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Joshua Chapter
Thirteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 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, Joshua 13:1; 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, Joshua 13:8; that
is described in general, Joshua 13:9; and,
then the particular portion of Reuben, Joshua 13:15; and
of Gad, Joshua 13:24; and
of the half tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 13:29.
Joshua 13:1 Now
Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him:
“You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be
possessed.
YLT
1And Joshua is old, entering
into days, and Jehovah saith unto him, `Thou hast become aged, thou hast
entered into days; as to the land, very much hath been left to possess.
Now Joshua was old, and stricken in years,.... How old
he was cannot be said precisely, but it is very probable he was now about an
hundred years of age, for he lived to be an hundred ten; and the land of Canaan
was seven years in dividing, as the Jews generally say, and it seems as if he
did not live long after that:
and the Lord said unto him: either spoke to him out
of the tabernacle, or appeared to him in a dream or vision:
thou art old, and stricken in years, and there remaineth
yet very much land to be possessed: that is, very much of
the land of Canaan, which God had promised to Abraham, yet remained unconquered
by Joshua, and unpossessed by the children of Israel; and the old age of Joshua
is observed, to intimate to him that through it, and the infirmities of it, he
was unable to go out to war, and to finish this work, which must be left to be
done by others hereafter; and that he should with all expedition set about
another work he was capable of doing, before he died, which was the division of
the land among the tribes of Israel.
Joshua 13:2 2 This is the land that yet
remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the
Geshurites,
YLT
2`This [is] the land that is
left; all the circuits of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
This is the land that yet remaineth,....
Unconquered and not enjoyed, namely, what is after described; and this account
is given for Joshua's information, that he might know what to divide, and for
the people of Israel's sake, that they might know what they had a right to a
claim upon; what they should endeavour to possess themselves of, and what the
Lord would deliver into their hands, provided they were obedient to his will,
for, because they were not, hence many of these places never came into their
possession, though divided to them by lot:
all the borders of the Philistines; whose country bordered
and lay upon the shores of the Mediterranean sea, in the southwest of the land
of Canaan:
and all Geshuri; the principal city belonging to it is said
to be in Syria, 2 Samuel 15:8; and
had a king over it in the times of David, 2 Samuel 3:3; and
seems never to have come into the hands of the Israelites.
Joshua 13:3 3 from Sihor, which is
east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted
as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites,
the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites;
YLT
3from Sihor which [is] on
the front of Egypt, and unto the border of Ekron northward, to the Canaanite it
is reckoned, five princes of the Philistines, the Gazathite, and the
Ashdothite, the Eshkalonite, the Gittite, and the Ekronite, also the Avim.
From Sihor, which is before Egypt,.... Which
Jarchi and Kimchi interpret of the river Nile, and so that river is called, Jeremiah 2:18; it
seems to have this name from the waters of it being black and turbid; and hence
it was called by the Greeks "Melas"; and by the Latins
"Melo"; though it is thought, that not properly the river itself is
here meant, which did not reach to the borders of Palestine, but a branch of
it, a rivulet from it, for so a travellerF1Jodocus a Gistella apud
Drusium in loc. writes,"in a journey of about five days from Gaza towards
Egypt, the hithermost arm of the Nile is received by the sea, and is commonly
called Carabus?"
even unto the borders of Ekron northward: that is, from
the southwest of Palestine, near to which was the river Nile, to the northern
part of it, where stood the principality of Ekron, one of the five which
belonged to the Philistines:
which is counted to
the Canaanite; which was reckoned as belonging to the posterity of Canaan,
though the Philistines got possession of it, who descended from Mizraim; and
indeed it was only accounted as belonging to Canaan and his sons; of right, and
according to the grant of God, it belonged to the seed of Abraham:
five lords of the Philistines; who had not kings, as
other countries and cities in the land of Canaan had, and their cities were
called lordships, principalities, and not kingdoms, and are as follow:
the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the
Gittites,
and the Ekronites: so called from Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon,
Gath, and Ekron, the cities they were in possession of:
also the Avites; it is not certain whether these were a
distinct principality from the other five, or a people dispersed among them;
which seems most likely, since those were the original inhabitants, but were
driven out or destroyed by the Philistines, though it seems some remained and
dwelt among them; see Deuteronomy 2:23.
