Joshua 13 Study Notes: Land Still to Be Taken
With Joshua grown old, the LORD lists the large areas Israel has not yet conquered and orders the land divided anyway. The chapter then reviews the territory Moses gave Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh east of the Jordan, notes Balaam's death, and explains that Levi received the LORD instead of land.
General
What does 13:22 record about Balaam, the son of Beor?
Answer: Israel killed him in battle with the others
In the middle of Reuben's territory list, the text notes that Israel put to death the diviner Balaam, the son of Beor, among others who fell in that fighting (13:22). Divination, seeking hidden knowledge through forbidden practices, was banned in Israel (Deuteronomy 18:10). Numbers records that Balaam died alongside the five Midianite kings (Numbers 31:8). Although God had turned his hired curse into blessing, it was through Balaam’s counsel that the Midianite women drew Israel into unfaithfulness at Peor (Numbers 31:16), and the risen Jesus later recalls this teaching of Balaam as a snare for His people (Revelation 2:14).
- Joshua 13:22 (BSB)“The Israelites also killed the diviner Balaam son of Beor along with the others they put to the sword.”Israel killed Balaam the diviner along with others slain.
- Deuteronomy 18:10 (BSB)“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,”The law forbids anyone in Israel to practice divination.
- Numbers 31:8 (BSB)“Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.”Numbers records Balaam's death by the sword along with the five kings of Midian.
- Numbers 31:16 (BSB)““Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.”Moses says it was Balaam's counsel that led Israel into unfaithfulness at Peor.
- Revelation 2:14 (BSB)“But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.”Christ recalls Balaam's teaching that placed a stumbling block before Israel.
Theological
What end does 13:22 record for Balaam, the son of Beor?
Answer: Israel killed him in battle with the others
The allotment record pauses to note that Israel put the diviner Balaam, the son of Beor, to death among the others slain (13:22). His trade was one the law expressly forbade (Deuteronomy 18:10), and Numbers places his death beside the five Midianite kings (Numbers 31:8). God had overruled his attempt to curse Israel, yet it was through his counsel that the Midianite women led Israel into the unfaithfulness that brought the plague at Peor (Numbers 31:16), a teaching Christ Himself names when rebuking the church in Pergamum (Revelation 2:14).
- Joshua 13:22 (BSB)“The Israelites also killed the diviner Balaam son of Beor along with the others they put to the sword.”Israel killed Balaam the diviner along with others slain.
- Deuteronomy 18:10 (BSB)“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,”The law forbids anyone in Israel to practice divination.
- Numbers 31:8 (BSB)“Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.”Numbers records Balaam's death by the sword along with the five kings of Midian.
- Numbers 31:16 (BSB)““Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.”Moses says it was Balaam's counsel that led Israel into unfaithfulness at Peor.
- Revelation 2:14 (BSB)“But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.”Christ recalls Balaam's teaching that placed a stumbling block before Israel.
General
What did the LORD tell Joshua to do with the land that was not yet conquered (13:6-7)?
Answer: Assign it to the tribes by lot right away
The LORD promised that He Himself would drive out the hill-country peoples, including the Sidonians, and on the strength of that promise He told Joshua to parcel out the territory by lot (a drawing that left the choice to God) among nine tribes plus half of Manasseh (13:6-7). An inheritance is land handed down as a family's lasting possession. Assigning land that was not yet conquered was an act of trust in God's word: the gift was settled before the possession was complete. This carried out what the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the land be divided by lot (Numbers 33:54; 34:13), and Scripture teaches that every decision of the lot comes from the LORD (Proverbs 16:33).
- Joshua 13:6-7 (BSB)“All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians—I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.””The LORD promises to drive out the inhabitants and commands Joshua to divide the land by lot.
- Numbers 33:54 (BSB)“And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.”The command through Moses was that the land be divided by lot according to clans.
- Numbers 34:13 (BSB)“So Moses commanded the Israelites, “Apportion this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has commanded that it be given to the nine and a half tribes.”Moses had already said the land was to be apportioned by lot to the nine and a half tribes.
- Proverbs 16:33 (BSB)“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”The decision of the lot comes from the LORD, so the allotment expresses His will.
Theological
In 13:6-7, how was Joshua to treat the territory still held by the nations?
Answer: Assign it to the tribes by lot right away
The command rests on a promise: the LORD Himself will dispossess the hill-country peoples and the Sidonians, so Joshua is to apportion the territory by lot to the remaining tribes now (13:6-7). Allotting unconquered territory treats God's word as certain; the inheritance is assigned before it is fully possessed. The procedure executes the Mosaic command to distribute the territory by lot (Numbers 33:54; 34:13), and the lot itself is under God's sovereign direction (Proverbs 16:33), so each tribe's portion comes from the LORD.
