Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just about dividing land; it's God's direct command to allocate the promised land, even the parts still held by enemies. This highlights that God's promises are the foundation for our inheritance, and He expects us to possess what He has given, trusting Him to overcome obstacles.
Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Joshua is now old, and the Lord commands him to begin the division of the remaining land in Canaan among the tribes. This includes territories still held by the enemy, emphasizing that possession would come through faith and God's power, not just military conquest. This division is for nine and a half tribes, as the other half of Manasseh, along with Reuben and Gad, had already received their inheritance east of the Jordan River.
Joshua was old, his marching days seemingly over. Yet, God gave him a critical assignment: dividing the land.
Wisdom in Transition
Joshua, advanced in years, faces a monumental task. This isn't a time for rest, but for a different kind of service. God's command to divide the land, even the parts not yet conquered, highlights that God's promises are to be claimed and administered through faithful action, even when the leader is nearing the end of their earthly service.
Why nine and a half tribes? This specific division reveals God's careful planning and the unique circumstances of His people.
God's Precise Order
This verse pinpoints the recipients of the western inheritance: nine full tribes and one half-tribe (Manasseh). This detail is crucial because the other half of Manasseh, along with the tribes of Reuben and Gad, had already received their inheritance east of the Jordan River. This allocation wasn't arbitrary; it was God's divinely ordered distribution.
Ask a follow-up
The land was divided, but not all of it was conquered. What does this 'inheritance' truly mean?
Faith's Foundation
Dividing the land, including territories still held by enemies, reveals a profound truth about God’s promises. The inheritance was not merely about physical occupation but about a divinely guaranteed right. God commanded the division as an act of faith, a way to keep the promise before the people and spur them toward its full realization.
This command comes at a pivotal moment when Joshua is old and much land remains unconquered, highlighting that God's promises are fulfilled through diligent inheritance and lot, not solely through immediate military victory.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and began their military campaign to conquer the land of Canaan, defeating key cities and rulers.
c. 1406-1400 BC
Division of Land East of Jordan
The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh received their inheritance in the lands east of the Jordan River, conquered from the Amorite kings Sihon and Og.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Joshua Grows Old
After years of warfare and initial settlement, Joshua is described as being old and advanced in years, signifying a transition period for the Israelites.
c. 1400 BC
Command to Divide Remaining Land
God instructs Joshua to cease further military campaigns and to begin the process of dividing the remaining, largely unconquered, western land among the other nine and a half tribes.
c. 1400 BC
Land Allotment by Lot
The remaining territory west of the Jordan was to be divided by lot, ensuring each tribe received its inheritance according to God's command, even in areas not yet fully subdued.
This passage lays the groundwork for the land division described in Joshua, outlining the boundaries of the promised land and setting the stage for how it would be allocated by lot.
Deuteronomy 3:12-17Here, Moses actually begins the allocation of land east of the Jordan River to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, showing the precedent for dividing inherited territory.
Joshua 14:1-5This chapter immediately follows the description of the land's boundaries and begins the actual process of dividing the land by lot, demonstrating the practical outworking of the command given in Joshua 13:7.
1 Kings 4:21-25This passage highlights the vastness of the kingdom under Solomon, showing that Israel indeed possessed the land promised and allotted in Joshua's time, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates.
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…
bensonJoshua 13:7: "Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,"
Joshua 13:7 . Now, therefore, divide this land — Both that which was conquered and that which remained unconquered was to be divided, that every tribe might know what belonged to them by God’s gift, and be encouraged to attempt the conquest of it when they were able; might be preserved from entering into any covenant or society with those who kept their inheritance from them; a…
This isn't just about dividing land; it's God's direct command to allocate the promised land, even the parts still held by enemies. This highlights that God's promises are the foundation for our inheritance, and He expects us to possess what He has given, trusting Him to overcome obstacles.
Joshua is now old, and the Lord commands him to begin the division of the remaining land in Canaan among the tribes. This includes territories still held by the enemy, emphasizing that possession would come through faith and God's power, not just military conquest. This division is for nine and a half tribes, as the other half of Manasseh, along with Reuben and Gad, had already received their inheritance east of the Jordan River.
Joshua is now old, and the Lord commands him to begin the division of the remaining land in Canaan among the tribes. This includes territories still held by the enemy, emphasizing that possession would come through faith and God's power, not just military conquest. This division is for nine and a half tribes, as the other half of Manasseh, along with Reuben and Gad, had already received their inheritance east of the Jordan River.
"Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”" — This isn't just about dividing land; it's God's direct command to allocate the promised land, even the parts still held by enemies. This highlights that God's promises are the foundation for our in…
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Last reviewed October 2026