What does the Lord tell the aged Josue to do with the large country still left, and who is to receive it?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He tells Josue to include the remaining land in Israel’s inheritance and divide possession among nine tribes and half Manasses. The Lord says he himself will cut off its inhabitants before Israel. Challoner explains that the land not yet divided is not yet possessed, while the chapter separately records the eastern possessions Moses already gave.

Chapter breakdown

Josue is old and advanced in years. The Lord tells him a very large country remains, not yet divided by lot. Challoner’s separate note says Josue is about one hundred and one years old and explains that the remaining country is not yet possessed by Israel. The named land includes all Galilee, Philistia and Gessuri; from the troubled river watering Egypt northward to Accaron’s border; and Chanaan’s land divided among the Philistine lords—the Gazites, Azotians, Ascalonites, Gethites and Accronites. On the south are the Hevites, all Chanaan’s land and Maara of the Sidonians as far as Apheca and the Amorrhite’s borders and confines. It also includes Libanus’s country eastward from Baalgad under Hermon to the entrance into Emath, and all mountain inhabitants from Libanus to Maserephoth’s waters and all the Sidonians. The Lord says he will cut them off before Israel, so their land must become part of Israel’s inheritance as commanded. Josue must now divide possession among nine tribes and half Manasses.

Ruben and Gad possess the land Moses, the Lord’s servant, gave east of the Jordan with the other half of Manasses; Challoner’s note explains that the phrase “with whom” refers to that other half. This land extends from Aroer on Arnon’s bank and in the valley’s midst through all Medaba’s plains to Dibon. It includes all Sehon’s cities—he is the Amorrhite king reigning in Hesebon—to Ammon’s borders; Galaad, Gessuri’s and Machati’s borders, all Hermon and Basan to Salecha; and all Og’s kingdom in Basan. Og reigns in Astaroth and Edrai and is of the Raphaims’ remains; Moses overthrows and destroys them. Israel’s children will not destroy Gessuri and Machati, who dwell among Israel until this present day. Levi receives no possession; the sacrifices and victims of the Lord God of Israel are its inheritance, as he said.

Moses gives Ruben’s children possession by their kindreds. Their boundary begins at Aroer on Arnon’s bank and in that torrent’s valley, taking all the plain toward Medaba. It includes Hesebon and its villages in the plains; Dibon, Bamothbaal and Baalmaon; Jassa, Cidimoth and Mephaath; Cariathaim, Sabama and Sarathasar in the mountain of the valley; Bethphogor, Asedoth, Phasga and Bethiesimoth; all the plain’s cities and all the kingdoms of Sehon, king of the Amorrhites reigning in Hesebon. Moses kills Sehon with Madian’s princes Hevi, Recem, Sur, Hur and Rebe, called Sehon’s dukes and inhabitants of the land. Challoner’s separate note says it appears these princes are Sehon’s subjects, and that being slain with him means about the same time, not in the same battle. Israel’s children also kill Balaam, son of Beor, the soothsayer, with the sword among the others slain. The Jordan is Ruben’s boundary; this is the Rubenites’ possession by kindreds, cities and villages.

Moses gives Gad and its children possession by kindreds. Its division includes Jaser’s border and all Galaad’s cities, half Ammon’s land as far as Aroer opposite Rabba; from Hesebon to Ramoth, Masphe and Betonim, and from Manaim to Dabir’s borders. In the valley are Betharan, Bethnemra, Socoth and Saphon, the other part of Sehon king of Hesebon’s kingdom. Its boundary too is the Jordan, as far as the furthest part of the sea of Cenereth beyond the Jordan on the east. This is Gad’s possession by families, cities and villages.

Moses also gives possession to half Manasses and its children by kindreds. It begins from Manaim and includes all Basan, all Og’s kingdoms there and Jair’s villages in Basan—sixty towns. Half Galaad, Astaroth and Edrai, cities of Og’s Basan kingdom, go to Machir son of Manasses’s children: one half of Machir’s children by their kindreds. Moses divides these possessions in Moab’s plains beyond the Jordan, opposite Jericho on the east. He gives Levi no possession because the Lord God of Israel himself is their possession, as he spoke to them.

The story inside

The Lord addresses aged Josue with both a remaining-land list and the command to divide it among nine tribes and half Manasses. His promised action against the inhabitants is stated, while Challoner distinguishes unpossessed land from the verse’s undivided land. The chapter then records the already-given eastern lands and the other half of Manasses, including the fact that Gessuri and Machati remain. It sets out Ruben’s, Gad’s and half Manasses’s cities and bounds in turn. Within Ruben’s record it names the rulers slain and Balaam, with Challoner carefully distinguishing approximate timing from the same battle. The closing location identifies where Moses divided these possessions. Levi’s inheritance is stated twice: first the Lord’s sacrifices and victims, then the Lord God himself.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Remaining land is included in the commanded inheritance. The Lord names the country still left, says he will cut off its inhabitants and commands division among nine tribes and half Manasses. The actual note explains that the land is not yet possessed; it does not invent a halt to all campaigns.
2
The halves matter in the eastern record. Ruben and Gad are with the other half of Manasses, and the later grant specifies one half of Machir’s children. Jair’s towns number sixty. Keeping these terms avoids turning a partial family or tribe grant into a whole one.
3
Challoner limits what “slain with him” means. The Madianite princes appear to be Sehon’s subjects and die about the same time, but not in the same battle. The record of Balaam’s death also stays within this chapter’s stated parentage, title and sword slaying.

