Joshua 13

Chapter context

What is happening in Joshua 13?

inheritancerestcovenant fidelityholy war

Joshua 13 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as southern and northern victories with unresolved tensions. Joshua tells of the crossing into Canaan, the fall of Jericho, complex campaigns in the land, tribal allotments, and a final renewal of covenant loyalty. Read this chapter with the wider themes of inheritance, rest, and covenant fidelity in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. ² This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, ³ From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites: ⁴ From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites: ⁵ And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath. ⁶ All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee. ⁷ Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh, ⁸ With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them; ⁹ From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon; ¹⁰ And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon; ¹¹ And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah; ¹² All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out. ¹³ Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day. ¹⁴ Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them. ¹⁵ And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families. ¹⁶ And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba; ¹⁷ Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon, ¹⁸ And Jahaza, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath, ¹⁹ And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zarethshahar in the mount of the valley, ²⁰ And Bethpeor, and Ashdothpisgah, and Bethjeshimoth, ²¹ And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country. ²² Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them. ²³ And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages thereof. ²⁴ And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad according to their families. ²⁵ And their coast was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before Rabbah; ²⁶ And from Heshbon unto Ramathmizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir; ²⁷ And in the valley, Betharam, and Bethnimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and his border, even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward. ²⁸ This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the cities, and their villages. ²⁹ And Moses gave inheritance unto the half tribe of Manasseh: and this was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh by their families. ³⁰ And their coast was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, threescore cities: ³¹ And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were pertaining unto the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even to the one half of the children of Machir by their families. ³² These are the countries which Moses did distribute for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward. ³³ But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.

