Joshua 13:6
all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Even though Joshua is old and much land remains, God declares He will drive out the inhabitants. The "only divide thou it by lot" command highlights that Joshua's role was to faithfully distribute the land already promised, trusting God to accomplish the conquest.
Joshua is now an old man, and God instructs him to begin dividing the promised land among the tribes of Israel. Even though much of the land is still inhabited by powerful groups like the Sidonians, God promises He will drive them out. Joshua's task is to meticulously allot these territories by lot to each tribe, regardless of whether they have been conquered yet.
It sounds like a simple instruction: divide the land by lot. But what about the people still living there? This verse reveals a divine partnership.
In Joshua 13:6, God makes a powerful declaration: 'them will I drive out from before the people of Israel.' This is a direct promise of divine intervention. God isn't just telling Joshua to map out territories; He's assuring him that He Himself will dispossess the enemies.
However, immediately following this, God says, 'only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance.' This highlights a crucial balance in God's work with us:
This partnership means we can trust God to do His part, even when the task ahead seems overwhelming or occupied by powerful forces. Our role is to step forward in obedience and manage what He entrusts to us.
Joshua was old, and much land remained. How could the conquest be completed? This verse assures Joshua that God's promise is secure, even when human strength fades.
The context of Joshua 13 shows Joshua is advanced in age ('old and stricken in years'). Yet, a vast amount of land is still unconquered. It might seem daunting, even impossible, to finish the task.
But God's word to Joshua in verse 6 is clear: 'them will I drive out.' This isn't a suggestion or a possibility; it's a declaration of His sovereign will and power.
Understand the original words
yashab · Hebrew Participle
Those dwelling in a specific region, often referring to the native populations whom God commanded Israel to displace. In a theological sense, it highlights the sovereignty of God over human settlement and the judgment of nations.
har · Hebrew Noun
A term representing the mountainous region of Canaan, which formed the central geographic backbone of the land promised to Israel. It often serves as a site of both strategic conquest and spiritual significance.
yarash · Hebrew Verb
An act of expulsion or removal, often used in the context of God's sovereign removal of enemies to establish His covenant people in the land. It emphasizes God's active role as the Divine Warrior for Israel.
nachalah · Hebrew Noun
This verse highlights a pivotal moment: while major conquest is done, the *full* promised inheritance still requires God's power and Israel's ongoing obedience, a task that would extend beyond Joshua's lifetime.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan completed
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites complete the major military conquest of Canaan, defeating numerous kings and securing significant territory.
c. 1406-1390 BC— this verse
Joshua's old age and land division
Joshua, now elderly, begins the crucial task of dividing the conquered and unconquered lands among the twelve tribes of Israel by lot. This process aims to ensure each tribe receives its inheritance as promised by God.
Ongoing during division
Unconquered Canaanite pockets
Despite the major conquest, significant groups like the Sidonians and inhabitants of the hill country remain in their territories, presenting ongoing challenges for the Israelites.
c. 1390 BC
Joshua's death
Joshua dies, leaving the completion of fully expelling the remaining inhabitants to future generations.
This passage outlines the extensive boundaries of the land God promised to Abraham's descendants, mirroring the vast territory Joshua was tasked with dividing and conquering, showing a consistent divine promise across generations.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2God reiterates the command to drive out the nations inhabiting the promised land, just as He instructed Joshua here, emphasizing that their inheritance was dependent on obedience and faith in His power to expel these peoples.
Judges 1:27-36This passage illustrates the negative consequences of Israel's failure to fully drive out the Canaanites as commanded, showing how these remnants became thorns in their side and even led them into idolatry, highlighting the importance of complete obedience to God's commands in Joshua 13:6.
Romans 8:37The assurance that 'we are more than conquerors' through Christ echoes God's promise to drive out the inhabitants for Israel; it speaks to the spiritual warfare Christians face, where victory is assured through God's power working in and through us.
calvinJoshua 13:1-14: "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."
From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
A Nilo qui est e regione AEgypti usque ad terminum Ecron, qui es…
barnesJoshua 13:6: "All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee."
The King James Version would exhibit the sense more clearly if the words from the beginning of Joshua 13:2 to the words "the Sidonians" in this verse were placed in a parenthesis, and the order of the words before us changed thus: "I wi…
Even though Joshua is old and much land remains, God declares He will drive out the inhabitants. The "only divide thou it by lot" command highlights that Joshua's role was to faithfully distribute the land already promised, trusting God to accomplish the conquest.
Joshua is now an old man, and God instructs him to begin dividing the promised land among the tribes of Israel. Even though much of the land is still inhabited by powerful groups like the Sidonians, God promises He will drive them out. Joshua's task is to meticulously allot these territories by lot to each tribe, regardless of whether they have been conquered yet.
Joshua is now an old man, and God instructs him to begin dividing the promised land among the tribes of Israel. Even though much of the land is still inhabited by powerful groups like the Sidonians, God promises He will drive them out. Joshua's task is to meticulously allot these territories by lot to each tribe, regardless of whether they have been conquered yet.
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This teaches us that God's promises are the bedrock of our faith. We can allocate and plan for the future, trusting that God will fulfill what He has spoken, regardless of our current limitations or the challenges we face.
A portion of property or privilege received through the covenantal arrangement of God. Biblically, it refers primarily to the land of Canaan given to Israel as a gift from God, symbolizing their status as His chosen people.
Period of the Judges
Intermittent conflict and compromise
In the centuries following Joshua's death, the Israelites struggle to fully drive out the remaining Canaanites, leading to periods of conflict, assimilation, and compromise as described in the Book of Judges.
United Monarchy Period
Partial subjugation
Under Kings David and Solomon, some of the remaining Canaanite populations, including the Sidonians, are brought under Israelite control, though not fully expelled.
"all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you." — Even though Joshua is old and much land remains, God declares He will drive out the inhabitants. The "only divide thou it by lot" command highlights that Joshua's role was to faithfully distribute…