Joshua 13:4 4 from the south, all the
land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as
Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;
YLT
4`From the south, all the
land of the Canaanite, and Mearah, which [is] to the Sidonians, unto Aphek,
unto the border of the Amorite;
From the south, all the land of the Canaanites,.... That is,
of those Canaanites who were particularly so called, in distinction from those
of the other nations or tribes, and who dwelt in several parts of the land,
some in the east and others in the west, see Joshua 11:3; and,
as it seems here, some in the south: now on the side of the south, as Kimchi
interprets it, all the land of the Canaanites was left, that is, remained
unconquered and not possessed:
and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians; the
inhabitants of Sidon, and parts adjacent: what this place was, which belonged
to the Sidonians, for so it may better be rendered, is not certain; some take
it to be a cave belonging to them: SandysF2Travels, l. 3. p. 169.
Ed. 5. speaks of a number of caves cut out of the rock in those parts, called
the caves of the Sidonians, and afterwards the caves of Tyre; so it is
interpreted by the Targum, and in the Syriac and Arabic versions others take it
to be the river Magoras, PlinyF3Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 20. makes
mention of as on the borders of Lebanon near Zidon and Berytus: mention is made
of the waters of Mearah along with the waters of Tiberias in Jewish writingsF4Misn.
Sabbat. c. 22. sect. 5. T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 6. 1. ; but rather something of
more importance than a cave or a river is meant; most likely a tract of land
near Sidon, and which belonged to it, and reached
unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites; of this
place; see Gill on Joshua 12:18.
Joshua 13:5 5 the land of the Gebalites,[a] and all
Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the
entrance to Hamath;
YLT
5and the land of the
Giblite, and all Lebanon, at the sun-rising, from Baal-Gad under mount Hermon,
unto the going in to Hamath:
And the land of the Giblites,.... This was another
country that remained unconquered; the Greeks call it Byblus, and near to which
PlinyF5Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 20.) speaks of a place called
Gabale, and is now called Gibyle; it isF6Maundrel's Journey from
Aleppo, &c. p. 33. said to be"pleasantly situated by the seaside, and
at present it contains but a little extent of ground, but yet more than enough
for the small number of its inhabitants:'it was in greater splendour, and its
inhabitants of more fame, in the times of Ezekiel, Ezekiel 27:9,
and all Lebanon toward the sunrising; or east of
the land; all that inhabited that mountain remained unconquered, though the
conquest was carried as far as the borders thereof:
from Baalgad, under Mount Hermon; of which see Joshua 11:17;
unto the entering into Hamath: which was the north
border of the land; see Numbers 34:8.
Joshua 13:6 6 all the inhabitants of the
mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth,[b] and
all the Sidonians—them I will drive out from before the children of Israel;
only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you.
YLT
6all the inhabitants of the
hill-country, from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-Maim, all the Sidonians: I -- I
dispossess them before the sons of Israel; only, cause it to fall to Israel for
an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
All the inhabitants of the hill country,.... Not in
Judea, but in and about Lebanon, as follows:
from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim; of which see Joshua 11:8,
and all the Sidonians; the
inhabitants of the ancient city of Sidon, and the villages and lands belonging
to it: these remained unconquered, and never were possessed by the Israelites:
them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: which, though
it may have a special respect unto the Sidonians, with whom the clause is
closely connected, yet may include all the above lands unconquered, out of
which, as well as Sidon, the Lord promises to drive the inhabitants, to make
way for the children of Israel; that is, on condition of their obedience, for
it appears that not only the Sidonians, but many others, even the chief, and
most of those mentioned, were never possessed by them:
only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance; that is, the
whole land, as Abarbinel rightly remarks, both what was subdued and what was
not; that was the business, and all the business, Joshua had now to do; he was
not to be employed in making any further conquests, but leave them to others,
and apply himself to the division of the land, by lot, to the tribes that as
yet had no portion assigned them:
as I have commanded thee; now, at this time.
