The Book of Joshua
Joshua 13
Chapter XIII · Vol. I, pp. 559–561
1 The bounds of the land not yet conquered. 8 The inheritance of the two tribes and half. 14, 33 The Lord and his sacrifices are the inheritance of Levi. 15 The bounds of the inheritance of Reuben. 22 Balaam slain. 24 The bounds of the inheritance of Gad, 29 and of the half-tribe of Manasseh.
1 NOW Joshua was aold1 and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, band there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.2
B.C. 1445.
a ch. 14. 10; 24. 29, about 100 years of age.
1 He was 110 at his death; and as the division of the land is believed by the Jews to have occupied about seven years, and as he appears to have died soon after, Joshua was at this time about 100 years of age.—C.
b De 31.23. ch.xii.
2 Heb. to possess it.
2 Thisc is the land that yet remaineth: dall the borders of the Philistines, and all eGeshuri,
c Nu.34.2-14. Ge.15. 18-21. De.11.23,24. Ex. 23 31.
d Ge.26.14. 1 Sa. 27. 8. De.2.23.
3 From fSihor,3 which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the gGazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:4
4 From the south, all the hland of the Canaanites, and Mearah5 that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites;
h ch.11.3; 10. 40; 12. 7,8.
5 Or, the cave.
5 And the land of the iGiblites,6 and all Lebanon,k toward the sun-rising, from Baal-gad under lmount Hermon,7 unto the mentering into Hamath;
A.M. 2559. B.C. 1445.
i 1 Ki.5 18. Ps.83.7. Eze.27.9.
6 The inhabitants of Gibal, on the coast of the Mediterranean, near Lebanon, and considerably beyond the territory permanently possessed by Israel. They aided Solomon in preparing stones for the temple, 1 Ki.5.18. It still exists as a small fortified town bearing its original name.—C.
l ch.11.3,17. De.3.8, 9; 4.48. Ps.89.12; 133.3
7 A part of the eastern Lebanon, said to be 12,000 ft. above sea-level.—C.
m Nu.34.8; 13.21. Ju. 3.3 Is.10.9 Am.6.2. 1 Ki.8 65. 2 Ki.4.25.
6 All the inhabitants of the hill-country, from Lebanon unto nMisrephoth-maim, and all the Sidonians,8 them owill I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it pby lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
n ch 11.8.
8 'All who inhabit the mountain from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians,' i.e. all the Phœnicians and those under the rule of Sidon.—P
o Ge 15.18,21. Ex.23. 30,31 De.7.1,22; 11,23. 24.
p Pr.16.33; 18.18 Nu. 26.55. Ac.13.19. ch xv-xxi. 1 Ch.xxiii.-xxvi.
7 Now therefore divide qthis land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half-tribe of Manasseh;
q Nu.34.2-14; 26.54, 55; 33.54. Eze.47 13-23. ch.xv.-xix.
8 With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, rwhich Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave them;
r Nu.32.33-42. De.3. 12-17. ch.22.4; 4 12; 12. 1-6.
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 sGeshurites9 and Maachathites, and tall mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;
s 1 Ch.2.23. 2 Sa.13. 37; 15.8; 3.3.
9 One tribe was invaded by David, 1 Sa. 27. 8, and these must have lain on the coast in the way to Egypt; the people in ver. 11 must have been another tribe inhabiting Mount Hermon.—C.
t ch.12.4,5. De.3.1-14, 4.47,48.
12 All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth, and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant uof the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out
u De 3.11. ch.12.4.
13 Nevertheless the children of Israel xexpelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites; but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.
x 2 Sa.3.3, 13.37; 10.6; 15.8. Nu.33.55. ch.23. 13 Ju.2.3.
14 Only yunto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance;1 the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.
y De.10.9; 18.2. Nu. 18.20-24. 1 Co.9.12-14. ch.14.3,4.
1 They received the tithes of the whole country as their inheritance, and to them, even to the priests, pertained every oblation, of which any part was burnt. The portions appropriated to them are specified at large in Nu xviii., which see.—J.
15 And Moses gave2 unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.3
2 1451.
3 From ver. 9-14 we have a general description of the whole territory assigned to the two tribes and a half; from ver. 15-33 we have a minute specification of the portions allotted to each. It seems probable that not only the tribes, but also the families, and even individuals had their several possessions assigned to them by lot.—J.
16 And ztheir 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,4 and aBamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon,
4 Partly built by the tribe of Gad, Nu. 32. 34, part is assigned to Reuben. The division being, as in many modern cities, into the old and new cities; or the Gadite and Reubenite quarters.—C.
a Or, the high places of Baal, and house of Baal-meon, Nu.22.41.
18 And Jahaza, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,
19 And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zareth-shahar in the mount of the valley,
20 And bBeth-peor,5 and Ashdoth-pisgah,6 and Beth-jeshimoth,
b Nu.25.3. De.3.17. ch.12.4. Eze.25.9.
5 Infamous for its idolatrous worship of Baal, the wicked counsel of Balaam, and the seduction of the people. Its conquest is therefore a treble record of triumph.—Note, Happy believer! who can record his victories over the world, the flesh, and the devil! Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ!—C.
6 Or springs of Pisgah, or the hill.
21 And all the cities of the plain,7 and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, cwhom 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.