- Joshua 13:6-7 (BSB)“All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians—I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.””The LORD promises to drive out the inhabitants and commands Joshua to divide the land by lot.
- Numbers 33:54 (BSB)“And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.”The command through Moses was that the land be divided by lot according to clans.
- Numbers 34:13 (BSB)“So Moses commanded the Israelites, “Apportion this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has commanded that it be given to the nine and a half tribes.”Moses had already said the land was to be apportioned by lot to the nine and a half tribes.
- Proverbs 16:33 (BSB)“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”The decision of the lot comes from the LORD, so the allotment expresses His will.
General
True or False: East of the Jordan, Israel drove out every people group, so that none were left living among them.
Answer: False
This is false. Although Moses had defeated the kings of the region, Israel failed to expel two peoples, the Geshurites and Maacathites, who, as the text says, still lived among Israel to this day (13:13). This is the first of several such notes in the allotment chapters; others mention the Canaanites left in Gezer and in the cities of Manasseh (16:10; 17:13). The LORD had warned through Moses that any inhabitants Israel allowed to stay would become like thorns in their sides (Numbers 33:55).
- Joshua 13:13 (BSB)“but the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites. So Geshur and Maacath dwell among the Israelites to this day.”Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, who still lived among them.
- Numbers 33:55 (BSB)“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle.”The LORD warned through Moses that inhabitants left in the land would harass Israel like barbs and thorns.
- Joshua 16:10 (BSB)“But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, but they are forced laborers.”Ephraim likewise did not drive out the Canaanites of Gezer.
- Joshua 17:13 (BSB)“However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor; but they failed to drive them out completely.”The Israelites put the Canaanites to forced labor but failed to drive them out completely.
Theological
True or False: According to 13:13, Israel fully dispossessed every people in the territory Moses had assigned east of the Jordan.
Answer: False
This is false. Despite Moses' victories, Israel left two peoples, the Geshurites and Maacathites, in place; the text says they remained among Israel to this day (13:13). The note introduces a recurring theme of incomplete possession in the allotment chapters (16:10; 17:13), against the background of the LORD's warning through Moses that peoples left in Canaan would turn into barbs and thorns to Israel (Numbers 33:55).
- Joshua 13:13 (BSB)“but the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites. So Geshur and Maacath dwell among the Israelites to this day.”Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, who still lived among them.
- Numbers 33:55 (BSB)“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle.”The LORD warned through Moses that inhabitants left in the land would harass Israel like barbs and thorns.
- Joshua 16:10 (BSB)“But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, but they are forced laborers.”Ephraim likewise did not drive out the Canaanites of Gezer.
- Joshua 17:13 (BSB)“However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor; but they failed to drive them out completely.”The Israelites put the Canaanites to forced labor but failed to drive them out completely.
General
The land Moses had given east of the Jordan was made up of which two kingdoms (13:10-12)?
Answer: Those of Sihon the Amorite and Og of Bashan
Moses' grant east of the Jordan (called the Transjordan) was the land of two kings Israel had defeated before crossing the river: Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled from Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, whom the text describes as one left over from the Rephaim (13:10-12; 13:21, 30). Numbers records both victories: Israel took Sihon's territory between the Arnon and Jabbok rivers (Numbers 21:24), and the LORD told Moses not to fear Og, for He had handed him over (Numbers 21:34). Moses later recalls taking the land of these two Amorite kings (Deuteronomy 3:8). The other kings named belong to other lands or to Joshua's later battles west of the Jordan.
- Joshua 13:10-12 (BSB)“and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites; also Gilead and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, all of Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah— the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim. Moses had struck them down and dispossessed them,”The eastern inheritance includes the cities of Sihon and the whole kingdom of Og.
- Numbers 21:24 (BSB)“And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.”Israel defeated Sihon and took his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok.
- Numbers 21:34 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.””The LORD told Moses not to fear Og, because He had delivered him and his land into Moses' hand.
- Deuteronomy 3:8 (BSB)“At that time we took from the two kings of the Amorites the land across the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Hermon—”Moses recalls taking the land beyond the Jordan from the two Amorite kings.
Theological
Which two defeated kingdoms formed the Transjordan inheritance Moses assigned (13:10-12)?
Answer: Those of Sihon the Amorite and Og of Bashan
The Transjordan inheritance consisted of the former realms of Sihon, the Amorite king of Heshbon, and Og of Bashan, a survivor of the Rephaim (13:10-12; 13:21, 30). These were Israel's victories under Moses before the crossing: Sihon's territory between the Arnon and Jabbok rivers (Numbers 21:24) and Og's kingdom, which the LORD declared He had delivered into Moses' hand (Numbers 21:34). Moses summarizes them as the land of the two Amorite kings (Deuteronomy 3:8). The other rulers named either lay outside the grant or belong to Joshua's western campaigns.
