Joshua 13, The Possessions of Levi, Gad, Reuben and Half-Manasseh

The Israelites have conquered Canaan -- or at least most of it.

Joshua 13: 1-5, YHWH's instructions as Joshua grows old.

When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.

    

"This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and Geshurites: from the Shihor River on the east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north, all of it counted as Canaanite (the territory of the five Philistine rulers in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron--that of the Avvites); from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek, the region of the Amorites, the area of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath."

This account begins with Joshua "old and well advanced in years". A similar statement will appear in Joshua 23: 1-2, as we wrap up the leadership of Joshua.

This is the first indication in the book of Joshua that not all regions of the land had been conquered. The conquest of the land was going to take a long time (Deuteronomy 7: 22) and here, after the first twelve chapters, we now jump to a later period where it is clear that the conquest is still not complete.

The area of the Gebalites is the area around Byblos, a city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in modern Lebanon. (NIV footnotes: "The area of Lebo Hamath" could be translated "Or to the entrance to Hamath")

 

Joshua 13: 6-14, Possessions of Manasseh

"As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you, and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh."

The other half of Manasseh, the Reubenites and the Gadites had received the inheritance that Moses had given them east of the Jordan, as he, the servant of the LORD, had assigned it to them. It extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and included the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon, and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, out to the border of the Ammonites. It also included Gilead, the territory of the people of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salecah--that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had survived as one of the last of the Rephaites. Moses had defeated them and taken over their land.

    

But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.

The inheritance of Manasseh is described. A complaint, not all that common in Joshua, is that the Israelites did not succeed in conquering the land; some people continue to live there "to this day."

Joshua 13: 14, Tribe of Levi is special

But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the offerings made by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them.

The tribe of Levi has YHWH as their inheritance!  This is a strange and special honor. But how the Levites will live in the land is still to be discussed.

Joshua 13: 15-23, Possessions of Reuben

This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben, clan by clan: The territory from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and the whole plateau past Medeba to Heshbon and all its towns on the plateau, including Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley, Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth --all the towns on the plateau and the entire realm of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon. Moses had defeated him and the Midianite chiefs, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba--princes allied with Sihon--who lived in that country.

    

In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination. The boundary of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Reubenites, clan by clan.

A map of these possessions will be given below.

Practicing divination (which was related to welcoming other gods) was always a capital crime in Israel.

Joshua 13: 24-28, Possessions of Gad

This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, clan by clan: The territory of Jazer, all the towns of Gilead and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer, near Rabbah; and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir; and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth and Zaphon with the rest of the realm of Sihon king of Heshbon (the east side of the Jordan, the territory up to the end of the Sea of Kinnereth). These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Gadites, clan by clan.

(The Sea of Kinnereth is the Sea of Galilee.)

Joshua 13: 29-33, Possessions of the half-tribe of Manasseh

This is what Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the family of the descendants of Manasseh, clan by clan: The territory extending from Mahanaim and including all of Bashan, the entire realm of Og king of Bashan--all the settlements of Jair in Bashan, sixty towns, half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei (the royal cities of Og in Bashan). This was for the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh--for half of the sons of Makir, clan by clan. This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho.

Here half of the tribe of Manasseh has been given, already, this territory on the east side of the Jordan River.

Joshua 13: 33, Tribe of Levi is special

But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them.

We repeat the earlier statement about the tribe of Levi, leaving out the phrase about offerings by fire.

A map of the divisions of Canaan, across the following ten chapters, is given above.

(This map can be found at this link.) The tribe of Manasseh has a large region (in blue) west of the Jordan and another region (in yellow) east of the  Jordan. Both portions border the Sea of Galilee (Sea of Kinnerith.) There are other maps with slightly different drawings; there are minor disagreements about how the boundaries translate into modern times.