princes of Sihon in the land. 22 Along with all of those they put to death, the Israelites also executed Balaam, the son of Beor, who practiced divination but blessed Israel by the command of the Eternal One. 23 The western border of the land allotted to the people of Reuben was the Jordan with its banks. This, then, was the land given to the people of Reuben, clan by clan, and all their cities and villages.

24 Moses also gave an inheritance to the tribe of the Gadites according to their clans. 25 Their territory comprised Jazer, and all the cities of the land of Gilead, and half the country of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, east of Rabbah; 26 from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim as far as the border of Debir; 27 and in the valley, Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon—all the rest of the kingdom of Sihon, king of Heshbon—the Jordan and its eastern banks, to the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. 28 This, then, was the land given to the people of Gad, clan by clan, and all their cities and villages.

29 Finally Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh, again allotted clan by clan. 30 Their territory started at Mahanaim and included all of Bashan and the whole kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, and all the settlements of Jair, which were in Bashan: 60 towns in all. 31 Half of Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei (the royal cities of Og, king in Bashan) were allotted to half of the people of Machir, son of Manasseh, who would dwell east of the Jordan, according to their clans.

32 These were the inheritances Moses distributed on the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan River and east of Jericho. 33 The clans of the tribe of Levi received no inheritance from Moses since the Eternal God of Israel was their inheritance as He promised them.

Footnotes

  1. 13:5 Hebrew, Lebo-hamath, the entrance to Hamath
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