- Joshua 13:10-12 (BSB)“and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites; also Gilead and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, all of Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah— the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim. Moses had struck them down and dispossessed them,”The eastern inheritance includes the cities of Sihon and the whole kingdom of Og.
- Numbers 21:24 (BSB)“And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.”Israel defeated Sihon and took his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok.
- Numbers 21:34 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.””The LORD told Moses not to fear Og, because He had delivered him and his land into Moses' hand.
- Deuteronomy 3:8 (BSB)“At that time we took from the two kings of the Amorites the land across the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Hermon—”Moses recalls taking the land beyond the Jordan from the two Amorite kings.
General
According to 13:14, what did the tribe of Levi receive as its inheritance instead of a share of land?
Answer: The food gifts Israel presented to God
The Levites were the tribe set apart to serve the LORD at His sanctuary. Moses gave them no land of their own; instead, their inheritance was the food brought to the LORD as offerings, in keeping with His promise (13:14). The law had already said that the Levites would eat from the offerings brought to the LORD (Deuteronomy 18:1), and that the tithes of Israel were given to them in return for their work at the Tent of Meeting, the sacred tent where God met with Israel (Numbers 18:21). The other options describe land Moses gave to Reuben, Gad, and part of Manasseh.
- Joshua 13:14 (BSB)“To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The food offerings to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, just as He had promised them.”Moses gave Levi no land; the food offerings to the LORD are their inheritance.
- Deuteronomy 18:1 (BSB)“The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance.”The law says the whole tribe of Levi has no land portion but eats the food offerings to the LORD.
- Numbers 18:21 (BSB)“Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting.”God gave the Levites the tithes as their inheritance in return for their service.
Theological
What does 13:14 identify as Levi's inheritance in place of tribal territory?
Answer: The food gifts Israel presented to God
Levi alone received no territorial allotment from Moses; what was offered to the LORD as food constituted their inheritance, in keeping with His promise (13:14). The Mosaic law had established this provision: the Levitical priests were to live on the offerings (Deuteronomy 18:1), and the tithes were their allotted share, given for their service at the Tent of Meeting (Numbers 18:21). The distractors are portions of Reuben, Gad, and eastern Manasseh.
- Joshua 13:14 (BSB)“To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The food offerings to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, just as He had promised them.”Moses gave Levi no land; the food offerings to the LORD are their inheritance.
- Deuteronomy 18:1 (BSB)“The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance.”The law says the whole tribe of Levi has no land portion but eats the food offerings to the LORD.
- Numbers 18:21 (BSB)“Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting.”God gave the Levites the tithes as their inheritance in return for their service.
General
When Joshua had grown old, what did the LORD tell him about the land (13:1)?
Answer: A great deal of it was still left to take
The chapter opens with Joshua grown old and the LORD telling him plainly that a large part of the land had not yet been taken (13:1). The LORD then names the regions still outside Israel's hands, such as the Philistine coast and the land toward Lebanon (13:2-5). This stands beside the book's later summary that the LORD handed over to Israel the whole land promised on oath to their ancestors (21:43). Both are true: God gave what He promised and the land lay open before Israel, but the tribes still had to take full possession. The LORD had said from the start that He would drive the nations out little by little (Exodus 23:29-30), and Joshua later assures the people that God will still push the remaining nations out (23:5).
- Joshua 13:1 (BSB)“Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed.”The LORD tells the aged Joshua that much land still remains to be taken.
- Exodus 23:29-30 (BSB)“I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.”God said beforehand that He would drive out the nations little by little rather than in a single year.
- Joshua 21:43 (BSB)“Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it.”The book's own summary says the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to their fathers.
- Joshua 23:5 (BSB)“The LORD your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.”Joshua promises that the LORD will still drive out the nations that remain.
Theological
What assessment of the unfinished conquest did the LORD give the aged Joshua in 13:1?
Answer: A great deal of it was still left to take
The LORD's word to the aged Joshua is candid: much territory has yet to be possessed (13:1), and the list that follows (13:2-5) covers the Philistine coast and the north toward Lebanon. This sits alongside the summary of 21:43 that the LORD handed Israel the whole land promised on oath to the patriarchs. The two statements belong together: the gift was complete on God's side and the land lay open before Israel, while the tribes' actual possession remained incomplete. God had announced a gradual dispossession from the beginning (Exodus 23:29-30), and Joshua's farewell renews the promise that He will yet drive out the nations that remain (23:5).
- Joshua 13:1 (BSB)“Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed.”The LORD tells the aged Joshua that much land still remains to be taken.
- Exodus 23:29-30 (BSB)“I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.”God said beforehand that He would drive out the nations little by little rather than in a single year.
- Joshua 21:43 (BSB)“Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it.”The book's own summary says the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to their fathers.
