Joshua 13:2-13

13:2 This is the land that remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all the Geshurites, 13:3 from the Shihor River ¹  east of ²  Egypt northward to the territory of Ekron (it is regarded as Canaanite territory), ³  including the area belonging to the five Philistine lords who ruled in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as Avvite land ⁴  13:4 to the south; ⁵  all the Canaanite territory, ⁶  from Arah ⁷  in the region of Sidon ⁸  to Aphek, as far as Amorite territory; 13:5 the territory of Byblos ⁹  and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath. ¹⁰  13:6 I will drive out before the Israelites all who live in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, ¹¹  all the Sidonians; you be sure to parcel it out to Israel as I instructed you.” ¹²  13:7 Now, divide up this land ¹³  among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

Tribal Lands East of the Jordan

13:8 The other half of Manasseh, ¹⁴  Reuben, and Gad received their allotted tribal lands beyond the Jordan, ¹⁵  just as Moses, the Lord’s servant, had assigned them. 13:9 Their territory started ¹⁶  from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley), included the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plain of Medeba as far as Dibon, 13:10 and all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon, and ended at the Ammonite border. 13:11 Their territory also included ¹⁷  Gilead, Geshurite and Maacathite territory, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah – 13:12 the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. (He was one of the few remaining Rephaites.) ¹⁸  Moses defeated them and took their lands. ¹⁹  13:13 But the Israelites did not conquer ²⁰  the Geshurites and Maacathites; Geshur and Maacah live among Israel to this very day.

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¹ tn Heb “the Shihor”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.

² tn Heb “in front of.”

³ tn Heb “it is reckoned to the Canaanites.”

⁴ tn Heb “the five lords of the Philistines, the Gazaite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gathite, and the Ekronite, and the Avvites.”

⁵ tn Or “from Teman.” The phrase is especially problematic if taken with what follows, as the traditional verse division suggests. For further discussion see T. C. Butler, Joshua (WBC), 146.

⁶ tn Heb “all the land of the Canaanites.”

⁷ tc The reading “Arah” assumes a slight emendation of the Hebrew vowel pointing. The MT reads, “and a cave,” or “and Mearah” (if one understands the word as a proper noun).

⁸ tn Heb “which belongs to the Sidonians.”

map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.

⁹ tn Heb “and the land of the Gebalites.”

¹⁰ tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.” Most modern translations take the phrase “Lebo Hamath” to be a proper name, but often provide a note with the alternative, where “Hamath” is the proper name and לְבוֹא (lÿvo’) is taken to mean “entrance to.”

¹¹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew name “Misrephoth Maim” is perhaps “lime-kilns by the water” (see HALOT 2:641).

¹² tn Heb “only you, assign it by lots to Israel as an inheritance as I commanded you.”

¹³ tn Heb “now apportion this land as an inheritance.”

¹⁴ tn The MT reads “with him,” which is problematic, since the reference would be to the other half of the tribe of Manasseh (not the half mentioned in v. 7).

¹⁵ tn Heb “received their inheritance, which Moses had assigned to them beyond the Jordan.”

¹⁶ tn The words “their territory started” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹⁷ tn The words “their territory also included” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹⁸ tn Heb “from the remnant of the Rephaites.”

sn The Rephaites were apparently an extremely tall ethnic group. See Deut 2:10-11, 20; 3:11.

¹⁹ tn Or “dispossessed them.”

²⁰ tn Or “dispossess.”