BOOK 6 OF 66 · HISTORY · KING JAMES BIBLE

Joshua 13

Joshua book home•Chapter 13 of 24•33 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Joshua 13 Overview

The LORD tells an aged Joshua that much land still remains to be possessed, then instructs him to divide the land among the tribes. The chapter reviews the territories already given east of Jordan to Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh and notes again that Levi receives no territorial inheritance because the sacrifices of the LORD are its inheritance.

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13Chapter

33Verses

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Before you read Joshua 13

Coming from

Chapter 12 summarized the kings defeated under Moses and Joshua, closing the major conquest section.

In this chapter

The book now changes focus from defeating coalitions to assigning inheritance, while frankly acknowledging that conquest and possession are not yet identical.

Leads into

Chapter 14 begins the western allotments and highlights Caleb’s request for Hebron based on the promise given after his faithful report decades earlier.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Joshua’s age creates urgency, but God does not require him personally to finish every local occupation before distribution begins. 'There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed' is crucial for reading the later claim that God gave Israel the land: grant, conquest, allotment, and full local possession are related but not identical stages. Levi’s non-territorial status continues the arrangement established in Torah.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

God’s promise can be truly granted while human responsibility to possess what has been allotted still remains.

Truth 2

The inheritance story includes both land already occupied east of Jordan and land still to be possessed west of Jordan.

Truth 3

Levi’s distinct inheritance reflects priestly service rather than deprivation or inferiority.

Truth 4

Aging leadership does not prevent God from advancing the larger covenant purpose through orderly distribution.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Numbers 32 gives the original eastern-land arrangement with Reuben and Gad.

Connection 2

Deuteronomy 3 reviews the distribution east of Jordan.

Connection 3

Joshua 21 later assigns Levitical cities even though Levi receives no tribal territory like the other tribes.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Do not treat 'much land remains' as proof that God’s promise failed; the text distinguishes grant and ongoing possession.

Keep this clear 2

Do not say Levi receives nothing; the chapter explicitly identifies the LORD’s offerings/inheritance as Levi’s portion.

Keep this clear 3

The descriptions of borders and peoples are historical geography, not hidden codes to be spiritualized.

Read Joshua 13 watching for…

Joshua’s age and God’s statement that much land remains.

The peoples and regions still unpossessed.

The review of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh.

The recurring note about Balaam’s death within the eastern conquest story.

The reason Levi has no ordinary territorial inheritance.

Chapter outline5 sections

1-6The LORD tells aged Joshua that much land remains to be possessed 7-14The land is divided to nine and a half tribes and the eastern inheritance is reviewed 15-23The inheritance of Reuben is described 24-28The inheritance of Gad is described 29-33The inheritance of half Manasseh is described and Levi receives no land inheritance

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.

This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,

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:

From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:

And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.

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.

Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

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;

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;

And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;

And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;

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.

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.

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.

And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.

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;

Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon,

And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,

And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zarethshahar in the mount of the valley,

And Bethpeor, and Ashdothpisgah, and Bethjeshimoth,

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.

Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.

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.

And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad according to their families.

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;

And from Heshbon unto Ramathmizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir;

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.

This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the cities, and their villages.

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.

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:

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.

These are the countries which Moses did distribute for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward.

But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.

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Joshua 13:26

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