Study helps

Glossary

Joshua Tribe v. 1: Jehovah is his help, or Jehovah the Saviour. The son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, the successor of Moses as the leader of Israel. He is called Jehoshua in Num. 13:16 (A. V. ), and Jesus in Acts 7:45 and Heb. 4:8 .
Ashdod Place v. 3: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Ashdod.
Ashkelon Place v. 3: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Ashkelon.
Egypt Place v. 3: The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture. Modern identification: Ain Shams.
Ekron Place v. 3: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Miqne.
Gath Place v. 3: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Safi.
Gaza Place v. 3: Called also Azzah, which is its Hebrew name. Modern identification: Tell Harube.
Shihor Place v. 3: Biblical river. Modern identification: Pelusiac branch of the Nile.
Amorites People v. 4, 10, 21: Highlanders, or hillmen, the name given to the descendants of one of the sons of Canaan ( Gen. 14:7 ), called Amurra or Amurri in the Assyrian and Egyptian inscriptions.
Aphek Place v. 4: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Afqa.
Mearah Place v. 4: A cave, a place in the northern boundary of Palestine ( Josh. 13:4 ). This may be the cave of Jezzin in Lebanon, 10 miles east of Sidon, on the Damascus road; or probably, as others think, Mogheirizeh, north-east of Sidon. Modern identification: Jezzine.
Sidon Place v. 4: A fishery, a town on the Mediterranean coast, about 25 miles north of Tyre. It received its name from the “first-born” of Canaan, the grandson of Noah ( Gen. 10:15 , 19). Modern identification: Sandikli archaeological site in Sidon.
Baal-gad Place v. 5: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Haush.
Gebal Place v. 5: A line (or natural boundary, as a mountain range). (1. ) A tract in the land of Edom south of the Dead Sea ( Ps. 83:7 ); now called Djebal. Modern identification: Byblos.
Lebanon Place v. 5-6: Biblical region. Modern identification: Jezzine.
Lebo-hamath Place v. 5: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Labweh.
Mount Hermon Place v. 5, 11: Biblical mountain. Modern identification: Mount Hermon.
Misrephoth-maim Place v. 6: Burning of waters, supposed to be salt-pans, or lime-kilns, or glass-factories, a place to which Joshua pursued a party of Canaanites after the defeat of Jabin ( Josh. 11:8 ). Modern identification: Litani River.
Jordan Place v. 8, 23, 27, 32: Biblical river. Modern identification: Jordan River.
Aroer Place v. 9, 16: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Arair.
City People v. 9, 16: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
Dibon Place v. 9, 17: Pining; wasting. (1. ) A city in Moab ( Num. 21:30 ); called also Dibon-gad (33:45), because it was built by Gad and Dimon ( Isa. 15:9 ). Modern identification: Tall Dhiban.
Medeba Place v. 9, 16: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Madaba.
Valley of the Arnon Place v. 9, 16: Biblical valley. Modern identification: Wadi Mujib.
Ammon Place v. 10, 25: Biblical region. Modern identification: Amman.
Heshbon Place v. 10, 17, 21, 26-27: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Hesban.
Bashan Place v. 11-12, 30-31: Biblical region. Modern identification: Saham al Jawlan.
Geshur Place v. 11, 13: Bridge, the name of a district or principality of Syria near Gilead, between Mount Hermon and the Lake of Tiberias ( 2 Sam. 15:8 ; 1 Chr. 2:23 ). Modern identification: Fiq.
Gilead Place v. 11, 25, 31: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tell edh Dhahab esh Sherqiyeh.
Maacah Place v. 11, 13: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Abel Beth Maacah.
Salecah Place v. 11: Wandering, a city of Bashan assigned to the half tribe of Manasseh ( Deut. 3:10 ; Josh. 12:5 ; 13:11 ), identified with Salkhad, about 56 miles east of Jordan.
Ashtaroth Place v. 12, 31: A city of Bashan, in the kingdom of Og ( Deut. 1:4 ; Josh. 12:4 ; 13:12 ; 9:10 ). It was in the half-tribe of Manasseh ( Josh. 13:12 ), and as a Levitical city was given to the Gershonites ( 1 Chr. 6:71 ). Modern identification: Tell Ashtara.
Edrei Place v. 12, 31: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Daraa.
Levi Person v. 14, 33: Adhesion. (1. ) The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah’s words ( Gen. 29:34 ).
Reuben Person v. 15, 23: Behold a son!, the eldest son of Jacob and Leah ( Gen. 29:32 ). His sinful conduct, referred to in Gen. 35:22 , brought down upon him his dying father’s malediction (48:4).
Baal-meon Place v. 17: Lord of dwelling, a town of Reuben ( Num. 32:38 ), called also Beth-meon ( Jer. 48:23 ) and Beth-baal-meon ( Josh. 13:17 ). It is supposed to have been the birth-place of Elisha. Modern identification: Ma‘in.
Bamoth-baal Place v. 17: Heights of Baal, a place on the river Arnon, or in the plains through which it flows, east of Jordan ( Josh. 13:17 ; comp. Num. 21:28 ). It has been supposed to be the same place as Bamoth. Modern identification: Khirbet el Quweiqiyeh.
Jahaz Place v. 18: Trodden down. Modern identification: Khirbet el Medeiyineh.
Kedemoth Place v. 18: 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. Modern identification: Aleiyan.
Mephaath Place v. 18: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Umm ar Rasas.
Kiriathaim Place v. 19: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet al Mukhayyat.
Sibmah Place v. 19: Coolness; fragrance, a town in Reuben, in the territory of Moab, on the east of Jordan ( Josh. 13:19 ); called also Shebam and Shibmah ( Num. 32:3 , 38). It was famous for its vines ( Isa. 16:9 ; Jer. 48:32 ). Modern identification: Qarn al Qubish.
Zereth-shahar Place v. 19: The splendour of the dawn, a city “in the mount of the valley” ( Josh. 13:19 ). Modern identification: Callirrhoe.
Beth-jeshimoth Place v. 20: House of wastes, or deserts, a town near Abel-shittim, east of Jordan, in the desert of Moab, where the Israelites encamped not long before crossing the Jordan ( Num. 33:49 ; A. V., “Bethjesimoth”). Modern identification: Tell Azeimeh.
Beth-peor Place v. 20: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Ayun Musa.
Pisgah Place v. 20: A part, a mountain summit in the land of Moab, in the territory of Reuben, where Balak offered up sacrifices ( Num. 21:20 ; 23:14 ), and from which Moses viewed the promised land ( Deut. 3:27 ). Modern identification: Rujm Siyaghah.
Hur Person v. 21: A hole, as of a viper, etc. (1. ) A son of Caleb ( 1 Chr. 2:19 , 50; 4:1, 4; comp. 2 Chr. 1:5 ). (2. ) The husband of Miriam, Moses’ sister ( Ex. 17:10-12 ).
Midian Place v. 21: Biblical region. Modern identification: Al Bad.
Zur Person v. 21: Rock. (1. ) One of the five Midianite kings whom the Israelites defeated and put to death ( Num. 31:8 ). (2. ) A Benjamite ( 1 Chr. 8:30 ).
Balaam Person v. 22: Lord of the people; foreigner or glutton, as interpreted by others, the son of Beor, was a man of some rank among the Midianites ( Num. 31:8 ; comp. 16). He resided at Pethor ( Deut. 23:4 ), in Mesopotamia ( Num. 23:7 ).
Beor Person v. 22: A torch. (1. ) The father of Bela, one of the kings of Edom ( Gen. 36:32 ). (2. ) The father of Balaam ( Num. 22:5 ; 24:3 , 15; 31:8). In 2 Pet. 2:15 he is called Bosor.
Gad Person v. 24, 28: 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.
Aroer Place v. 25: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Udena.
Jazer Place v. 25: He (God) helps, a city of the Amorites on the east of Jordan, and assigned, with neighbouring places in Gilead, to Gad ( Num. 32:1 , 35; Josh. 13:25 ). It was allotted to the Merarite Levites (21:39). Modern identification: Khirbet Sara.
Rabbah Place v. 25: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Amman.
Betonim Place v. 26: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Batneh.
Debir Place v. 26: No pasture, ( 2 Sam. 17:27 ), a town in Gilead not far from Mahanaim, north of the Jabbok (9:4, 5). It is probably identical with Debir ( Josh. 13:26 ). Modern identification: Umm ed Debar.
Mahanaim Place v. 26, 30: 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 ). Modern identification: Tell edh Dhahab el Gharbi.
Ramath-mizpeh Place v. 26: 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. Modern identification: Jel‘ad.
Beth-haram Place v. 27: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tall Iktanu.
Beth-nimrah Place v. 27: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tall Bleibel.
Sea of Galilee Place v. 27: A city, the modern Tubarich, on the western shore of the Sea of Tiberias. It is said to have been founded by Herod Antipas. Modern identification: Sea of Galilee.
Succoth Place v. 27: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Deir Alla.
Zaphon Place v. 27: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Sa’idiyeh.
Havvoth-jair Place v. 30: Biblical region. Modern identification: Qamm.
Jericho Place v. 32: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Sultan.
Moab Place v. 32: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tall el Hammam.