Joshua 13:8-33

8 The tribes of Reuben and Gad and the other half of the tribe of Manasseh had already received the land that Moses, the Lord's servant, had given them; it was on the east side of the Jordan River. 1
9 Their territory extended to Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley) and the city in the middle of that valley and included all of the plateau from Medeba to Dibon.
10 It went as far as the border of Ammon and included all the cities that had been ruled by the Amorite king Sihon, who had ruled at Heshbon.
11 It included Gilead, the regions of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon, and all of Bashan as far as Salecah.
12 It included the kingdom of Og, the last of the Rephaim, who had ruled at Ashtaroth and Edrei. Moses had defeated these people and driven them out.
13 However, the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah; they still live in Israel.
14 Moses had given no land to the tribe of Levi. As the Lord had told Moses, they were to receive as their possession a share of the sacrifices burned on the altar to the Lord God of Israel. 2
15 Moses had given a part of the land to the families of the tribe of Reuben as their possession.
16 Their territory extended to Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley) and the city in the middle of that valley and included all the plateau around Medeba.
17 It included Heshbon and all the cities on the plateau: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baalmeon,
18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley,
20 Bethpeor, the slopes of Mount Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth.
21 It included all the cities of the plateau and the whole kingdom of the Amorite king Sihon, who had ruled at Heshbon. Moses defeated him, as well as the rulers of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. All of them had ruled the land for King Sihon.
22 Among those whom the people of Israel killed was the fortune teller Balaam son of Beor.
23 The Jordan was the western border of the tribe of Reuben. These were the cities and towns given to the families of the tribe of Reuben as their possession.
24 Moses had also given a part of the land to the families of the tribe of Gad as their possession.
25 Their territory included Jazer and all the cities of Gilead, half the land of Ammon as far as Aroer, which is east of Rabbah;
26 their land extended from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpeh and Betonim, from Mahanaim to the border of Lodebar.
27 In the Jordan Valley it included Beth Haram, Bethnimrah, Sukkoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon. Their western border was the Jordan River as far north as Lake Galilee.
28 These were the cities and towns given to the families of the tribe of Gad as their possession.
29 Moses had given a part of the land to the families of half the tribe of Manasseh as their possession.
30 Their territory extended to Mahanaim and included all of Bashan - the whole kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, as well as all sixty of the villages of Jair in Bashan.
31 It included half of Gilead, as well as Ashtaroth and Edrei, the capital cities of Og's kingdom in Bashan. All this was given to half the families descended from Machir son of Manasseh.
32 This is how Moses divided the land east of Jericho and the Jordan when he was in the plains of Moab.
33 But Moses did not assign any land to the tribe of Levi. He told them that their possession was to be a share of the offerings to the Lord God of Israel. 3

Joshua 13:8-33 Meaning and Commentary

\\INTRODUCTION JOSHUA 13\\

In this chapter Joshua is informed by the Lord, or put in mind, that
part of the land of Canaan remained unconquered, and which it was; and
is directed to divide the whole land among the nine tribes, and the
half tribe of Manasseh, Jos 13:1-9; and since the two tribes of Reuben
and Gad, and the other half tribe of Manasseh, had received their
inheritance on the other side Jordan, Jos 13:8; that is described in
general, Jos 13:9-14; and, then the particular portion of Reuben,
Jos 13:15-23; and of Gad, Jos 13:24-28; and of the half tribe of
Manasseh, Jos 13:29-33.

Cross References 3

  • 1. 13.8Numbers 32.33;Deuteronomy 3.12.
  • 2. 13.14Deuteronomy 18.1.
  • 3. 13.33Numbers 18.20;Deuteronomy 18.2.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.