Advanced Commentary

Texts -- Joshua 13:1-32 (NET)

Context
The Lord Speaks to Joshua
13:1 When Joshua was very old , the Lord told him, “You are very old , and a great deal of land remains to be conquered . 13:2 This is the land that remains : all the territory of the Philistines and all the Geshurites , 13:3 from the Shihor River east of Egypt northward to the territory of Ekron (it is regarded as Canaanite territory), including the area belonging to the five Philistine lords who ruled in Gaza , Ashdod , Ashkelon , Gath , and Ekron , as well as Avvite land 13:4 to the south ; all the Canaanite territory , from Arah in the region of Sidon to Aphek , as far as Amorite territory ; 13:5 the territory of Byblos and all Lebanon to the east , from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath . 13:6 I will drive out before the Israelites all who live in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, all the Sidonians ; you be sure to parcel it out to Israel as I instructed you.” 13:7 Now , divide up this land among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh .”
Tribal Lands East of the Jordan
13:8 The other half of Manasseh, Reuben , and Gad received their allotted tribal lands beyond the Jordan , just as Moses , the Lord’s servant , had assigned them. 13:9 Their territory started 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 , 13:10 and all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon , and ended at the Ammonite border . 13:11 Their territory also included Gilead , Geshurite and Maacathite territory, all Mount Hermon , and all Bashan to Salecah – 13:12 the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan , who ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei . (He was one of the few remaining Rephaites .) Moses defeated them and took their lands. 13:13 But the Israelites did not conquer the Geshurites and Maacathites ; Geshur and Maacah live among Israel to this very day . 13:14 However , Moses did not assign land as an inheritance to the Levites ; their inheritance is the sacrificial offerings made to the Lord God of Israel , as he instructed them. 13:15 Moses assigned land to the tribe of Reuben by its clans . 13:16 Their territory started at Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley ) and included the city in the middle of the valley , the whole plain of Medeba , 13:17 Heshbon and all its surrounding cities on the plain , including Dibon , Bamoth Baal , Beth Baal Meon , 13:18 Jahaz , Kedemoth , Mephaath , 13:19 Kiriathaim , Sibmah , Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley , 13:20 Beth Peor , the slopes of Pisgah , and Beth Jeshimoth . 13:21 It encompassed 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 ). 13:22 The Israelites killed Balaam son of Beor , the omen reader , along with the others . 13:23 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 . 13:24 Moses assigned land to the tribe of Gad by its clans . 13:25 Their territory included Jazer , all the cities of Gilead , and half of Ammonite territory as far as Aroer near Rabbah . 13:26 Their territory ran from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim , and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir . 13:27 It included the valley of Beth Haram , 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 . 13:28 The land allotted to the tribe of Gad by its clans included these cities and their towns . 13:29 Moses assigned land to the half-tribe of Manasseh by its clans . 13:30 Their territory started at Mahanaim and encompassed all Bashan , the whole realm of King Og of Bashan , including all sixty cities in Havvoth Jair in Bashan . 13:31 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 . 13:32 These are the land assignments made by Moses on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River opposite Jericho .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Joshua

    [nave] JOSHUA 1. Called also Jehoshua, and Jehoshuah, and Oshea. Son of Nun, Num. 13:8; 1 Chr. 7:27. Intimately associated with Moses, Ex. 24:13; 32:17; 33:11. A religious zealot, Num. 11:28. Sent with others to view the promise...

  • PALESTINE, 2

    [isbe] PALESTINE, 2 - III. Palestine in the Historic Books of the Old Testament. 1. Book of Joshua: Joshua is the great geographical book of the Old Testament; and the large majority of the 600 names of places, rivers and mountains...

  • JOSHUA (2)

    [isbe] JOSHUA (2) - || I. FORM AND SIGNIFICANCE OF NAME II. HISTORY OF THE LIFE OF JOSHUA 1. First Appearance 2. The Minister of Moses 3. One of the Spies 4. The Head of the People (1) His First Act--Sending of the Spies (2) Crossi...