Test your recall

What action does the Lord promise concerning the remaining inhabitants, and what division does he command Josue to make?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 23675–23709
Josue Chapter 13 God commandeth Josue to divide the land: the possessions of Ruben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasses, beyond the Jordan. 13:1. Josue was old, and far advanced in years, and the Lord said to him: Thou art grown old, and advanced in age, and there is a very large country left, which is not yet divided by lot: Josue was old, and far advanced in years.... He was then about one hundred and one years old.—And there is a very large country left, which is not yet divided by lot.... Not yet possessed by the children of Israel. 13:2. To wit, all Galilee, Philistia, and all Gessuri. 13:3. From the troubled river, that watereth Egypt, unto the border of Accaron northward: the land of Chanaan, which is divided among the lords of the Philistines, the Gazites, the Azotians, the Ascalonites, the Gethites, and the Accronites. 13:4. And on the south side are the Hevites, all the land of Chanaan, and Maara of the Sidonians as far as Apheca, and the borders of the Amorrhite, 13:5. And his confines. The country also of Libanus towards the east from Baalgad under mount Hermon to the entering into Emath. 13:6. Of all that dwell in the mountains from Libanus, to the waters of Maserephoth, and all the Sidonians. I am he that will cut them off from before the face of the children of Israel. So let their land come in as a part of the inheritance of Israel, as I have commanded thee. 13:7. And now divide the land in possession to the nine tribes, and to the half tribe of Manasses,
Lines 23711–23735
13:8. With whom Ruben and Gad have possessed the land, which Moses the servant of the Lord delivered to them beyond the river Jordan, on the east side. With whom.... That is, with the other half of that same tribe. 13:9. From Aroer, which is upon the bank of the torrent Arnon, and in the midst of the valley and all the plains of Medaba, as far as Dibon: 13:10. And all the cities of Sehon, king of the Amorrhites, who reigned in Hesebon, unto the borders of the children of Ammon. 13:11. And Galaad, and the borders of Gessuri and Machati, and all mount Hermon, and all Basan as far as Salecha, 13:12. All the kingdom of Og in Basan, who reigned in Astaroth and Edrai, he was of the remains of the Raphaims: and Moses overthrew and destroyed them. 13:13. And the children of Israel would not destroy Gessuri and Machati and they have dwelt in the midst of Israel, until this present day. 13:14. But to the tribe of Levi he gave no possession: but the sacrifices and victims of the Lord God of Israel, are his inheritance, as he spoke to him.
Lines 23737–23768
13:15. And Moses gave a possession to the children of Ruben according to their kindreds. 13:16. And their border was from Aroer, which is on the bank of the torrent Arnon, and in the midst of the valley of the same torrent: all the plain, that leadeth to Medaba, 13:17. And Hesebon, and all their villages, which are in the plains. Dibon also, and Bamothbaal, and the town of Baalmaon, 13:18. And Jassa, and Cidimoth, and Mephaath, 13:19. And Cariathaim, and Sabama, and Sarathasar in the mountain of the valley. 13:20. Bethphogor and Asedoth, Phasga and Bethiesimoth, 13:21. And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdoms of Sehon king of the Amorrhites, that reigned in Hesebon, whom Moses slew with the princes of Madian: Hevi, and Recem, and Sur and Hur, and Rebe, dukes of Sehon inhabitants of the land. The princes of Madian.... It appears from hence that these were subjects of king Sehon: they are said to have been slain with him, that is, about the same time, but not in the same battle. 13:22. Balaam also the son of Beor the soothsayer, the children of Israel slew with the sword among the rest that were slain. 13:23. And the river Jordan was the border of the children of Ruben. This is the possession of the Rubenites, by their kindreds, of cities and villages.
Lines 23770–23786
13:24. And Moses gave to the tribe of Gad and to his children by their kindreds a possession, of which this is the division. 13:25. The border of Jaser, and all the cities of Galaad, and half the land of the children of Ammon: as far as Aroer which is over against Rabba: 13:26. And from Hesebon unto Ramoth, Masphe and Betonim: and from Manaim unto the borders of Dabir. 13:27. And in the valley Betharan and Bethnemra, and Socoth, and Saphon the other part of the kingdom of Sehon king of Hesebon: the limit of this also is the Jordan, as far as the uttermost part of the sea of Cenereth beyond the Jordan on the east side, 13:28. This is the possession of the children of Gad by their families, their cities, and villages.
Lines 23788–23805
13:29. He gave also to the half tribe of Manasses and his children possession according to their kindreds, 13:30. The beginning whereof is this: from Manaim all Basan, and all the kingdoms of Og king of Basan, and all the villages of Jair, which are in Basan, threescore towns. 13:31. And half Galaad, and Astaroth, and Edrai, cities of the kingdom of Og in Basan: to the children of Machir, the son of Manasses, to one half of the children of Machir according to their kindreds. 13:32. This possession Moses divided in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, over against Jericho on the east side, 13:33. But to the tribe of Levi he gave no possession: because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their possession, as he spoke to them.