THE BOOK OF
JOSHUA.

Joshua 13

1What parts of the land remained yet unsubdued, Joshua is commanded to divide the whole by lot; the two tribes and half being excepted out of this division, and the tribe of Levi. 15The bounds of Reuben's inheritance, (22Balaam slain.) 24of the inheritance of Gad, 29and of the half tribe of Manasseh, as allotted by Moses, who gave no inheritance to the Levites, but God only.


1NOW Joshua was old and 1stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

1 Hebr. coming, or entering into days. See the annotation on Gen. 18:11.

2This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all 2Geshuri,

2 Of the land of Geshur is also mention made 2 Sam. 3:3; 14:23; 15:8.

3From 3Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: 4five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; 5also the Avites:

3 A river that bears its name from blackness; it is perceived that it parts Palestine from Egypt. See Num. 34:5.

4 Here the word lords is to be understood as lordships.

5 That is, besides the five lords, there were also the Avites, Hebr. Avvim. It is truly judged, that those of Caphtor had destroyed the Avites, Deut. 2:23, but still there did some remain, whereof this text speaks in this place.

4From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and 6Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:

6 Some take this to be the name of a city; others, to be the name of a river.

5And the land of the 7Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baal-gad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.

7 See 1 Kings 5 on verse 18; Psalm 83 on verse 7.

6All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.

7Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

88With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even 9as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them;

8 Namely, the half tribe of Manasseh.

9 That is, in such manner and form, and with such conditions. See Joshua 4:12.

9From Aroer, that is upon the 10bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon;

10 Hebr. lip.

10And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;

11And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;

12All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant 11of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.

11 See Gen. 14:5.

13Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

14Only unto the tribe of Levi 12he gave none inheritance; 13the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire 14are 15their inheritance, as he said unto them.

12 Namely, Moses, as appears verse 33.

13 That is, what remained of the fire-offerings, See Num. 18:8, 20, 21, 24; Deut. 10:9; 18:2.

14 Or, that is.

15 Namely, of Levi or of the Levites.

15¶And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.

16And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;

1716Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon,

16 This city belonged to the Reubenites and Gadites together, which is to be observed, for that it is said Joshua 21:39 that the Gadites gave this city unto the Levites.

18And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,

19And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zareth-shahar in the mount of the valley,

20And Beth-peor, and 17Ashdoth-pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth,

17 See the annotation on Joshua 12:3.

21And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote 18with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were 19dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.

18 Understand that Moses smote them also. See Num. 31:8.

19 That is, deputies, governors, rulers. Num. 31:8 they are called kings.

2220Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer,a did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.

20 See Num. 24 on verse 25.

a one who professes to foretell the future*

23And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. Thisbwas the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages thereof.

b Num. 34:14, 15.

24And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad according to their families.

25And their coast was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and 21half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before Rabbah;

21 Here it is to be observed that Sihon had first taken this same from the Ammonites, Num. 21:26, so that the children of Israel took it not from the Ammonites (for that was forbidden them, Deut. 2:19.), but from king Sihon, see Judges 11:15.

26And from Heshbon unto Ramath-mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir;

27And in the valley, Beth-aram, and Beth-nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and 22his border, even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward.

22 This was the bank of Jordan.

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

29¶And Moses gave inheritance unto the half tribe of Manasseh: and this 23was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh by their families.

23 Or, remained. Hebr. was.

30And their coast was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of 24Jair, which are in Bashan, 25threescore cities:

24Jair, by the father’s side, was of the tribe of Judah: for Hezron the son of Perez was his grandfather, of the tribe of Judah; but the daughter of Machir, the son of Manasseh was his grandmother, 1 Chron. 2:21, 22, and because Manasseh was his grandmother’s grandfather, therefore he is called a son of Manasseh, Num. 32:41. He also followed the tribe of Manasseh, among which he behaved himself so valiantly, that he obtained among them so great a portion of land and inheritance.

25 This is the number of the cities which this tribe had in the kingdom of Bashan.

31And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were pertaining unto the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even 26to the one half of the children of Machir by their families.

26 For his six sons had received their inheritance on the other side of Jordan with the nine tribes. See Joshua 17:2.

32These are the countries which Moses did 27distribute for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward.

27 Other, had given.

33But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: thec LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said 28unto them.

c Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9; 18:2.

28 Or, of them.