  • Topography

    [nave] TOPOGRAPHY, of Canaan, Josh. 13:15-33; 15; 18:9.

  • Geshur

    [isbe] GESHUR - ge'-shur (geshur, "bridge"): An Aramean kingdom (2 Sam 15:8) of no great size which lay probably to the South of Maacah, and formed with it the western boundary of the land of Bashan (Dt 3:14; Josh 12:5; 13:11). The...
    [nave] GESHUR 1. District E. of the sources of the Jordan. The inhabitants of, not subdued by the Israelites, Deut. 3:14; Josh. 13:2-13; 1 Chr. 2:23. Inhabitants of one of the villages of, exterminated, and the spoils taken by Dav...

  • Bashan

    [ebd] light soil, first mentioned in Gen. 14:5, where it is said that Chedorlaomer and his confederates "smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth," where Og the king of Bashan had his residence. At the time of Israel's entrance into the Pro...
    [isbe] BASHAN - ba'-shan (ha-bashan, "the Bashan"; Basan): This name is probably the same in meaning as the cognate Arabic bathneh, "soft, fertile land," or bathaniyeh (batanaea), "this land sown with wheat" ("wheatland"). 1. Bound...
    [smith] (fruitful), a district on the east of Jordan. It is sometimes spoken of as the "land of Bashan," (1 Chronicles 5:11) and comp. Numb 21:33; 32:33 And sometimes as "all Bashan." (3:10,13; Joshua 12:5; 13:12,30) It was taken ...
    [nave] BASHAN A region E. of the Jordan and N. of Arnon, Gen. 14:5. Og, king of, Josh. 13:12. Allotted to the two and one half tribes, which had their possession E. of the Jordan, Num. 32:33; Deut. 3:10-14; Josh. 12:4-6; 13:29-31...

  • LEBANON

    [ebd] white, "the white mountain of Syria," is the loftiest and most celebrated mountain range in Syria. It is a branch running southward from the Caucasus, and at its lower end forking into two parallel ranges, the eastern or Ant...
    [isbe] LEBANON - leb'-a-non (lebanon; Septuagint Libanos; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) Libanus): 1. Name: Derived from the root labhen, "to be white," probably from the snow which covers its summits the greater part...
    [smith] a mountain range in the north of Palestine. The name Lebanon signifies white, and was applied either on account of snow which, during a great part of the year, cover its whole summit, or on account of the white color of its l...

  • Reubenites

    [nave] REUBENITES, the descendants of Reuben. Military enrollment of, at Sinai, Num. 1:20, 21; in Moab, Num. 26:7. Place of in camp and march, Num. 2:10. Standard of, Num. 10:18. Have their inheritance east of the Jordan, Num. 32...

  • Mahanaim

    [ebd] two camps, a place near the Jabbok, beyond Jordan, where Jacob was met by the "angels of God," and where he divided his retinue into "two hosts" on his return from Padan-aram (Gen. 32:2). This name was afterwards given to th...
    [isbe] MAHANAIM - ma-ha-na'-im (machanayim; the Greek is different in every case where the name occurs, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus also giving variant forms; the dual form may be taken as having arisen from an old locat...
    [smith] a town on the east of the Jordan. The name signifies two hosts or two camps,and was given to it by Jacob, because he there met "the angels of God." (Genesis 32:1,2) We next meet with it in the records of the conquest. (Joshua...
    [nave] MAHANAIM The place where Jacob had the vision of angels, Gen. 32:2. The town of, allotted to Gad, Josh. 13:26, 30. One of the Levitical cities, Josh. 21:38. Ish-bosheth establishes himself at, when made king over Israel, ...

  • Reuben, Tribe of

    [ebd] at the Exodus numbered 46,500 male adults, from twenty years old and upwards (Num. 1:20, 21), and at the close of the wilderness wanderings they numbered only 43,730 (26:7). This tribe united with that of Gad in asking permi...

  • Manaen

    [ebd] consoler, a Christian teacher at Antioch. Nothing else is known of him beyond what is stated in Acts 13:1, where he is spoken of as having been brought up with (Gr. syntrophos; rendered in R.V. "foster brother" of) Herod, i....