- Joshua 23:5 (BSB)“The LORD your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.”Joshua promises that the LORD will still drive out the nations that remain.
General
Verses 14 and 33 both say Moses gave Levi no land. What does verse 33 name as Levi's inheritance?
Answer: Israel's God, the LORD Himself
The chapter closes by repeating that Moses gave the tribe of Levi no land, but this time it names the LORD Himself, Israel's God, as their inheritance, in keeping with His promise (13:33). Verse 14 had named the food offerings. The two statements fit together: the offerings were how the Levites lived, and the LORD Himself was their true portion. God had told Aaron the same thing, that He Himself was Aaron's share and possession among Israel (Numbers 18:20), and Moses repeated it for all Levi (Deuteronomy 10:9). Later believers take up this language for themselves, confessing that God is their portion forever (Psalm 73:26).
- Joshua 13:33 (BSB)“To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.”Moses gave Levi no land; the LORD Himself is their inheritance.
- Numbers 18:20 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.”God told Aaron that He Himself was his portion and inheritance among Israel.
- Deuteronomy 10:9 (BSB)“That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him.”Moses explains that Levi has no land because the LORD is his inheritance.
- Psalm 73:26 (BSB)“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”The psalmist confesses God as his portion forever, using Levi's language for himself.
Theological
Whereas 13:14 names the offerings, what does 13:33 identify as Levi's inheritance?
Answer: Israel's God, the LORD Himself
The chapter's closing note repeats Levi's lack of land but names the LORD Himself, Israel's God, as their inheritance (13:33), complementing the mention of offerings in verse 14. The offerings were the means of Levi's provision; the LORD Himself was its substance. God had said as much to Aaron (Numbers 18:20) and Moses to the whole tribe (Deuteronomy 10:9), and a psalmist takes up the same language for himself, confessing God as his portion forever (Psalm 73:26).
- Joshua 13:33 (BSB)“To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.”Moses gave Levi no land; the LORD Himself is their inheritance.
- Numbers 18:20 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.”God told Aaron that He Himself was his portion and inheritance among Israel.
- Deuteronomy 10:9 (BSB)“That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him.”Moses explains that Levi has no land because the LORD is his inheritance.
- Psalm 73:26 (BSB)“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”The psalmist confesses God as his portion forever, using Levi's language for himself.
General
True or False: The Reubenites, the Gadites, and half of Manasseh were not part of this division because Moses had already given them land across the river to the east.
Answer: True
This is true. Canaan itself was parceled out to the tribes still waiting for land, because Reuben, Gad, and the second half of Manasseh had already received their portion from Moses across the river to the east (13:7-8). Back in Numbers, Reuben and Gad had asked for that region because it suited their livestock (Numbers 32:1-5), and Moses gave them and half of Manasseh the former kingdoms of Sihon and Og (Numbers 32:33). Even so, their fighting men had to cross the river and help the other tribes until those tribes also had their land (Joshua 1:14-15).
- Joshua 13:8 (BSB)“The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them:”The other half of Manasseh, with Reuben and Gad, had already received land from Moses east of the Jordan.
- Numbers 32:1-5 (BSB)“Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock. So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.” “If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.””Reuben and Gad asked Moses for the land east of the Jordan because it suited their livestock.
- Numbers 32:33 (BSB)“So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.”Moses gave these tribes the kingdoms of Sihon and Og.
- Joshua 1:14-15 (BSB)“Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them, until the LORD gives them rest as He has done for you, and your brothers also possess the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you may return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the east side of the Jordan.””Joshua had required their fighting men to help the other tribes before returning to the land Moses gave them.
Theological
True or False: Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh were excluded from the western allotment because Moses had already assigned them territory on the far side of the river (13:8).
Answer: True
This is true. The western division is for nine tribes plus half of Manasseh because Moses had already granted Reuben, Gad, and the rest of Manasseh their portion across the river (13:7-8). That grant, which Reuben and Gad had requested because the region suited their herds (Numbers 32:1-5), was made from the conquered kingdoms of Sihon and Og (Numbers 32:33) and came with an obligation: their warriors had to cross over and fight beside their brothers until the LORD gave them rest as well (Joshua 1:14-15).
- Joshua 13:8 (BSB)“The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them:”The other half of Manasseh, with Reuben and Gad, had already received land from Moses east of the Jordan.
- Numbers 32:1-5 (BSB)“Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock. So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.” “If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.””Reuben and Gad asked Moses for the land east of the Jordan because it suited their livestock.
- Numbers 32:33 (BSB)“So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.”Moses gave these tribes the kingdoms of Sihon and Og.
- Joshua 1:14-15 (BSB)“Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them, until the LORD gives them rest as He has done for you, and your brothers also possess the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you may return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the east side of the Jordan.””Joshua had required their fighting men to help the other tribes before returning to the land Moses gave them.