Discovery BoxJoshua 13:4-33
Context13:4 to the south; 1 all the Canaanite territory, 2 from Arah 3 in the region of Sidon 4 to Aphek, as far as Amorite territory; 13:5 the territory of Byblos 5 and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 6 13:6 I will drive out before the Israelites all who live in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, 7 all the Sidonians; you be sure to parcel it out to Israel as I instructed you.” 8 13:7 Now, divide up this land 9 among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
13:8 The other half of Manasseh, 10 Reuben, and Gad received their allotted tribal lands beyond the Jordan, 11 just as Moses, the Lord’s servant, had assigned them. 13:9 Their territory started 12 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 13 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.) 14 Moses defeated them and took their lands. 15 13:13 But the Israelites did not conquer 16 the Geshurites and Maacathites; Geshur and Maacah live among Israel to this very day. 13:14 However, Moses 17 did not assign land as an inheritance 18 to the Levites; their inheritance 19 is the sacrificial offerings 20 made to the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed 21 them.
13:15 Moses assigned land to the tribe of Reuben 22 by its clans. 13:16 Their territory started at Aroer 23 (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 24 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). 25 13:22 The Israelites killed Balaam son of Beor, the omen reader, 26 along with the others. 27 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. 28
13:24 Moses assigned land to the tribe of Gad 29 by its clans. 13:25 Their territory included Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half of Ammonite territory 30 as far as Aroer near 31 Rabbah. 13:26 Their territory ran 32 from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir. 13:27 It included the valley of Beth Haram, 33 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. 34 13:28 The land allotted to the tribe of Gad by its clans included these cities and their towns. 35
13:29 Moses assigned land to the half-tribe of Manasseh 36 by its clans. 13:30 Their territory started at 37 Mahanaim and encompassed all Bashan, the whole realm of King Og of Bashan, including all sixty cities in Havvoth Jair 38 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 39 on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River opposite Jericho. 40 13:33 However, Moses did not assign land as an inheritance 41 to the Levites; their inheritance 42 is the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed 43 them.
[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.
[13:4] 2 tn Heb “all the land of the Canaanites.”
[13:4] 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).
[13:4] 4 tn Heb “which belongs to the Sidonians.”
[13:5] 5 tn Heb “and the land of the Gebalites.”
[13:5] 6 tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.” Most modern translations take the phrase “Lebo Hamath” to be a proper name, but often provide a note with the alternative, where “Hamath” is the proper name and לְבוֹא (lÿvo’) is taken to mean “entrance to.”
[13:6] 7 tn The meaning of the Hebrew name “Misrephoth Maim” is perhaps “lime-kilns by the water” (see HALOT 2:641).
[13:6] 8 tn Heb “only you, assign it by lots to Israel as an inheritance as I commanded you.”
[13:7] 9 tn Heb “now apportion this land as an inheritance.”
[13:8] 10 tn The MT reads “with him,” which is problematic, since the reference would be to the other half of the tribe of Manasseh (not the half mentioned in v. 7).
[13:8] 11 tn Heb “received their inheritance, which Moses had assigned to them beyond the Jordan.”
[13:9] 12 tn The words “their territory started” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[13:11] 13 tn The words “their territory also included” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[13:12] 14 tn Heb “from the remnant of the Rephaites.”
[13:12] 15 tn Or “dispossessed them.”
[13:13] 16 tn Or “dispossess.”
[13:14] 17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:14] 18 tn Heb “did not assign an inheritance.”
[13:14] 19 tn That is, “their source of food and life.”
[13:14] 20 tn Or “offerings made by fire.”
[13:14] 21 tn Or “promised” (Heb “spoke”).
[13:15] 22 tn Heb “assigned to the sons of Reuben.”
[13:16] 23 tn Heb “their territory was from.”
[13:21] 24 tn The words “it encompassed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[13:21] 25 tn Heb “princes of Sihon, inhabitants of the land.”
[13:22] 27 tn Heb “Balaam son of Beor, the omen-reader, the Israelites killed with the sword, along with their slain ones.”
[13:23] 28 tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the sons of Reuben by their clans, the cities and their towns.”
[13:24] 29 tn Heb “assigned to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad.”
[13:25] 30 tn Heb “and half of the land of the sons of Ammon.”
[13:25] 31 tn Heb “in front of.”
[13:26] 32 tn The words “Their territory ran” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied for clarification.
[13:27] 33 tn Or “it included in the valley, Beth Haram.”
[13:27] 34 sn The Sea of Kinnereth is another name for the Sea of Galilee. See the note on the word “Kinnereth” in 11:2.
[13:28] 35 tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad by their clans, the cities and their towns.”
[13:29] 36 tn Heb “assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh, and it belonged to the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
[13:30] 37 tn The words “their territory started at” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied for clarification.
[13:30] 38 sn The Hebrew name Havvoth Jair means “the tent villages of Jair.”
[13:32] 39 tn Heb “These are [the lands] which Moses gave as an inheritance.”
[13:32] 40 tn Heb “beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.
[13:33] 41 tn Heb “Moses did not assign an inheritance.” The word “land” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what the inheritance consisted of.