  • Og

    [isbe] OG - (`ogh; Og): King of Bashan, whose territory, embracing 60 cities, was conquered by Moses and the Israelites immediately after the conquest of Sihon, king of the Amorites (Nu 21:33-35; Dt 3:1-12). The defeat took place a...
    [smith] (giant , literally long-necked), an Amoritish king of Bashan, whose rule extended over sixty cities. (Joshua 13:12) He was one of the last representatives of the giant race of Rephaim, and was, with his children and his peopl...
    [nave] OG, king of Bashan. A man of gigantic stature, Num. 21:33; Deut. 3:11; Josh. 12:4; 13:12. Defeated and slain by Moses, Num. 21:33-35; Deut. 1:4; 3:1-7; 29:7; 31:4; Josh. 2:10; 9:10; Psa. 135:10, 11; 136:18-20. Land of, give...

  • SIDDIM, VALE OF

    [isbe] SIDDIM, VALE OF - sid'-im, (`emeq ha-siddim; Septuagint he pharangx (or koilas) he haluke): The place mentioned in Gen 14:3-8 as being the scene of encounter between Chedorlaomer and his allies with the kings of Sodom, Gomor...

  • Amorites

    [nave] AMORITES Descendants of Canaan, Gen. 10:15, 16; 1 Chr. 1:13, 14. Were giants, Amos 2:9. Struck by Chedorlaomer and rescued by Abraham, Gen. 14. Territory of, Gen. 14:7; Num. 13:29; 21:13; Deut. 1:4, 7, 19; 3:8, 9; Josh. 5...

  • PLAIN

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. 'abel (Judg. 11:33), a "grassy plain" or "meadow." Instead of "plains of the vineyards," as in the Authorized Version, the Revised Version has "Abel-cheramim" (q.v.), comp. Judg. 11:22; 2 Chr. 16:4. (2.) Heb. 'elon...
    [isbe] PLAIN - plan ((1) kikkar, "circle" "talent," or "round loaf"; (2) mishor, from yashar, "to be level"; compare Arabic maisur, "that which is easy"; (3) biqah; compare Arabic baq`at, "a plot of ground" or "a wet meadow"; (4) `...

  • Medeba

    [ebd] waters of quiet, an ancient Moabite town (Num. 21:30). It was assigned to the tribe of Reuben (Josh. 13:16). Here was fought the great battle in which Joab defeated the Ammonites and their allies (1 Chr. 19:7-15; comp. 2 Sam...
    [isbe] MEDEBA - med'-e-ba (medhebha'; Maidaba, Medaba): The name may mean "gently flowing water," but the sense is doubtful. This city is first mentioned along with Heshbon and Dibon in an account of Israel's conquests (Nu 21:30). ...
    [smith] (water of rest), a town on the eastern side of Jordan, first alluded to in (Numbers 21:30) Here it seems to denote the limit of the territory of Heshbon. It next occurs in the enumeration of the country divided among the tran...
    [nave] MEDEBA A city of Moab, Num. 21:30. An idolatrous high place, Isa. 15:2. Allotted to Reuben, Josh. 13:9, 16. David defeats army and the Ammonites at, 1 Chr. 19:7-15.

  • Gad

    [ebd] fortune; luck. (1.) Jacob's seventh son, by Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, and the brother of Asher (Gen. 30:11-13; 46:16, 18). In the Authorized Version of 30:11 the words, "A troop cometh: and she called," etc., should rather be...
    [nave] GAD 1. Jacob's seventh son, Gen. 30:11; 35:26; Ex. 1:4. Children of, Gen. 46:16; Num. 26:15-18; 1 Chr. 5:11. Prophecy concerning, Gen. 49:19. 2. A tribe of Israel. Blessed by Moses, Deut. 33:20. Enumeration of, at Sinai,...