Joshua 13:7 7 Now therefore, divide this
land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
YLT
7`And now, apportion this
land for an inheritance to the nine tribes, and the half of the tribe of
Manasseh,' –
Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance,.... Having
the command and authority of God for it, he was to set about it at once, with
all diligence and application:
unto the nine tribes: of Judah, Simeon,
Benjamin, Dan, Ephraim, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali, in which order
they are placed, when the Lord gave to Moses the names of the men that should
divide the land under Eleazar and Joshua, Numbers 34:16,
and the half tribe of Manasseh; that half which had no
inheritance on the other side Jordan, and for which a prince of the children of
Joseph was appointed to divide, Numbers 34:23.
Joshua 13:8 8 With the other half-tribe
the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses had
given them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord had given
them:
YLT
8with it the Reubenite, and
the Gadite, have received their inheritance, which Moses hath given to them
beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses servant of Jehovah hath given to them;
With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their
inheritance,.... That is, along with the half tribe of Manasseh, but not with
that half of it before mentioned, who was to haven division of a part with the
nine tribes, but with the other half of the tribe settled beyond Jordan; with
them the tribes of Reuben and Gad had received their portion at their own
request, and so were to have no share in the present distribution:
which Moses gave them beyond Jordan eastward; at their
desire, Numbers 32:1, and
upon certain conditions to be performed by them, Numbers 32:20,
even as Moses the
servant of the Lord gave them; this character of Moses, as the
"servant of the Lord", seems to be observed to show that he gave the
said tribes their inheritance: according to the will of God, and in obedience
to it: here end the words of the Lord to Joshua, and next follows an account of
the land given to the two tribes and a half described by the writer of this
book.
Joshua 13:9 9 from Aroer which is
on the bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the
ravine, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon;
YLT
9from Aroer, which [is] on
the edge of the brook Arnon, and the city which [is] in the midst of the brook,
and all the plain of Medeba unto Dihon,
From Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon,.... A city
belonging to Moab, from whence the description begins, the river Arnon, on
which it was situated, being the border between Moab and the Amorites, Numbers 21:13,
and the city that is in the midst of the river; or "even
the city"; meaning the same city of Aroer, it lying both on the bank of it,
and in the middle of it, or it was a double city, as may seem from Isaiah 17:2; and so
differently situated at that river:
and all the plains of Medeba unto Dibon; of these two
places, see Numbers 21:30;
between them lay a plain, which some take to be the plain of Moab; but it
rather seems to be a plain that was between these two places, and, according to
Joshua 13:17, Dibon
itself was in a plain.
Joshua 13:10 10 all the cities of Sihon
king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the
children of Ammon;
YLT
10and all the cities of Sihon
king of the Amorite, who reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the Bene-Ammon,
And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in
Heshbon,.... A city he took from the Moabites, and made it his royal
seat, Numbers 21:26,
unto the border of the children of Ammon; which was the
river Jabbok, Deuteronomy 3:16.
Joshua 13:11 11 Gilead, and the border of
the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as
Salcah;
YLT
11and Gilead, and the border
of the Geshurite, and of the Maachathite, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan
unto Salcah;
And Gilead,.... The land of Gilead, which was part of the kingdom of Og,
half of which was given to Reuben, and the other half to Gad:
and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites; of which see Deuteronomy 3:14,
and all Mount Hermon; called also Sirion,
Shenir, and Sion, Deuteronomy 3:9,
and all Bashan unto Salcah; another part of the
dominions of Og, Deuteronomy 3:10.
Joshua 13:12 12 all the kingdom of Og in
Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the
giants; for Moses had defeated and cast out these.
