Joshua 13NKJV
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Joshua13

New King James Version

1Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.

2This is the land that yet remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurites,

3from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites;

4from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;

5the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath;

6all the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians—them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you.

7Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

8With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses had given them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord had given them:

9from Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon;

10all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the children of Ammon;

11Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah;

12all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants; for Moses had defeated and cast out these.

13Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

14Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them.

15And Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance according to their families.

16Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain by Medeba;

17Heshbon and all its cities that are in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,

18Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath,

19Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain of the valley,

20Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth—

21all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses had struck with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the country.

22The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them.

23And the border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.

24Moses also had given an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families.

25Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is before Rabbah,

26and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir,

27and in the valley Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth, on the other side of the Jordan eastward.

28This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages.

29Moses also had given an inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh; it was for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families:

30Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities;

31half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir according to their families.

32These are the areas which Moses had distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward.

33But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Joshua 13.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Bounds of the land not yet conquered. (1–6). Inheritance of Reuben. (7–33).

vv1-6

At this chapter begins the account of the dividing of the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel by lot; a narrative showing the performance of the promise made to the fathers, that this land should be given to the seed of Jacob. We are not to pass over these chapters of hard names as useless. Where God has a mouth to speak, and a hand to write, we should find an ear to hear, and an eye to read; and may God give us a heart to profit! Joshua is supposed to have been about one hundred years old at this time. It is good for those who are old and stricken in years to be put in remembrance of their being so. God considers the frame of his people, and would not have them burdened with work above their strength. And all people, especially old people, should set to do that quickly which must be done before they die, lest death prevent them, Ec 9:10. God promise that he would make the Israelites masters of all the countries yet unsubdued, through Joshua was old, and not able to do it; old, and not likely to live to see it done. Whatever becomes of us, and however we may be laid aside as despised, broken vessels, God will do his own work in his own time. We must work out our salvation, then God will work in us, and work with us; we must resist our spiritual enemies, then God will tread them under our feet; we must go forth to our Christian work and warfare, then God will go forth before us.

vv7-33

The land must be divided among the tribes. It is the will of God that every man should know his own, and not take that which is another's. The world must be governed, not by force, but right. Wherever our habitation is placed, and in whatever honest way our portion is assigned, we should consider them as allotted of God; we should be thankful for, and use them as such, while every prudent method should be used to prevent disputes about property, both at present and in future. Joshua must be herein a type of Christ, who has not only conquered the gates of hell for us, but has opened to us the gates of heaven, and having purchased the eternal inheritance for all believers, will put them in possession of it. Here is a general description of the country given to the two tribes and a half, by Moses. Israel must know their own, and keep to it; and may not, under pretence of their being God's peculiar people, encroach on their neighbours. Twice in this chapter it is noticed, that to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance: see Nu 18:20. Their maintenance must be brought out of all the tribes. The ministers of the Lord should show themselves indifferent about worldly interests, and the people should take care they want nothing suitable. And happy are those who have the Lord God of Israel for their inheritance, though little of this world falls to their lot. His providences will supply their wants, his consolations will support their souls, till they gain heavenly joy and everlasting pleasures.

Cross References

Joshua 13
v14Numbers 18:20-24thematic

Establishes God's ordinance that the Levites receive no territorial inheritance but live by the altar sacrifices.

Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin

v7Numbers 33:54thematic

The Mosaic mandate to divide the land by lot among the remaining nine and a half tribes.

Supported by JFB

The original grant of the Transjordanian territories to Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh by Moses.

Supported by JFB

v22Numbers 31:8fulfillment

Records the actual slaying of Balaam the soothsayer by the sword during the war with Midian.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Explains the history of the Avites and Caphtorim (Philistines) in the southern coastal region.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v51 Kings 5:18thematic

Identifies the Giblites (Gebalites) as skilled stone-squarers, demonstrating their northern Phoenician location.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v12Deuteronomy 3:11thematic

Details Og of Bashan, the last of the remnant of the giants (Rephaim).

Supported by Matthew Poole

v13Deuteronomy 3:14thematic

Mentions Jair taking the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Reiterates that the Lord God of Israel is the inheritance of the tribe of Levi.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v21 Samuel 27:8thematic

Shows the Geshurites and Gezrites still remaining as unconquered entities in David's day.

Supported by JFB

v3Jeremiah 2:18thematic

Identifies Sihor as a water source associated with the eastern border of Egypt.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v6Joshua 11:8thematic

Geographical parallel locating Misrephoth-maim as a boundary marker in northern campaigns.

Supported by JFB

v10Numbers 21:24thematic

Israel's defeat of Sihon king of the Amorites and seizure of his land.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v31Numbers 32:39-41thematic

The distribution of Gilead and Bashan to the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh.

Supported by JFB

v1Joshua 23:1thematic

Parallel description of Joshua being old and stricken in years late in his life.

Supported by Matthew Henry