Joshua 13:7
Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse is a crucial reminder that the "inheritance" God promised wasn't just land to conquer, but land to divide, even the parts still occupied by enemies. The instruction to divide it by lot, even the unconquered territories, served as a constant prompt to trust God's promise and press on toward possessing all He had given them.
Joshua, now old and nearing the end of his life, is instructed by God to begin the monumental task of dividing the remaining land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel. This follows the initial conquests but precedes the full occupation, emphasizing that God's promise is the basis for their inheritance, even of lands not yet subdued. The instruction specifically directs Joshua to allocate the western territories to nine and a half tribes, acknowledging that the other half of Manasseh, along with the tribes of Reuben and Gad, had already received their portions east of the Jordan River.
Joshua was old, and much land remained to be possessed. Why was it time to divide the inheritance now?
The command to divide the land comes at a pivotal moment. Joshua is advanced in years, and a significant portion of the promised land is still unconquered. This might seem counterintuitive – why divide territory that isn't yet fully secured?
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Why does this verse specifically mention 'nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh'?
This verse highlights a significant geographical and historical division within Israel's inheritance. Two and a half tribes had already received their portion east of the Jordan River, while the remaining nine and a half tribes were designated to receive land west of the Jordan.
The East Jordan Inheritance:
This division wasn't arbitrary; it was a foundational aspect of how the promised land was distributed, with implications for national unity and responsibility.
This command to divide the land comes as Joshua is elderly and much of the territory remains unconquered. It emphasizes that the inheritance was God's promise, to be distributed by lot even if not yet fully possessed, serving as an encouragement and a reminder of their ultimate claim.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites waged war against the Canaanites, conquering significant portions of the land promised to them.
c. 1400 BC
Transjordanian Inheritance Granted
The tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with half of Manasseh, received their inheritance east of the Jordan River from Moses before entering the main conquest.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Division of the Land Commanded
God instructs Joshua to divide the remaining unconquered land west of the Jordan among the remaining nine and a half tribes as an inheritance.
c. 1400 BC
Joshua's Advanced Age
Joshua is described as being old and advanced in years, indicating a pressing need to complete the land's division and distribution.
c. 1400 BC
Unconquered Territories Remain
Significant portions of the promised land, including areas held by Philistines, Sidonians, and others, were still not fully possessed by the Israelites.
This passage directly parallels Joshua 13 by detailing God's command to Moses to divide the land of Canaan by lot among the tribes, setting the stage for Joshua's later task.
Deuteronomy 1:1-5Moses recounts God's command to give the land beyond the Jordan to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, explaining the initial division of land that precedes the division described in Joshua 13 for the remaining tribes.
1 Chronicles 5:11-17This passage provides historical context for the tribes of Reuben and Gad, detailing their expansion and eventual scattering due to their sins, which highlights the importance of their allotted inheritance and the responsibility that came with it.
Psalm 78:55This verse speaks of God dividing the land among the tribes of Israel by lot, echoing the divine authority and method behind the division of inheritance described in Joshua 13.
Hebrews 4:8This New Testament passage references Joshua bringing the people into rest, connecting the earthly inheritance of the promised land with the ultimate spiritual rest found in Christ, which the division of land was meant to foreshadow.
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 verse is a crucial reminder that the "inheritance" God promised wasn't just land to conquer, but land to divide, even the parts still occupied by enemies. The instruction to divide it by lot, even the unconquered territories, served as a constant prompt to trust God's promise and press on toward possessing all He had given them.
Joshua, now old and nearing the end of his life, is instructed by God to begin the monumental task of dividing the remaining land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel. This follows the initial conquests but precedes the full occupation, emphasizing that God's promise is the basis for their inheritance, even of lands not yet subdued. The instruction specifically directs Joshua to allocate the western territories to nine and a half tribes, acknowledging that the other half of Manasseh, along with the tribes of Reuben and Gad, had already received their portions east of the Jordan River.
Joshua, now old and nearing the end of his life, is instructed by God to begin the monumental task of dividing the remaining land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel. This follows the initial conquests but precedes the full occupation, emphasizing that God's promise is the basis for their inheritance, even of lands not yet subdued. The instruction specifically directs Joshua to allocate the western territories to nine and a half tribes, acknowledging that the other half of Manasseh, along with the tribes of Reuben and Gad, had already received their portions east of the Jordan River.
"Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”" — This verse is a crucial reminder that the "inheritance" God promised wasn't just land to conquer, but land to divide, even the parts still occupied by enemies. The instruction to divide it by lot,…
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