YLT
12all the kingdom of Og in
Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei; he was left of the remnant of
the Rephaim, and Moses doth smite them, and dispossess them;
All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in
Edrei,.... See Gill on Joshua 12:4,
who remained of the remnant of the giants; was descended
from those that remained in Ashtaroth, after the rest were cut off by
Chedorlaomer, Genesis 14:5;
called there the Rephaim, as here:
for these did Moses smite, and cast them out: that is, not
only the giants, but the inhabitants of the above kingdom, the greatest part of
them; for the Geshurites and the Maachathites are excepted in Joshua 13:13.
Joshua 13:13 13 Nevertheless the children
of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the
Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.
YLT
13and the sons of Israel
dispossessed not the Geshurite, and the Maachathite; and Geshur and Maachath
dwell in the midst of Israel unto this day.
Nevertheless, the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites,
nor the Maachathites,.... Neither in the times of Moses, nor in the times of Joshua:
but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites
until this day: in full possession of their cities unmolested; yea, in later times
they became separate and distinct kingdoms; for we read both of the king of
Geshur, and of the king of Maachah, 2 Samuel 3:3.
Joshua 13:14 14 Only to the tribe of Levi
he had given no inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel
made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them.
YLT
14Only, to the tribe of Levi
he hath not given an inheritance; fire-offerings of Jehovah, God of Israel, is
its inheritance, as He hath spoken to it.
Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance,.... Neither
the Lord, nor Moses by his order, nor did he appoint any inheritance for them,
either beyond Jordan, or on this side it, for the Lord was to be their
inheritance, Numbers 18:20;
the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are
their inheritance, as he said unto them; Deuteronomy 18:1;
and which are put for the whole of what was granted to them for their
subsistence, as tithes, firstfruits, &c.
Joshua 13:15 15 And Moses had given to the
tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance according to their
families.
YLT
15And Moses giveth to the
tribe of the sons of Reuben, for their families;
And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance
according to their families. According to the number of them, and
sufficient for them.
Joshua 13:16 16 Their territory was from
Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is
in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain by Medeba;
YLT
16and the border is to them
from Aroer, which [is] on the edge of the brook Arnon, and the city which [is]
in the midst of the brook, and all the plain by Medeba,
And their coast was from Aroer that is on the bank of the
river Arnon,.... As the country of Sihon is described, Joshua 13:9; from
whence it appears that it was his country which was given to Reuben, though not
all of it:
and the city that is in the midst of the river; See Gill on Joshua 13:9,
and all the plain by Medeba; which reached unto
Dibon, Joshua 13:9.
Joshua 13:17 17 Heshbon and all its cities
that are in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,
YLT
17Heshbon, and all its cities
which [are] in the plain, Dibon, and Bamoth-Baal, and Beth-Baal-Meon,
Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain,.... Which was
by Medeba, and reached to Dibon:
Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon; Dibon was
rebuilt by Gad, though it belonged to Reuben, and perhaps was inhabited by
both, being on the borders of each; and Bamothbaal signifies the high places of
Baal; see Numbers 22:41;
perhaps this is the same with Bamoth in the valley, Numbers 21:20; and
Bethbaalmeon is the same with Baalmeon in Numbers 32:38;
where it is highly probable was a temple of Baal, since both "beth"
signifies an house, and "meon" an habitation.
Joshua 13:18 18 Jahaza, Kedemoth,
Mephaath,
YLT
18and Jahazah, and Kedemoth,
and Mephaath,
And Jahazah,.... Called Jahaz, Numbers 21:23,
where the battle was fought between Sihon and Israel:
and Kedemoth; near to which was a wilderness, which took
its name from it, from whence Moses sent messengers with words of peace to
Sihon, Deuteronomy 2:26,
and Mephaath; thought to be the Maipha of PtolemyF6Geograph.
l. 6. c. 7. ; here Jerom saysF7De loc Heb. fol. 93. D. , in his time
was a garrison of Roman soldiers, because of the desert that was near. It was a
city, with its suburbs, given to the Levites, as were the two preceding, Joshua 21:36;
AdrichomiusF8Theatrum Ter. Sanct. p. 179. takes it to be the same
with Malle, which, Josephus says,F9Antiqu. l. 12. c. 8. sect. 3. was
called the city of the strangers.
