Study Desk

Land Still to Be Taken

When Joshua had grown old,^(a) the Lord said to him, "You are now 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^(b) and Geshurites,^(c)

from the Shihor River^(d) on the east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron^(e) on the north, all of it counted as Canaanite though held by the five Philistine rulers^(f) in Gaza, Ashdod,^(g) Ashkelon,^(h) Gath and Ekron; the territory of the Avvites⁽ⁱ⁾

on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek^(j) and the border of the Amorites;^(k)

the area of Byblos;^(l) and all Lebanon^(m) to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon⁽ⁿ⁾ to Lebo Hamath.^(o)

"As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim,^(p) that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out^(q) before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you,^(r)

and divide it as an inheritance^(s) among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh."

The other half of Manasseh,^[a] 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^(t) it to them.^(u)

It extended from Aroer^(v) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and included the whole plateau^(w) of Medeba as far as Dibon,^(x)

and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon,^(y) out to the border of the Ammonites.^(z)

It also included Gilead,^(aa) the territory of the people of Geshur and Maakah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salekah^(ab)—

that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan,^(ac) who had reigned in Ashtaroth^(ad) and Edrei.^(ae) (He was the last of the Rephaites.^(af)) Moses had defeated them and taken over their land.^(ag)

But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur^(ah) and Maakah,^(ai) so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.^(aj)

But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the food offerings presented to the Lord , the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them.^(ak)

This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben, according to its clans:

The territory from Aroer^(al) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and the whole plateau past Medeba^(am)

to Heshbon and all its towns on the plateau,^(an) including Dibon,^(ao) Bamoth Baal,^(ap) Beth Baal Meon,^(aq)

Jahaz,^(ar) Kedemoth,^(as) Mephaath,^(at)

Kiriathaim,^(au) Sibmah,^(av) Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley,

Beth Peor,^(aw) the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth—

all the towns on the plateau^(ax) and the entire realm of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon. Moses had defeated him and the Midianite chiefs,^(ay) Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba^(az)—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,^(ba) who practiced divination.^(bb)

The boundary of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Reubenites, according to their clans.^(bc)

This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, according to its clans:

The territory of Jazer,^(bd) all the towns of Gilead^(be) and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer, near Rabbah;^(bf)

and from Heshbon^(bg) to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim^(bh) to the territory of Debir;^(bi)

and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah,^(bj) Sukkoth^(bk) and Zaphon^(bl) 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 Galilee^[b](bm)).

These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Gadites,^(bn) according to their clans.

This is what Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the family of the descendants of Manasseh, according to its clans:

The territory extending from Mahanaim^(bo) and including all of Bashan,^(bp) the entire realm of Og king of Bashan^(bq)—all the settlements of Jair^(br) in Bashan, sixty towns,

half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei (the royal cities of Og in Bashan).^(bs) This was for the descendants of Makir^(bt) son of Manasseh—for half of the sons of Makir, according to their clans.^(bu)

This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab^(bv) across the Jordan east of Jericho.^(bw)

But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance;^(bx) the Lord , the God of Israel, is their inheritance,^(by) as he promised them.^(bz)

Division of the Land West of the Jordan

Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance^(a) in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar^(b) the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel^(c) allotted^(d) to them.^(e)

Their inheritances were assigned by lot^(f) to the nine and a half tribes,^(g) as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan^(h) but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest,⁽ⁱ⁾

for Joseph's descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim.^(j) The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.^(k)

So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.^(l)

Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal,^(m) and Caleb son of Jephunneh⁽ⁿ⁾ the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God^(o) at Kadesh Barnea^(p) about you and me.^(q)

I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea^(r) to explore the land.^(s) And I brought him back a report according to my convictions,^(t)

but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear.^(u) I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.^(v)

So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance^(w) and that of your children^(x) forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.'^[a]

"Now then, just as the Lord promised,^(y) he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved^(z) about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!^(aa)

I am still as strong^(ab) today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous^(ac) to go out to battle now as I was then.

Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.^(ad) You yourself heard then that the Anakites^(ae) were there and their cities were large and fortified,^(af) but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."

Then Joshua blessed^(ag) Caleb son of Jephunneh^(ah) and gave him Hebron^(ai) as his inheritance.^(aj)

So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord , the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.^(ak)

(Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba^(al) after Arba,^(am) who was the greatest man among the Anakites.) Then the land had rest^(an) from war.