1
After Joshua had grown old and advanced in years, the LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land still remains to be possessed.
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This is the land that remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all the land of the Geshurites,
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from the Shihor River east of Egypt as far as the border of Ekron on the north—all of it counted as Canaanite land; the five lords of the Philistines, namely those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron; and the Avvites
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in the south; all the land of the Canaanites and Mearah, belonging to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, as far as the border of the Amorites;
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and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon to the road that goes to Hamath;
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all the inhabitants of the hill country, from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim; all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out before the Israelites; only allot the land by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you.
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Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
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Together with the other half-tribe of Manasseh, the Reubenites and the Gadites had received their inheritance, which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them,
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from Aroer, which is on the bank of the Arnon River, the city in the middle of the valley, and all the plateau from Medeba to Dibon;
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and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites;
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and Gilead, and the territory of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salecah,
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the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei; he was the last survivor of the remnant of the Rephaim, whom Moses had defeated and driven out.
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But the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites and the Maacathites, so Geshur and Maacah still dwell among the Israelites to this day.
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Only to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them.
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To the tribe of the descendants of Reuben, according to their clans, Moses gave this portion:
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their territory began at Aroer, which is on the bank of the Arnon River, the city in the middle of the valley, and all the plateau near Medeba;
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Heshbon and all its towns that were in the highlands: Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon,
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Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
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Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zareth-shahar on the mountain of the valley,
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Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth,
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and all the cities of the highlands, and the whole kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated; with him he also defeated the kings of Midian, namely Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon, the inhabitants of that land.
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Balaam son of Beor, the diviner, was also killed by the Israelites with the sword, together with those whom they had slain.
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And the border of the tribe of Reuben was the Jordan and its banks. This was the inheritance of the tribe of Reuben according to their clans, the cities and their villages.
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To the tribe of Gad, that is, to the sons of Gad according to their clans, Moses gave this portion:
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their territory was Jazer and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is east of Rabbah,
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from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;
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and in the valley: Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the remainder of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon; the Jordan and its banks, as far as the end of the Sea of Kinnereth, east of the Jordan.
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This was the inheritance of the tribe of Gad according to their clans, the cities and their villages.
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To the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to the half-clan of the sons of Manasseh according to their clans, Moses gave this portion:
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their territory extended from Mahanaim: all Bashan, the whole kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair in Bashan, sixty cities in all;
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and half Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, belonged to the sons of Machir son of Manasseh, that is, to the half-tribe of Machir according to their clans.
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These are the inheritances that Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan, near Jericho.
33
But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance: the LORD, the God of Israel, He was their inheritance, as He had promised them.
🗺️📖🏞️ Summary of Joshua 13 – The Division of the Land and the Unconquered Regions
Joshua 13 marks the transition from conquest to the division of the inheritance of the promised land among the tribes of Israel. Although Joshua was already old, there were still many regions that had not yet been conquered. Yet God still commanded Joshua to divide the land as an inheritance, because His promise would surely be fulfilled, even if it was not yet fully seen.
📌 1. Joshua Was Old, but the Task Was Not Finished (verses 1–7)
- God said to Joshua:
“You are old and advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.” (verse 1)
- The Lord mentions the areas that have not yet been conquered, including the regions of the Philistines, Geshur, and Sidon.
- Yet the Lord still commands Joshua to divide the land as an inheritance.
🎯 Our task may not yet be finished, but God’s promise is still moving forward. Age is no barrier to obedience.
📌 2. The Land on the East Side of the Jordan River (verses 8–33)
- This section explains the land that had already been given by Moses to:
The tribe of Reuben
The tribe of Gad
Half the tribe of Manasseh
- Included in this were:
The kingdom of Sihon and Og (east of the Jordan)
The land of Gilead and Bashan
- The tribe of Levi was not given land, because:
“The Lord, the God of Israel, that is their inheritance.” (verse 33)
🎯 Some parts of God’s promise have been fulfilled; others are still in process.
📖 Main Teaching
- Obedience does not stop as age increases — God still has tasks for us.
- God’s promise is progressive: not always instant, but surely fulfilled.
- God counts the areas not yet conquered, and He does not forget.
- Each tribe has its portion — God deals with His people fairly and in order.
- Service and God’s presence are the highest inheritance, as experienced by the tribe of Levi.
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“Though our outward man is wasting away, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day.”
“…so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
“The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup; you alone uphold my allotted portion.”
🎯 The greatest inheritance is not land or worldly wealth, but the Lord’s presence and the certainty of His promise.
“There is still very much land to be possessed.” – Joshua 13:1
“Only the tribe of Levi was given no inheritance… The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance.” – Joshua 13:33