Joshua 13:19 19 Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth
Shahar on the mountain of the valley,
YLT
19and Kirjathaim, and Sibmah,
and Zareth-Shahar, in the mount of the valley,
And Kirjathaim,.... Of which See Gill on Numbers 32:37,
and Sibmah; of which See Gill on Numbers 32:3 and
See Gill on Numbers 32:38,
and Zarethshahar, in the mount of the valley; which was
built on one of the mountains that looked over the valley of Moab, as did Nebo,
Pisgah, Abarim; perhaps it is the same place JosephusF11Antiqu. l.
13. c. 15. sect. 4. calls Zara, to which he joins the valley of the Cilicians,
and mentions it along with Heshbon, Medeba, and other cities of Moab; according
to AdrichomiusF12Ut supra, (Theatrum Ter. Sanct.) p. 130. , it was
in the mount of the valley of Bethpeor, which next follows.
Joshua 13:20 20 Beth Peor, the slopes of
Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth—
YLT
20and Beth-Peor, and the
springs of Pisgah, and Beth-Jeshimoth,
And Bethpeor,.... So called from Peor, the idol of the
Moabites, and where very likely there had been a temple built to the honour of
it; over against this place was a valley, where Israel abode some time, Deuteronomy 3:29,
and Ashdodpisgah; of which see Deuteronomy 3:17,
and Bethjeshimoth; of which see Numbers 33:49.
Joshua 13:21 21 all the cities of the
plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in
Heshbon, whom Moses had struck with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur,
Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the country.
YLT
21and all the cities of the
plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorite, who reigned in
Heshbon, whom Moses smote, with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur,
and Hur, and Reba, princes of Sihon, inhabitants of the land.
And all the cities of the plain,.... In the champaign
country, as well as those in the mountainous part:
and all the kingdom of Sihon; or, as Masius renders
the words, "which all had been the kingdom of Sihon"; for the whole
kingdom of Sihon was not given to Reuben, only a part of it, and the rest to
Gad, as in Joshua 13:27,
king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon; as in Joshua 13:10,
whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and
Zur,
and Hur, and Reba; not at the same time that Sihon was smitten
by him, but afterwards in a war with Midian, Numbers 31:8; where
their names are given as here; and there they are called kings of Midian, petty
kings, and, as it seems by what follows, were subject to Sihon, and therefore
are here mentioned:
which were dukes of Sihon
dwelling in the country; for Midian, as Kimchi supposes, and not without reason, was
under the government of Sihon, and these were his nobles, though they dwelt in
the land of Midian.
Joshua 13:22 22 The children of Israel
also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those
who were killed by them.
YLT
22And Balaam, son of Beor,
the diviner, have the sons of Israel slain with the sword, among their wounded
ones.
Balaam also, the son of Beor the soothsayer, did the children of
Israel slay with the sword,.... At the same time that the princes of
Midian were slain, and which is also observed; see Gill on Numbers 31:8.
Kimchi supposes that he returned to Midian, on hearing that the counsel he gave
to them, to ensnare Israel with their daughters, had taken effect, in order to
receive his wages, and so received his righteous doom and just reward; it is
commonly said by the JewsF13T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 106. 2. Kimchi
in loc. , that he was slain by Phinehas:
among them that were slain by them; among the above princes,
and the common soldiers, of which there was a great slaughter; even all the
males of Midian were slain, Numbers 31:7.
Joshua 13:23 23 And the border of the
children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance
of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their
villages.
YLT
23And the border of the sons
of Reuben is the Jordan, and [its] border; this [is] the inheritance of the
sons of Reuben, for their families, the cities and their villages.
And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the
border thereof,.... As their border eastward was Aroer on the river Arnon, so
their border westward was the river Jordan:
this was the inheritance of the children of Reuben, after
their families, the cities and the villages thereof; which Moses
gave them on the other side Jordan; and next follow an account of the
inheritance of the tribe of Gad in those parts.
