Joshua 13 Study Notes

13:13 The presence of Geshur and Maacath as independent entities is attested during the time of David. He married the daughter of Geshur’s king and fathered Absalom (2Sm 3:3). The statement that Israel did not drive out the Canaanites becomes a sad refrain in Joshua and Judges (16:10; 17:13; Jdg 1).

13:14 In accord with Dt 18:1, the tribe of Levi received no inheritance of land. See, however, Jos 21.

13:15-23 Reuben’s allotment also began at Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley. It is described through a town list (vv. 17-20).

13:21-22 For the deaths of Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur . . . Reba, and Balaam son of Beor, see Nm 31:8.

13:25 With Rabbah (modern Amman) as the Ammonite capital, this allotment took over half the land of the Ammonites.

13:26 This verse appears to designate towns along the border of Gad located in the higher plateau region inland toward the desert.

13:27 This verse provides a list of towns in the Jordan Valley extending as far north as the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee). The identification of Succoth with modern Tell Deir ‘Alla is intriguing in light of v. 22 because at this site in 1967 archaeologists discovered fragmentary texts on white plaster that describe purported visions of Balaam son of Beor.

13:30 Jair’s Villages numbered sixty cities (here city is a term that can describe a small hamlet). A judge named Jair (Jdg 10:4) had thirty sons who ruled over half of them.

13:31 In 17:1 Machir son of Manasseh received Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan. The other sons of Manasseh received inheritances west of that river.

13:33 As with the regional summary of vv. 8-14, so the summary of specific allotments ends with a note about the absence of a portion for the tribe of Levi.