  • Aroer

    [ebd] ruins. (1.) A town on the north bank of the Arnon (Deut. 4:48; Judg. 11:26; 2 Kings 10:33), the southern boundary of the kingdom of Sihon (Josh. 12:2). It is now called Arair, 13 miles west of the Dead Sea. (2.) One of the t...
    [isbe] AROER - a-ro'-er (`aro'er; Aroer): (1) A city of the Amorites which stood on the northern edge of the Arnon (Dt 2:36, etc.). Taken by Israel, it shared the vicissitudes of the country north of the river, and when last named ...
    [smith] (ruins). A city on the torrent Arnon, the southern point of the territory of Sihon king of the Amorites and afterwards of the tribe of Reuben, (2:36; 3:12; 4:48; Joshua 12:2; 13:9,16; Judges 11:26; 2 Kings 10:33; 1 Chr...
    [nave] AROER 1. A city of the Amorites in the valley of the river Arnon, Deut. 4:48. Conquered by Israelites, Deut. 2:36; 3:12; Judg. 11:26. Taken by Hazael, 2 Kin. 10:33. 2. A city built, or, probably more correctly, rebuilt, b...

  • Philistines

    [ebd] (Gen. 10:14, R.V.; but in A.V., "Philistim"), a tribe allied to the Phoenicians. They were a branch of the primitive race which spread over the whole district of the Lebanon and the valley of the Jordan, and Crete and other ...
    [isbe] PHILISTINES - fi-lis'-tinz, fil'-is-tinz, fil'-is-tinz (pelishtim; Phulistieim, allophuloi): I. OLD TESTAMENT NOTICES 1. Race and Origin 2. Religion 3. Individual Philistines Mentioned 4. Title of Ruler and Circumcision 5. H...
    [smith] (immigrants), The origin of the Philistines is nowhere expressly stated in the Bible; but as the prophets describe them as "the Philistines-from Caphtor," (Amos 9:7) and "the remnant of the maritime district of Caphtor" (Jere...
    [nave] PHILISTINES Descendants of Mizraim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Called Cherethites, 1 Sam. 30:14-16; Ezek. 25:16; Zeph. 2:5; Casluhim, Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12; Caphtorim, Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7. Territory of...

  • Mephaath

    [ebd] splendour, a Levitical city (Josh. 21:37) of the tribe of Reuben (13:18).
    [isbe] MEPHAATH - mef'-a-ath, me-fa'-ath (mepha`ath and meypha`ath, mopha`ath; Codex Vaticanus, Maiphaath, Mephaath): A city of the Amorites in the territory allotted to Reuben, named with Kedemoth and Kiriathaim (Josh 13:18), and ...
    [smith] (splendor height), city of the Reubenites, one of the towns independently an Heshhon, (Joshua 13:18) lying in the district of the Mishor comp. ver. (Joshua 13:17) and Jere 48:21 Authorized Version "plain," which probably answ...
    [nave] MEPHAATH, a Levitical city in Reuben, Josh. 13:18; 21:37; 1 Chr. 6:79; Jer. 48:21.
more