Joshua 13:24 24 Moses also had given an
inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their
families.
YLT
24And Moses giveth to the
tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad, for their families;
And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad,.... On the
other side Jordan, as he did to Reuben:
even unto the
children of Gad, according to their families: according to the number
and largeness of them, dividing to each their part and portion.
Joshua 13:25 25 Their territory was Jazer,
and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as
Aroer, which is before Rabbah,
YLT
25and the border is to them
Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and the half of the land of the
Bene-Ammon, unto Aroer which [is] on the front of Rabbah,
And their coast was Jazer,.... Their southern
coast; of Jazer, see Numbers 21:32;
where it is called Jaazer, and is mentioned in Isaiah 16:8; and in
Jeremiah 48:32,
where it is spoken of as a city of Moab, as it was in the days of those
prophets:
and all the cities of Gilead; which lay in those
parts, for the whole was not given to this tribe, half of Gilead was given to
the half tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 13:31,
and half the land of the children of Ammon; not what then
belonged to them, but what had been taken from them by the Amorites; and which
Israel taking from them, had a right to retain, though they were forbid
meddling with any of their land in present possession; see Deuteronomy 2:19 Judges 11:13,
unto Aroer that is before Rabbath; Aroer was a
city of Moab, situated on the river Arnon, Joshua 13:9; and
stood over against Rabbath, a city of the Amorites, since called Philadelphia,
the same that Joab took, 2 Samuel 12:26;
though Reland thinksF14Palestin. Illustrat. tom. 2. p. 583. , that
according to the situation of these cities another Aroer must be here meant,
and which belonged to the Amorites.
Joshua 13:26 26 and from Heshbon to Ramath
Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir,
YLT
26and from Heshbon unto
Ramath-Mispeh, and Betonim, and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir,
And from Heshbon unto Ramathmizpeh, and Betonim,.... This was
their coast from the south to the north, and so describes their eastern border,
which reached from Heshbon, given to the tribe of Reuben, Joshua 13:7; to
these places mentioned; Ramathmizpeh, the same with Ramothgilead, which JeromF15De
loc. Heb. fol. 99. A. says was a village in his time, and lay two miles from
Philadelphia or Rabbath before mentioned, to the east; it should be to the
west; of Betonim we nowhere else read, it seems to have been near to Ramath:
and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir; the former of
these was the place where the angels met Jacob, and who gave it the name from
thence; and in later times a city of this name was built there, and was near
the river Jabbok, Genesis 32:2; Debir
is different from that in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:15; in
the Septuagint version here it is called Daibon, perhaps the same with Dibon,
the tribe of Gad rebuilt, and is called Dibongad, Numbers 32:34;
unless Lidbar here should be the same with Lodebar in Gilead, 2 Samuel 17:27.
Joshua 13:27 27 and in the valley Beth
Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king
of Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge of the Sea
of Chinnereth, on the other side of the Jordan eastward.
YLT
27and in the valley,
Beth-Aram, and Beth-Nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of
Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan and [its] border, unto the extremity of the
sea of Chinnereth, beyond the Jordan, eastward.
And in the valley, Betharam,.... The same with
Bethharan; see Gill on Numbers 32:36,
and Bethnimrah; sometimes called Nimrah, Numbers 32:3; near
to which were some waters, called the waters of Nimrim, Isaiah 15:6; It was
in Jerom'sF16De loc. Heb. fol. 93. I. time a large village; it seems
to have its name from leopards, which perhaps had their haunts hereabout:
and Succoth: the place where Jacob pitched his tent after he had passed over
Jabbok; it is called in the Jerusalem TalmudF17T. Hieros. Sheviith,
fol. 38. 4. Thaarabah:
and Zaphon; which in the same Talmud is Amatho or Amathus, which Jerom saysF18De
loc. Heb. fol. 88. E. is a village beyond Jordan, twenty one miles from Pella
to the south, though he places it in the tribe of Reuben:
the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon; which was not
given to the tribe of Reuben, Joshua 13:21,
Jordan and his border; that is, the cities
which were near it, as Kimchi; or that were upon the bank of it, as Jarchi:
even unto the edge
of the sea of Chinnereth; the same with the lake of Gennesaret, Luke 5:1,
on the other side Jordan eastward; the other from that in
which the inheritance of Gad lay, which was beyond Jordan, from the land of
Canaan.
