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The Division of the Land among the Tribes[a]

Chapter 13

The Division Commanded by the Lord.When Joshua had grown old and was well advanced in years, the Lord said to him, “You have grown old, and there is still quite a bit of the land that you must conquer.[b] This is the part of the land that still remains: the territory of the Philistines and all of Geshur from Sihor which lay near Egypt, to the territory of Ekron in the north (all of which is Canaanite). This is the territory of the five lords of the Philistines: of the Gazathites, of the Ashdodthites, of the Ash-kalonites, of the Gittites, of the Ekronites, that is, the Avites. From the south, it includes all of the land of the Canaanites and Mearah, that belongs to the Sidonians, up to Aphek, to the boundary with the Amorites, and it includes the land of the Gebalites and all of Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad beneath Mount Hermon up to the entrance to Lebo-hamath. There are also all of the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon up to Misrephoth-maim, that is, the land of the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. You are to divide it among the Israelites as an inheritance as I have commanded you.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 13:1 In the way in which they were distributed throughout Palestine and in their life there (chs. 13–22), the tribes saw the fulfillment of a promise and plan of God.
    The special situation of the tribe of Levi is noteworthy. The editor several times emphasizes the point that this tribe is dedicated to the conduct of worship: the Lord is their portion.
  2. Joshua 13:1 Although Joshua was well over 80 years of age, the Lord continued to use him to fulfill his plan begun by Moses 40 years before.