12 All the kingdom H4468 of Og H5747 in Bashan, H1316 which reigned H4427 in Ashtaroth H6252 and in Edrei, H154 who remained H7604 of the remnant H3499 of the giants: H7497 for these did Moses H4872 smite, H5221 and cast them out. H3423
And the coast H1366 of Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan, H1316 which was of the remnant H3499 of the giants, H7497 that dwelt H3427 at Ashtaroth H6252 and at Edrei, H154
And Sihon H5511 would not suffer H5414 Israel H3478 to pass H5674 through his border: H1366 but Sihon H5511 gathered H622 all his people H5971 together, H622 and went out H3318 against H7125 Israel H3478 into the wilderness: H4057 and he came H935 to Jahaz, H3096 and fought H3898 against Israel. H3478 And Israel H3478 smote H5221 him with the edge H6310 of the sword, H2719 and possessed H3423 his land H776 from Arnon H769 unto Jabbok, H2999 even unto the children H1121 of Ammon: H5983 for the border H1366 of the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 was strong. H5794 And Israel H3478 took H3947 all these cities: H5892 and Israel H3478 dwelt H3427 in all the cities H5892 of the Amorites, H567 in Heshbon, H2809 and in all the villages H1323 thereof. For Heshbon H2809 was the city H5892 of Sihon H5511 the king H4428 of the Amorites, H567 who had fought H3898 against the former H7223 king H4428 of Moab, H4124 and taken H3947 all his land H776 out of his hand, H3027 even unto Arnon. H769 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs H4911 say, H559 Come H935 into Heshbon, H2809 let the city H5892 of Sihon H5511 be built H1129 and prepared: H3559 For there is a fire H784 gone out H3318 of Heshbon, H2809 a flame H3852 from the city H7151 of Sihon: H5511 it hath consumed H398 Ar H6144 of Moab, H4124 and the lords of the high places H1181 of Arnon. H769 Woe H188 to thee, Moab! H4124 thou art undone, H6 O people H5971 of Chemosh: H3645 he hath given H5414 his sons H1121 that escaped, H6412 and his daughters, H1323 into captivity H7622 unto Sihon H5511 king H4428 of the Amorites. H567 We have shot H3384 at them; Heshbon H2809 is perished H6 even unto Dibon, H1769 and we have laid them waste H8074 even unto Nophah, H5302 which reacheth unto Medeba. H4311 Thus Israel H3478 dwelt H3427 in the land H776 of the Amorites. H567 And Moses H4872 sent H7971 to spy out H7270 Jaazer, H3270 and they took H3920 the villages H1323 thereof, and drove out H3423 H3423 the Amorites H567 that were there. And they turned H6437 and went up H5927 by the way H1870 of Bashan: H1316 and Og H5747 the king H4428 of Bashan H1316 went out H3318 against H7125 them, he, and all his people, H5971 to the battle H4421 at Edrei. H154 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Fear H3372 him not: for I have delivered H5414 him into thy hand, H3027 and all his people, H5971 and his land; H776 and thou shalt do H6213 to him as thou didst H6213 unto Sihon H5511 king H4428 of the Amorites, H567 which dwelt H3427 at Heshbon. H2809 So they smote H5221 him, and his sons, H1121 and all his people, H5971 until there was none H1115 left H7604 him alive: H8300 and they possessed H3423 his land. H776
All the cities H5892 of the plain, H4334 and all Gilead, H1568 and all Bashan, H1316 unto Salchah H5548 and Edrei, H154 cities H5892 of the kingdom H4467 of Og H5747 in Bashan. H1316 For only Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan H1316 remained H7604 of the remnant H3499 of giants; H7497 behold, his bedstead H6210 was a bedstead H6210 of iron; H1270 is it not H3808 in Rabbath H7237 of the children H1121 of Ammon? H5983 nine H8672 cubits H520 was the length H753 thereof, and four H702 cubits H520 the breadth H7341 of it, after the cubit H520 of a man. H376
For Moses H4872 had given H5414 the inheritance H5159 of two H8147 tribes H4294 and an half H2677 tribe H4294 on the other side H5676 Jordan: H3383 but unto the Levites H3881 he gave H5414 none inheritance H5159 among H8432 them. For the children H1121 of Joseph H3130 were two H8147 tribes, H4294 Manasseh H4519 and Ephraim: H669 therefore they gave H5414 no part H2506 unto the Levites H3881 in the land, H776 save cities H5892 to dwell H3427 in, with their suburbs H4054 for their cattle H4735 and for their substance. H7075
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Joshua 13
Commentary on Joshua 13 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 13
Jos 13:1-33. Bounds of the Land Not Yet Conquered.