Joshua 13:28 28 This is the
inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and
their villages.
YLT
28This [is] the inheritance
of the sons of Gad, for their families, the cities and their villages.
This is the inheritance of the children of Gad, after their
families,.... As described in Joshua 13:27,
the cities and their villages; the cities given them,
some of which are mentioned by name, and the villages adjacent and belonging to
them were included in them.
Joshua 13:29 29 Moses also had given an
inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh; it was for half the tribe of the
children of Manasseh according to their families:
YLT
29And Moses giveth to the
half of the tribe of Manasseh; and it is to the half of the tribe of the sons
of Manasseh, for their families.
And Moses gave inheritance unto the half tribe of Manasseh,.... Whether
at their request or of himself, there being land enough for them, and the two
tribes of Gad and Reuben, is not certain:
and this is the possession of the half tribe of
Manasseh, by their families; which is after related and described.
Joshua 13:30 30 Their territory was from
Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns
of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities;
YLT
30And their border is from
Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the small
towns of Jair, which [are] in Bashan, sixty cities;
And their coast was from Mahanaim,.... A place in the tribe
of Gad, Joshua 13:26; which
was the boundary of the half tribe that way:
all Bashan; so famous for its oxen, and for pasturage for them, and for its
oaks, called by Josephus Batanea:
all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan; which,
besides Bashan, took in the kingdom of Argob or Trachonitis, half the land of
Gilead, all which was possessed by the half tribe of Manasseh: see Deuteronomy 3:13,
and all the towns of, Jair which are in Bashan, threescore
cities; of Jair, and his relation to Manasseh, and of his taking these
cities, and the number of them, see Numbers 33:41.
Joshua 13:31 31 half of Gilead, and
Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the
children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir
according to their families.
YLT
31and the half of Gilead, and
Ashteroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, [are] to the sons
of Machir, son of Manasseh, to the half of the sons of Machir, for their
families.
And half Gilead,.... The other half not given to the
Gadites, who had that half of it which Sihon possessed, and the tribe of
Manasseh that half of it which Og possessed, see Deuteronomy 3:12,
and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; which are
particularly mentioned, because royal cities, Joshua 13:10; see Deuteronomy 1:4,
were pertaining unto the
children of Machir the son of Manasseh; and who was his only
son; however, to his posterity only was this inheritance given, though not to
them all:
even to one half of
the children of Machir, by their families; which seems to confirm
it that Manasseh had no other son, since his whole posterity, both the half
tribe on the other side, as well as that in the land of Canaan, were
denominated from him; though he seems to have had another son, who perhaps died
without issue, 1 Chronicles 7:14.
Joshua 13:32 32 These are the areas
which Moses had distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab on the
other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward.
YLT
32These [are] they whom Moses
caused to inherit in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, [by] Jericho,
eastward;
These are the countries which Moses did distribute for
inheritance in the plains of Moab,.... Which is
particularly described, that each might know their proper portion:
on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward; of the land
of Canaan; of Jordan by Jericho; see Gill on Numbers 22:1.
Joshua 13:33 33 But to the tribe of Levi
Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was
their inheritance, as He had said to them.
YLT
33and to the tribe of Levi
Moses gave not an inheritance; Jehovah, God of Israel, Himself [is] their
inheritance, as He hath spoken to them.
But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance,.... Neither
on the other side Jordan, nor did he order them any in Canaan; but expressly
declared they were to have no part in the division of it, though they were his
own tribe; which shows him to be a disinterested man, that he faithfully
observed the orders and instructions the Lord gave him:
the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said
unto them; what was given to the Lord out of the sacrifices, and the
tithes, and firstfruits, that were theirs; see Numbers 18:20.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)