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Texts -- Joshua 13:17-33 (NET)

Context
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 . 13:33 However, Moses did not assign land as an inheritance to the Levites ; their inheritance is the Lord God of Israel , as he instructed them.

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...

  • Topography

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

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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, ...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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,...

  • 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.

  • MANASSEH

    [smith] (forgetting), the eldest son of Joseph, (Genesis 41:51; 46:20) born 1715-10 B.C. Both he and Ephraim were born before the commencement of the famine. He was placed after his younger brother, Ephraim, by his grandfather Jacob,...

  • 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...

  • Kedemoth

    [ebd] beginnings; easternmost, a city of Reuben, assigned to the Levites of the family of Merari (Josh. 13:18). It lay not far north-east of Dibon-gad, east of the Dead Sea.
    [isbe] KEDEMOTH - ked'-e-moth, ke-de'-moth (qedhemoth, "eastern parts"): From the wilderness to which this town gave its name, Moses sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites in Heshbon (Dt 2:26). It was given by Moses to the ...
    [smith] (beginnings), one of the towns in the district east of the Dead Sea allotted to the tribe of Reuben, (Joshua 13:18) given by the Merarite Levites. (Joshua 21:37; 1 Chronicles 6:79) It possibly conferred its name on the "wi...
    [nave] KEDEMOTH A city of Moab, allotted to Reuben and the Merarite Levites, Josh. 13:18; 1 Chr. 6:79. Encircled by a wilderness of same name, Deut. 2:26.

  • Reba

    [ebd] fourth, one of the Midianite chiefs slain by the Israelites in the wilderness (Num. 31:8; Josh. 13:21).
    [isbe] REBA - re-bek'-a (rebha`, "fourth part"; Septuagint: Codex Vaticanus Rhobe; Codex Alexandrinus Rhebek): One of the five chieftains of Midian who were slain by the Israelites, under Moses (Nu 31:8; Josh 13:21). Like his comra...
    [smith] (four), one of the five kings of the Midianites slain by the children of Israel when Balaam fell. (Numbers 31:8; Joshua 13:21) (B.C. 1450.)
    [nave] REBA, a king of Midian. Slain by the Israelites, Num. 31:8; Josh. 13:21.

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Zaphon

    [isbe] ZAPHON - za'-fon (tsaphon; Codex Vaticanus Saphan; Codex Alexandrinus Saphon): A city on the East of the Jordan in the territory of Gad (Josh 13:27). It is named again in Jdg 12:1 as the place where the elders of Gilead gath...
    [smith] (north), a place mentioned in the enumeration of the allotment of the tribe of Gad. (Joshua 13:27)
    [nave] ZAPHON, a city in Gad, Josh. 13:27.

  • Ramath-mizpeh

    [ebd] the height of Mizpeh or of the watch-tower (Josh. 13:26), a place mentioned as one of the limits of Gad. There were two Mizpehs on the east of the Jordan. This was the Mizpeh where Jacob and Laban made a covenant, "Mizpeh of...
    [isbe] RAMATH-MIZPEH - ra'-math-miz'-pe (ramath ha-mitspeh; Codex Vaticanus Araboth kata ten Massepha, Codex Alexandrinus Ramoth kata ten Maspha: A place mentioned in Josh 13:26 in a statement of the boundary of Gad, between Heshbo...
    [nave] RAMATH-MIZPEH, a town in Gad, Josh. 13:26.

  • 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) `...
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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...
  • 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 ...
  • 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...
  • 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)....
  • 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 ...
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