1. Now Joshua was old and stricken in years—He was probably above a hundred years old; for the conquest and survey of the land occupied about seven years, the partition one; and he died at the age of one hundred ten years (Jos 24:29). The distribution, as well as the conquest of the land, was included in the mission of Joshua; and his advanced age supplied a special reason for entering on the immediate discharge of that duty; namely, of allocating Canaan among the tribes of Israel—not only the parts already won, but those also which were still to be conquered.
2-6. This is the land that yet remaineth—that is, to be acquired. This section forms a parenthesis, in which the historian briefly notices the districts yet unsubdued; namely, first, the whole country of the Philistines—a narrow tract stretching about sixty miles along the Mediterranean coast, and that of the Geshurites to the south of it (1Sa 27:8). Both included that portion of the country "from Sihor, which is before Egypt," a small brook near El-Arish, which on the east was the southern boundary of Canaan, to Ekron, the most northerly of the five chief lordships or principalities of the Philistines.
3, 4. also the Avites: From [on] the south—The two clauses are thus connected in the Septuagint and many other versions. On being driven out (De 2:23), they established themselves in the south of Philistia. The second division of the unconquered country comprised
4. all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah—("the cave")
that is beside the Sidonians—a mountainous region of Upper Galilee, remarkable for its caves and fastnesses.
unto Aphek—now Afka; eastward, in Lebanon.
to the borders of the Amorites—a portion of the northeastern territory that had belonged to Og. The third district that remained unsubdued:
5. all the land of the Giblites—Their capital was Gebal or Bylbos (Greek), on the Mediterranean, forty miles north of Sidon.
all Lebanon, toward the sunrising—that is, Anti-libanus; the eastern ridge, which has its proper termination in Hermon.
entering into Hamath—the valley of Baalbec.
6, 7. All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim—(See on Jos 11:8)—that is, "all the Sidonians and Phœnicians."
them will I drive out—The fulfilment of this promise was conditional. In the event of the Israelites proving unfaithful or disobedient, they would not subdue the districts now specified; and, in point of fact, the Israelites never possessed them though the inhabitants were subjected to the power of David and Solomon.
only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance—The parenthetic section being closed, the historian here resumes the main subject of this chapter—the order of God to Joshua to make an immediate allotment of the land. The method of distribution by lot was, in all respects, the best that could have been adopted, as it prevented all ground of discontent, as well as charges of arbitrary or partial conduct on the part of the leaders; and its announcement in the life of Moses (Nu 33:54), as the system according to which the allocations to each tribe should be made, was intended to lead the people to the acknowledgment of God as the proprietor of the land and as having the entire right to its disposal. Moreover, a solemn appeal to the lot showed it to be the dictate not of human, but divine, wisdom. It was used, however, only in determining the part of the country where a tribe was to be settled—the extent of the settlement was to be decided on a different principle (Nu 26:54). The overruling control of God is conclusively proved because each tribe received the possession predicted by Jacob (Ge 49:3-28) and by Moses (De 33:6-25).
8. With whom—Hebrew, "him." The antecedent is evidently to Manasseh, not, however, the half-tribe just mentioned, but the other half; for the historian, led, as it were, by the sound of the word, breaks off to describe the possessions beyond Jordan already assigned to Reuben, Gad, and the half of Manasseh (see on Nu 32:1; Nu 32:33; also see De 3:8-17). It may be proper to remark that it was wise to put these boundaries on record. In case of any misunderstanding or dispute arising about the exact limits of each district or property, an appeal could always be made to this authoritative document, and a full knowledge as well as grateful sense obtained of what they had received from God (Ps 16:5, 6).