13:1 When Joshua was very old, 1 the Lord told him, “You are very old, and a great deal of land remains to be conquered. 13:2 This is the land that remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all the Geshurites, 13:3 from the Shihor River 2 east of 3 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 land 5 13:4 to the south; 6 all the Canaanite territory, 7 from Arah 8 in the region of Sidon 9 to Aphek, as far as Amorite territory;
1 tn Heb “was old, coming into the days.” This expression, referring to advancing in years, also occurs in the following clause.
2 tn Heb “the Shihor”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.
3 tn Heb “in front of.”
4 tn Heb “it is reckoned to the Canaanites.”
5 tn Heb “the five lords of the Philistines, the Gazaite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gathite, and the Ekronite, and the Avvites.”
6 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.
7 tn Heb “all the land of the Canaanites.”
8 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).
9 tn Heb “which belongs to the Sidonians.”