A.M. 2559. B.C. 1445.
7 'And all the cities of the Mishor;' i.e. the elevated plateau of Moab, stretching from the brow of the range east of the Jordan and Dead Sea away to the great desert of Arabia.—P.
c Nu.21.24-35; 31.8. De.2.30-35.
22 Balaamd also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.8
d Nu.22.5-7; 24.1; 31. 8. Re.2 14. 2 Pe.2.15. 2 Th.2.8. Re.19.20. Jude 11.
8 Lingering around the court, hankering after preferment, covetous of wealth, pregnant in evil counsels, pretending to fear God, but loving the wages of iniquity—he falls at last, the victim of the people he was compelled to bless, but sought to destroy. Truly, the wages of sin is death!—C.
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 Ande Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad, according to their families:
e Nu.32.34-36.
25 And their coast was Jazer, fand all the cities of Gilead, and ghalf the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before hRabbah;9
f Nu. 21 32; 32. 1, 2 ch.21 30
g The Moabites and Ammonites retook their cities from the Reubenites and Gadites. Is xv. xvi. Je 48.21-24 Eze.25.9.
h Which Sihon had taken, Ju.11.15. De.2 19 2 Sa. 12. 26 Am. 1. 14.
9 This Aroer is different from Aroer on the river Arnon, which was allotted to Reuben, and stood on the southern border of the tribe.—P.
26 And from Heshbon1 unto iRamath-mizpeh, and Betonim; and from kMahanaim unto the border of lDebir;
27 And in the valley, mBeth-aram, and Beth-nimrah, 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 nChinnereth, on the other side Jordan eastward.
28 This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the cities and their villages.2
2 The boundaries of the tribe of Gad may be briefly stated as follows:—On the south, the valley of Heshbon; on the east, the plain of Arabia, on the west, the Jordan from the mouth of Wady Heshbon to the Sea of Galilee; on the north, the river Jabbok in the highlands and the Sea of Galilee in the Arabah.—P.
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 Ando 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 Andp 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.
p Nu.32.39-41. 1 Ch. 2 21,22 ch.21.27 ver 12.
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 Butq unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance:3 the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.4
q ch. 18. 7. De. 10 9; 18.1,2. Nu.18.20. ver. 14.
3 As Moses was himself of the tribe of Levi, he gave a special proof that he acted by divine authority, in thus overlooking his own family and his own tribe, for, though the Levites were well provided for, yet the security of that provision was so interwoven with Israel's adherence to the worship of God, that, had they universally apostatized, the Levites would have been left destitute, whilst all the other tribes would have had possession of their estates: that is, without some immediate divine interposition. . . . This, however, implied, that they had as good a title to their tithes and perquisites as their brethren had to their estates.—Scott.
4 The second time in this chapter, see ver. 14, is the disinheritance of Levi recorded. The Lord was their portion.—Note, So is it with every believer, who is indeed a priest of God, 1 Pe. 2. 5, 9. Ps. 119.57.—C.
Notes
Ver. 3. [Philistines. Descended from Mizraim, second son of Ham, Ge. 10. 14, by whom Egypt was peopled. They must have emigrated from that country at an early period. Though occupying a narrow tract of land bordering on the Mediterranean, and not above 60 miles in length, yet, through industry and arms, they soon became, and long continued, a famous people. They were the most powerful and the most inveterate of the enemies of Israel, whom they occasionally greatly oppressed. After the return from the captivity, the national animosities were revived; and they seem to have been finally conquered by the famous Maccabees. After this period, they either emigrated from the country, or became incorporated with the Jews, as they are never once mentioned in the New Testament, nor by any writer of ordinary history. C.]
Ver. 5. [Lebanon. Lebanon forms the basis of all the mountains of Palestine. Two parallel ranges of mountains descend from the north in Syria, inclosing a valley called Cœle-Syria, or Hollow Syria. These form the Lebanon of the Bible, and the Libanus and Anti-Libanus of the Greeks. The Libanus, from its origin in Syria, inclines to the west, and terminates a few miles north of old Tyre. The Anti-Libanus, which is the eastern range, likewise inclines to the sea, and terminates in the noble cone of Hermon. Lebanon signifies whiteness; a name most probably derived from the snows which constantly lie upon the highest summit of the range. This would, in the climate of Palestine, give a probable height of 11,000 feet. C.——'Lebanon toward the sun-rising' is manifestly Anti-Lebanon; and the whole chain is here accurately described from Baal-gad (Banias) under Hermon on the south, to the entrance of Hamath—here signifying the opening from the valley of Cœle-Syria to the plain of Hamath—on the north. P.]
Reflections.—The most successful conquerors must quickly bow and pay their tribute to death, the king of terrors; and the best have need to be reminded of their latter end. God graciously and wisely considers the frame of his people, and will not burden them with work beyond their strength. But pleasant are extensive views of what God has promised, though we should never see it accomplished. And it is prudent and necessary that such as rule in church or state should exert themselves to the utmost for leaving all things in good order at their death. With what pleasure God repeatedly mentions the honourable deeds of his people, as an example and inducement to others to copy after them! But unhappy is the end of false prophets and seducers of mankind, like Balaam; and often when and where they least expected it. While those who have God to be their portion have little reason to envy others even their wealthiest lots in this changing world.