Tyndale Open Study NotesJoshua 13

Israel did not conquer all of Canaan during Joshua's lifetime. The areas not conquered, mostly in the valleys and plains, were the places most populated. Several generations passed before Israel was strong enough to control these regions and their people.

The Philistines were part of the Sea Peoples who migrated from the Aegean region a few decades after Israel entered Canaan. They settled along the southwestern Mediterranean coast, west and southwest of Judah. They came from Caphtor or Crete (Deut 2:23; Amos 9:7). • These Geshurites were from a southern territory, not the northern Geshurites (compare Josh 12:5).

• The stream of Shihor probably marked the traditional border between Canaan and Egypt, dividing the northern Sinai Peninsula.

• The Philistine territory had five main cities. Gaza, Ashdod, and Ashkelon were on the Mediterranean coast. Gath and Ekron were a few miles in from the coast.

• The Philistines replaced the Avvites (Deuteronomy 2:23).

The Sidonians were also known as Phoenicians (see Isaiah 23:11; Obadiah 1:20; Acts 11:19). They lived along the northern coast from north of Mount Carmel to above Gebal (Byblos). They also lived in the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges. Sidon was the main Phoenician city when Israel entered Canaan.

Israel had not yet conquered the lands mentioned. However, God instructed Joshua to demonstrate his faith by assigning them to the tribes for the future, when Israel would capture them.

• As he had promised, God brought Israel into the land. Joshua then focused on dividing the land among Israel's tribes.

• The tribal allowances made the covenant of the Israelites with God real. It showed the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since God owned the land, giving it to the tribes was a gift. God gave them the land to live in and guided its distribution.

• In these lists of tribal allowances, the author describes some borders in great detail, allowing them to be mapped. With others, they are less plainly defined.

Half the tribe of Manasseh and the tribes of Reuben and Gad asked Moses for land on the east side of the Jordan. This land was once the kingdoms of Sihon and Og (Numbers 21:21–35; 32:1–42). In return, they helped the rest of Israel claim their land west of the Jordan (Joshua 1:12–18; 4:12–13). Here, the author confirmed their ownership of these lands.

The tribe of Levi did not receive its own tribal land (land passed down to a tribe as an inheritance). Instead, Levitical cities were spread throughout the territories of the other tribes (see Deuteronomy 18:1–8; Joshua 21).

Reuben, 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.

The leaders of Midian were likely kings or sheiks (local rulers of small city-states) south of Sihon’s kingdom (Numbers 31:8). The Midianites lived a nomadic life (they moved from place to place and did not stay in one permanent home). They depended mainly on sheep and goats for their living.

Balaam, son of Beor: He created a plan to lead Israel into the worship of false gods (idolatry) through sexual sin (Numbers 31:16). God had forbidden Balaam from cursing Israel (Numbers 22–25).

Gad was Jacob’s seventh son, born to Zilpah, Leah’s servant. Like Gad's minor role in his family, the tribe of Gad had a minor role in Israel.

Manasseh was Joseph’s elder son. Jacob gave Joseph’s sons each a full inheritance, thus giving Joseph a double portion of the birthright (see 14:4).

Jair was a great-grandson of Manasseh (1 Chronicles 2:21–22). Machir was one of Manasseh’s sons. It is uncertain if the land given to these tribes in north Gilead was different from the land that the tribe of Gad received there.