Discovery BoxJoshua 13:1-7 
Context13:1 When Joshua was very old, 1 the Lord told him, “You are very old, and a great deal of land remains to be conquered. 13:2 This is the land that remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all the Geshurites, 13:3 from the Shihor River 2 east of 3 Egypt northward to the territory of Ekron (it is regarded as Canaanite territory), 4 including the area belonging to the five Philistine lords who ruled in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as Avvite land 5 13:4 to the south; 6 all the Canaanite territory, 7 from Arah 8 in the region of Sidon 9 to Aphek, as far as Amorite territory; 13:5 the territory of Byblos 10 and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 11 13:6 I will drive out before the Israelites all who live in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, 12 all the Sidonians; you be sure to parcel it out to Israel as I instructed you.” 13 13:7 Now, divide up this land 14 among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
1 tn Heb “was old, coming into the days.” This expression, referring to advancing in years, also occurs in the following clause.
2 tn Heb “the Shihor”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.
3 tn Heb “in front of.”
4 tn Heb “it is reckoned to the Canaanites.”
5 tn Heb “the five lords of the Philistines, the Gazaite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gathite, and the Ekronite, and the Avvites.”
6 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.
7 tn Heb “all the land of the Canaanites.”
8 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).
9 tn Heb “which belongs to the Sidonians.”
map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
10 tn Heb “and the land of the Gebalites.”
11 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.”
12 tn The meaning of the Hebrew name “Misrephoth Maim” is perhaps “lime-kilns by the water” (see HALOT 2:641).
13 tn Heb “only you, assign it by lots to Israel as an inheritance as I commanded you.”
14 tn Heb “now apportion this land as an inheritance.”
