Text -- Joshua 13:1-4 (NET)

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;

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Jos 13:1

¹ tn Heb “was old, coming into the days.” This expression, referring to advancing in years, also occurs in the following clause.

NET Notes: Jos 13:3

¹ tn Heb “the Shihor”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.

² tn Heb “in front of.”

³ tn Heb “it is reckoned to the Canaanites.”

⁴ tn Heb “the five lords of the Philistines, the Gazaite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gathite, and the Ekronite, and the Avvites.”

NET Notes: Jos 13:4

¹ tn 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.

² tn Heb “all the land of the Canaanites.”

³ tc 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).

⁴ tn Heb “which belongs to the Sidonians.”

map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.