Joshua 13:8-31

Tribal Lands East of the Jordan

13:8 The other half of Manasseh, ¹  Reuben, and Gad received their allotted tribal lands beyond the Jordan, ²  just as Moses, the Lord’s servant, had assigned them. 13:9 Their territory started ³  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 ⁴  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.) ⁵  Moses defeated them and took their lands. ⁶  13:13 But the Israelites did not conquer ⁷  the Geshurites and Maacathites; Geshur and Maacah live among Israel to this very day. 13:14 However, Moses ⁸  did not assign land as an inheritance ⁹  to the Levites; their inheritance ¹⁰  is the sacrificial offerings ¹¹  made to the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed ¹²  them.

13:15 Moses assigned land to the tribe of Reuben ¹³  by its clans. 13:16 Their territory started at Aroer ¹⁴  (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 ¹⁵  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). ¹⁶  13:22 The Israelites killed Balaam son of Beor, the omen reader, ¹⁷  along with the others. ¹⁸  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. ¹⁹ 

13:24 Moses assigned land to the tribe of Gad ²⁰  by its clans. 13:25 Their territory included Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half of Ammonite territory ²¹  as far as Aroer near ²²  Rabbah. 13:26 Their territory ran ²³  from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir. 13:27 It included the valley of Beth Haram, ²⁴  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. ²⁵  13:28 The land allotted to the tribe of Gad by its clans included these cities and their towns. ²⁶ 

13:29 Moses assigned land to the half-tribe of Manasseh ²⁷  by its clans. 13:30 Their territory started at ²⁸  Mahanaim and encompassed all Bashan, the whole realm of King Og of Bashan, including all sixty cities in Havvoth Jair ²⁹  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.

[13:8]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “received their inheritance, which Moses had assigned to them beyond the Jordan.”

[13:9]  ³ tn The words “their territory started” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[13:11]  ⁴ tn The words “their territory also included” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[13:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “from the remnant of the Rephaites.”

[13:12]  ⁶ tn Or “dispossessed them.”

[13:13]  ⁷ tn Or “dispossess.”

[13:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “did not assign an inheritance.”

[13:14]  ¹⁰ tn That is, “their source of food and life.”

[13:14]  ¹¹ tn Or “offerings made by fire.”

[13:14]  ¹² tn Or “promised” (Heb “spoke”).

[13:15]  ¹³ tn Heb “assigned to the sons of Reuben.”

[13:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “their territory was from.”

[13:21]  ¹⁵ tn The words “it encompassed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[13:21]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “princes of Sihon, inhabitants of the land.”

[13:22]  ¹⁷ tn Or “diviner.”

[13:22]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Balaam son of Beor, the omen-reader, the Israelites killed with the sword, along with their slain ones.”

[13:23]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the sons of Reuben by their clans, the cities and their towns.”

[13:24]  ²⁰ tn Heb “assigned to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad.”

[13:25]  ²¹ tn Heb “and half of the land of the sons of Ammon.”

[13:25]  ²² tn Heb “in front of.”

[13:26]  ²³ tn The words “Their territory ran” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied for clarification.

[13:27]  ²⁴ tn Or “it included in the valley, Beth Haram.”

[13:27]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad by their clans, the cities and their towns.”

[13:29]  ²⁷ tn Heb “assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh, and it belonged to the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

[13:30]  ²⁸ tn The words “their territory started at” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied for clarification.

[13:30]  ²⁹ sn The Hebrew name Havvoth Jair means “the tent villages of Jair.”