Joshua 13:8-33

Land east of the Jordan

8 As for the other half of the tribe of Manasseh, the Reubenites and Gadites together with it had already taken their legacy that Moses had given them on the east side of the Jordan. It was exactly what Moses the LORD's servant had given them.
9 It ran from Aroer by the rim of the Arnon Valley and the city in the middle of the valley through the whole Medeba plateau as far as Dibon.
10 It included all the cities of the Amorites' King Sihon, who ruled in Heshbon, as far as the Ammonite border.
11 It also included Gilead and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah—
12 the entire kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. He survived as the last of the Rephaim. Moses had struck down and removed them.
13 But the Israelites didn't remove the Geshurites or the Maacathites. So Geshur and Maacath still live among Israel today.
14 It was only to the tribe of Levi that he gave no legacy. Their legacy consists of the fire offerings for the LORD, the God of Israel, exactly as he had promised them.

For Reuben

15 Moses provided for the clans of the Reubenite tribe.
16 Their territory ran from Aroer by the rim of the Arnon Valley and the city in the middle of the ravine, and the whole plateau as far as Medeba.
17 It included Heshbon and all its cities that are on the plateau: Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon,
18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, the Zereth-shahar highlands,
20 Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth.
21 It included all the cities of the plateau and the whole kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon. Moses had struck him down, along with Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the leaders of Midian. They had lived in the land as princes of Sihon.
22 In addition to those others slain, the Israelites killed the fortune-teller Balaam, Beor's son, with the sword.
23 The border of the people of Reuben was the Jordan and the territory next to it. This was the legacy of the people of Reuben—for their clans, their cities, and their settlements.

For Gad

24 Moses provided for the clans of the Gadite tribe.
25 Their territory was Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer near Rabbah.
26 It also ran from Heshbon as far as Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim as far as the territory of Lidebir.
27 In the valley were Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon. This was the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon. It included the Jordan and the territory next to it up to the tip of the Chinnereth Sea on the east side of the Jordan.
28 This was the legacy of the Gadites—for their clans, their cities, and their settlements.

For half of Manasseh

29 Moses provided for half the tribe of Manasseh. It was for the clans in half the tribe of the people of Manasseh.
30 Their territory ran from Mahanaim, all Bashan, the whole kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all sixty of the tent villages of Jair that are in Bashan.
31 Half of Gilead along with Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, belonged to the people of Machir son of Manasseh. It belonged to the clans for half of the people of Machir.
32 Moses assigned these territories when he was in the Moab plains on the other side of the Jordan, east of Jericho.
33 But Moses gave no legacy to the tribe of Levi. The LORD God of Israel is their legacy, exactly as he promised them.

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.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. LXX; MT lacks As for the other half of the tribe of Manasseh.
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