God’s Word Translation
Joshua 13:23
23The border of Reuben’s territory was the Jordan River. This was Reuben’s inheritance for its families. It included cities with their villages.
Joshua 13:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages thereof.
- New International Version (NIV)The boundary of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Reubenites, according to their clans.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the border of the people of Reuben was the Jordan as a boundary. This was the inheritance of the people of Reuben, according to their clans with their cities and villages.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.
Context of Joshua 13:23
21It also included all the cities of the plateau, the whole kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon. Moses defeated him and Midian’s leaders—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They were princes of Sihon, who lived in that country. 22Along with these leaders, the people of Israel also killed Balaam, son of Beor, who used black magic. The border of Reuben’s territory was the Jordan River. This was Reuben’s inheritance for its families. It included cities with their villages. 24Moses gave some land as an inheritance to the tribe of Gad for its families. 25Their territory included Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half of Ammon as far as Aroer, which is by Rabbah.
Read all of Joshua 13Joshua 13:23 word by word
וַיְהִ֗י גְּבוּל֙ בְּנֵ֣י רְאוּבֵ֔ן הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן וּגְב֑וּל זֹ֣את נַחֲלַ֤ת בְּנֵֽי־רְאוּבֵן֙ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔ם הֶעָרִ֖ים וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the borderגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: boundaryH1366
- of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Reubenרְאוּבֵןre'ûbên · ReubenH7205
- was Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383
- the inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
- after their familiesמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
- the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and the villagesחָצֵרchâtsêr · villageH2691
Commentaries on Joshua 13:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23The cities and the villages - By villages, חצרים chatserim, it is likely that moveable villages or tents are meant, such as are in use among the Bedouin Arabs; places where they were accustomed to feed and pen their cattle.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8-33Verses 8-33 The writer appends to the command of God Joshua 13:1-7 a statement that the other two tribes and a half had already had their inheritance marked out for them by Moses in the land east of Jordan. The boundaries of this territory as a whole are first set forth Joshua 13:8-14, and afterward the portions assigned within it to the two tribes and a half are severally described Joshua 13:14 See Deuteronomy 18:1-5 and notes. Joshua 13:15-24…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-33Verses 7-33 The land must be divided among the tribes. It is the will of God that every man should know his own, and not take that which is another's. The world must be governed, not by force, but right. Wherever our habitation is placed, and in whatever honest way our portion is assigned, we should consider them as allotted of God; we should be thankful for, and use them as such, while every prudent method should be used to prevent disputes about…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-23Reuben, Jacob's first son by Leah, lost his inheritance because he slept with his father's concubine (Genesis 29:32; 35:22). As a result, his tribe's inheritance was not very important. Although the tribe received productive land, it was hard to defend from nearby nations. Eventually, the tribe of Reuben lost the southern part to Moab.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-331. Now Joshua was old and stricken in years--He was probably above a hundred years old; for the conquest and survey of the land occupied about seven years, the partition one; and he died at the age of one hundred ten years (Jos 24:29). The distribution, as well as the conquest of the land, was included in the mission of Joshua; and his advanced age supplied a special reason for entering on the immediate discharge of that duty; namely, of allocating Canaan…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 13:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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