Joshua 13 (NET)

The Lord Speaks to Joshua

1 When Joshua was very old,1 the Lord told him, “You are very old, and a great deal of land remains to be conquered. 2 This is the land that remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all the Geshurites, 3 from the Shihor River2 east of3 Egypt northward to the territory of Ekron (it is regarded as Canaanite territory),4 including the area belonging to the five Philistine lords who ruled in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as Avvite land5 4 to the south;6 all the Canaanite territory,7 from Arah8 in the region of Sidon9 to Aphek, as far as Amorite territory; 5 the territory of Byblos10 and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath.11 6 I will drive out before the Israelites all who live in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim,12 all the Sidonians; you be sure to parcel it out to Israel as I instructed you.”13 7 Now, divide up this land14 among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

Tribal Lands East of the Jordan

8 The other half of Manasseh,15 Reuben, and Gad received their allotted tribal lands beyond the Jordan,16 just as Moses, the Lord’s servant, had assigned them. 9 Their territory started17 from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley), included the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plain of Medeba as far as Dibon, 10 and all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon, and ended at the Ammonite border. 11 Their territory also included18 Gilead, Geshurite and Maacathite territory, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah – 12 the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. (He was one of the few remaining Rephaites.)19 Moses defeated them and took their lands.20 13 But the Israelites did not conquer21 the Geshurites and Maacathites; Geshur and Maacah live among Israel to this very day. 14 However, Moses22 did not assign land as an inheritance23 to the Levites; their inheritance24 is the sacrificial offerings25 made to the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed26 them.

15 Moses assigned land to the tribe of Reuben27 by its clans. 16 Their territory started at Aroer28 (on the edge of the Arnon Valley) and included the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plain of Medeba, 17 Heshbon and all its surrounding cities on the plain, including Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley, 20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth. 21 It encompassed29 all the cities of the plain and the whole realm of King Sihon of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon. Moses defeated him and the Midianite leaders Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba (they were subjects of Sihon and lived in his territory).30 22 The Israelites killed Balaam son of Beor, the omen reader,31 along with the others.32 23 The border of the tribe of Reuben was the Jordan. The land allotted to the tribe of Reuben by its clans included these cities and their towns.33

24 Moses assigned land to the tribe of Gad34 by its clans. 25 Their territory included Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half of Ammonite territory35 as far as Aroer near36 Rabbah. 26 Their territory ran37 from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir. 27 It included the valley of Beth Haram,38 Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, and the rest of the realm of King Sihon of Heshbon, the area east of the Jordan to the end of the Sea of Kinnereth.39 28 The land allotted to the tribe of Gad by its clans included these cities and their towns.40

29 Moses assigned land to the half-tribe of Manasseh41 by its clans. 30 Their territory started at42 Mahanaim and encompassed all Bashan, the whole realm of King Og of Bashan, including all sixty cities in Havvoth Jair43 in Bashan. 31 Half of Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities in the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were assigned to the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh, to half the descendants of Makir by their clans.

32 These are the land assignments made by Moses44 on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River opposite Jericho.45 33 However, Moses did not assign land as an inheritance46 to the Levites; their inheritance47 is the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed48 them.

113:1tn Heb “was old, coming into the days.” This expression, referring to advancing in years, also occurs in the following clause. 213:3tn Heb “the Shihor”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning. 313:3tn Heb “in front of.” 413:3tn Heb “it is reckoned to the Canaanites.” 513:3tn Heb “the five lords of the Philistines, the Gazaite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gathite, and the Ekronite, and the Avvites.” 613:4tn Or “from Teman.” The phrase is especially problematic if taken with what follows, as the traditional verse division suggests. For further discussion see T. C. Butler, Joshua (WBC), 146. 713:4tn Heb “all the land of the Canaanites.” 813:4tc The reading “Arah” assumes a slight emendation of the Hebrew vowel pointing. The MT reads, “and a cave,” or “and Mearah” (if one understands the word as a proper noun). 913:4tn Heb “which belongs to the Sidonians.”map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3. 1013:5tn Heb “and the land of the Gebalites.” 1113:5tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.” Most modern translations take the phrase “Lebo Hamath” to be a proper name, but often provide a note with the alternative, where “Hamath” is the proper name and לְבוֹא (lÿvo’) is taken to mean “entrance to.” 1213:6tn The meaning of the Hebrew name “Misrephoth Maim” is perhaps “lime-kilns by the water” (see HALOT 2:641). 1313:6tn Heb “only you, assign it by lots to Israel as an inheritance as I commanded you.” 1413:7tn Heb “now apportion this land as an inheritance.” 1513:8tn The MT reads “with him,” which is problematic, since the reference would be to the other half of the tribe of Manasseh (not the half mentioned in v. 7). 1613:8tn Heb “received their inheritance, which Moses had assigned to them beyond the Jordan.” 1713:9tn The words “their territory started” are supplied in the translation for clarification. 1813:11tn The words “their territory also included” are supplied in the translation for clarification. 1913:12tn Heb “from the remnant of the Rephaites.”sn The Rephaites were apparently an extremely tall ethnic group. See Deut 2:10-11, 20; 3:11. 2013:12tn Or “dispossessed them.” 2113:13tn Or “dispossess.” 2213:14tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 2313:14tn Heb “did not assign an inheritance.” 2413:14tn That is, “their source of food and life.” 2513:14tn Or “offerings made by fire.” 2613:14tn Or “promised” (Heb “spoke”).sn For the background of this observation, see Deut 18:1-2. 2713:15tn Heb “assigned to the sons of Reuben.” 2813:16tn Heb “their territory was from.” 2913:21tn The words “it encompassed” are supplied in the translation for clarification. 3013:21tn Heb “princes of Sihon, inhabitants of the land.” 3113:22tn Or “diviner.” 3213:22tn Heb “Balaam son of Beor, the omen-reader, the Israelites killed with the sword, along with their slain ones.” 3313:23tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the sons of Reuben by their clans, the cities and their towns.” 3413:24tn Heb “assigned to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad.” 3513:25tn Heb “and half of the land of the sons of Ammon.” 3613:25tn Heb “in front of.” 3713:26tn The words “Their territory ran” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied for clarification. 3813:27tn Or “it included in the valley, Beth Haram.” 3913:27sn The Sea of Kinnereth is another name for the Sea of Galilee. See the note on the word “Kinnereth” in 11:2. 4013:28tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad by their clans, the cities and their towns.” 4113:29tn Heb “assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh, and it belonged to the half-tribe of Manasseh.” 4213:30tn The words “their territory started at” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied for clarification. 4313:30sn The Hebrew name Havvoth Jair means “the tent villages of Jair.” 4413:32tn Heb “These are [the lands] which Moses gave as an inheritance.” 4513:32tn Heb “beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. 4613:33tn Heb “Moses did not assign an inheritance.” The word “land” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what the inheritance consisted of. 4713:33tn That is, “their source of food and life.” 4813:33tn Or “as he promised”; Heb “as he spoke to.”sn For the background of this observation, see Deut 18:1-2.