Arts

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 22:1-20 Moab had not attacked Israel as the people of God had moved north along Moab's eastern border. In fact the Moabites sold the Israelites bread and water (Deut. 2:29). The Moabites probably counted on Sihon, who had for...
  • "Chapters 23 and 24 are two of the brightest chapters in the book of Numbers. Scores of wonderful things are said about Israel, mainly prophetical. The dark sins of the past were forgotten; only happy deliverance from Egypt w...
  • Before going into battle against the Midianites as God commanded (25:18), the Lord directed Moses to take another census of the Israelites. Evidently the 24,000 who died in the recent plague (25:9) were the last of the genera...
  • The Book of Joshua evidently came into being several years after the events recorded in the book took place. A number of statements point to a time of composition beyond the conquest and perhaps beyond the lifetime of Joshua....
  • I. The conquest of the land chs. 1-12A. Preparations for entering Canaan chs. 1-21. God's charge to Joshua 1:1-92. Joshua's charge to Israel 1:10-183. The spying out of Jericho ch. 2B. Entrance into the land 3:1-5:121. Passag...
  • In one sense verses 1-9 are a preamble to the whole book. They contain the basic principles that were to guide Joshua and Israel so they could obtain all that God had promised their forefathers.1:1 The first word of the book ...
  • Having received his marching orders from Yahweh, Joshua prepared to mobilize the nation.1:10-11 Joshua expected to be able to cross the Jordan within three days."The Jordan River wanders about two hundred miles to cover the s...
  • To this point Israel's victories had taken place in central Canaan. God's strategy was to give His people a base of operation in the middle part of the land first. From there they could then advance to the South and then to t...
  • The writer referred to Canaan as "the land of the sons of Israel"first here in Scripture (v. 22). The Anakim were the mighty warriors that the 10 spies had feared (Num. 13:28). Israel destroyed most of these."The hardening of...
  • The writer identified 31 kings in the order in which Joshua defeated them."Many of the same names appear in the Amarna letters, thus confirming the historicity of our text."158"The description was not complete. Shechem is not...
  • Chapters 13-24 describe how Joshua divided the land and the results of that division. Many if not all the Israelite tribes did not conquer or control all the land allotted to them (15:63; 16:10; 17:12-13). The record of the a...
  • 13:1 Joshua was probably in his 80s at this time.13:2 The Philistines were not native Canaanite peoples. They had migrated to Canaan from the northwest. They had by this time displaced the Canaanites in the southwest portion ...
  • This portion of the Promised Land went to the two and one-half tribes that had requested it previously (Num. 32).13:8-14 This pericope of verses records the boundaries of Israel's whole transjordanian territory. The peoples t...
  • After the process of assigning land to the three tribes mentioned above, Israel's attention turned to relocating the tabernacle in a more central location (v. 1). God undoubtedly made the choice of Shiloh (lit. rest; cf. Deut...
  • These verses conclude the account of the division of the land proper (chs. 13-21; cf. 1:2-6; 11:23). They bind the two parts of the second half of the book together. They form a theological conclusion to the entire book up to...
  • The main part of the second half of the Book of Joshua dealing with the division of the land ends with the appointment of the Levitical cities (chs. 13-21). The rest of the book deals with settlement in the land (chs. 22-24)....
  • Joshua had reached what he believed were the final days of his life. Before he died, he wished to address the whole nation, as Moses had done before his death (Deut. 31). Therefore he assembled all the leaders of the people f...
  • This chapter begins with another reference to the fact that there was no king in Israel then (cf. 17:6). The writer reminded us again that the Israelites were living unrestrained lives. Abundant evidence of this follows in ch...
  • The five Danites continued northward about 100 miles and finally came upon an area they felt would be ideal for their needs. They discovered the isolated town of Laish (Leshem, Josh. 19:47) that they believed they could captu...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • This oracle is similar to the one in Isaiah 15 and 16.555Other oracles against Moab appear in Ezekiel 25:8-11, Amos 2:1-3, and Zephaniah 2:9, but this is the longest one. It is very difficult to say when Jeremiah gave this or...
  • The scene continues to be on earth.7:1 The phrase "after this"(Gr. meta touto) indicates that what follows is a new vision (cf. 4:1). The general chronological progression of the visions suggests that the events John saw now ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Joshua 13:1-6Joshua was now a very old man and had occupied seven years in the conquest. His work was over, and now he had only to take steps to secure the completion by others of the triumph which he would never see. Tills i...
  • Joshua's conquest was very partial. He subdued part of the central mountain nucleus, but the low-lying stretch of country on the coast, Philistia and the maritime plain up to Tyre and Sidon and other outlying districts, remai...
Back to Commentary Page
Display Bible



Universal Search:

NET Only
Exact Search
Commentary
Study Dictionary
Word Study
Lexicon
Study Maps System
Sermon Illustrations
Expository
Arts
Resource
Daily Bible Reading
Training Video
Classic NET Bible
iPhone NET Bible
Mobile Bible
TIP #01: Welcome to the NET Bible Web Interface and Study System!! [ALL]
created in 0.05 seconds
powered by
bible.org - YLSA