Joshua 13:8-14 meaning

The present section (Joshua 13:8-14) reviews the distribution of the land Moses gave to the other half-tribe, the Reubenites, and the Gadites (v 8).

The previous section recorded God's speech in which He cautioned Joshua of his old age and emphasized the work ahead. Despite Israel's massive conquest in Canaan, nearby towns and regions remained unconquered. God told the Israelite leader that He [God] would drive out the enemy from before Israel, so the army could trust victory if they followed God's leadership into battle. After their conquest, Joshua would take the territory and distribute it to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh on the western side of the Jordan River (Joshua 13:1-7).

The book of Genesis traces the ancestors of these two-and-a-half tribes which had already received their inheritance on the eastern side of the Jordan. The half-tribe of Manasseh belonged to the first son of Joseph. It consisted of two clans represented by Jair and Machir (Genesis 41:51). The Reubenites descended from the firstborn son of Jacob by his wife Leah (Genesis 35:23). The Gadites were descendants of Jacob's son Gad by his maidservant, Zilpah (Genesis 35:26). These tribes received their inheritance which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east (v 8).

Although these tribes obtained their land east of the Jordan river, their armed men could not rest until the conquest of Canaan was over. In other words, they were to leave their wives and children to help the remaining tribes conquer the western side of Jordan (Numbers 32:28-33). Then, they would return and occupy their portion of land, just as Moses the servant of the LORD gave to them (v 8).

In the Old Testament, the term servant (Hebrew, "ʿeḇeḏ") often applies to specific people such as Abraham, Caleb, David, and Zerubbabel, whom God used as His instruments to carry out His will (Genesis 26:24; Numbers 14:24, 2 Samuel 7:5, and Haggai 2:23, respectively). Like these men, Moses was the LORD's servant (Numbers 12:7). He obeyed the LORD as his Master and King. God, in the book of Isaiah refers to all of Israel as "My servant" and by extension the Messiah (Isaiah 41:8, 42:1).

The Hebrew term translated as LORD is "Yahweh," the self-existent and eternal God who revealed His character to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). As God's covenant name, it often emphasizes His relationship with His people. In our passage, it demonstrates Moses's role as Yahweh's representative. He had a personal relationship with God (Exodus 33:11). His mission was to lead the Israelites and teach them to live righteously before their Suzerain God.

The territory given to the eastern tribes extended from Aroer, on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, with the city which is in the middle of the valley (v 9). Aroer was a town in Moab on a pass along the summit of the hills in modern-day Jordan. It lies on the edge of the valley of the Arnon (v 9), just one mile from the river Arnon (Deuteronomy 2:36; 3:12). The Valley of the Arnon (modern Wadi el-mojib) flows from east to west through a canyon with walls 1,500 feet high into the Dead Sea. During the Israelite campaign in Canaan, the Arnon gorge served as a natural boundary between Moab to the south and the Ammonite kingdoms to the north (Numbers 21:13-15).

The territory of the eastern tribes included all the plain of Medeba (v 9), a fertile tableland 25 miles south of Amman, Jordan, as far as Dibon, a city about five miles northwest of Aroer. Years later, Dibon became the capital of Moab for some time. The portion of land allotted to the eastern tribes was so vast that it encompassed all the cities of Sihon, king of the Amorites (v 10).

Sihon reigned in Heshbon, a town 50 miles east of Jerusalem. Originally, Heshbon belonged to the Moabites. But Sihon later conquered it and made it the capital of his kingdom. His dominion went as far as the border of the sons of Ammon (v 10), a people who descended from the incestuous union between Lot and his younger daughter (Genesis 19:36-38).

Furthermore, the land given to the eastern tribes comprised Gilead, the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah (v 11). Gilead was a fertile mountainous region on the east side of the Jordan river. It lies between the Yarmuk and the Arnon rivers. It was a place of safety for the ancient Israelites. For instance, Jacob fled from Laban to Gilead (Genesis 31:21). Later, in the days of Saul, some Israelites hid from the Philistines there (1 Samuel 13:7).

The Geshurites and Maacathites were two people groups living northeast of the Sea of Galilee (Deuteronomy 3:14). Mount Hermon marked the northern extremity of the territory conquered. The region called Bashan was a rich and fertile land located in what is now the Golan Heights, east of the Sea of Galilee. It was noted for its abundant livestock (Deuteronomy 32:14; Ezekiel 39:18). It was suitable for cows due to its lush grass (Amos 4:1). Salecah was a town on the southwestern edge of Mount Hauran in Syria (Deuteronomy 3:10).

Moses also gave to the eastern tribes all the kingdom of Og in Bashan (v 12). Og descended from the Rephaim, an ancient race of giants living in Canaan during the days of Abraham (Genesis 15:20; Deuteronomy 2:11). The Pentateuch identifies King Og as the last of that gigantic race (Deuteronomy 3:11). He reigned at Ashtaroth and Edrei (v 12).

The first city (Ashtaroth) was the capital of Bashan, situated on a mound known today as Tel-Ashtarah in Syria. The second (Edrei) was in the southeastern region of Bashan. Its modern site is Dera, halfway between Damascus and Ammon. Both Ashtaroth and Edrei were the dwelling places of King Og (Deuteronomy 1:4; Joshua 12:4). King Og alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim because Moses struck them and dispossessed them (v 12). According to the Pentateuch, Moses "killed him and his sons and all his people," leaving no survivors (Numbers 21:35; Deuteronomy 3:3).

Although the sons of Israel led a massive conquest in Bashan, they did not dispossess the Geshurites or the Maacathites (v 13). That means that these people groups maintained their kingdoms. According to the text, Geshur and Maacath live among Israel until this day (v 13) (at the time the author penned the book of Joshua). This truth does not negate the fact that there could have been periods of conflict between them. It merely states that the Geshurites and the Maacathites were autonomous and separate from Israel. They had the freedom to do what they desired. The account in the book of 2 Samuel shows that these groups maintained their autonomy even during the time of King David (2 Samuel 3:3; 10:6).

While Moses (and later Joshua) assigned a portion of land to each tribe, only to the tribe of Levi, he did not give an inheritance (v 14). The term translated as inheritance (Hebrew, "naḥālā") refers to territory. The tribe of Levi descended from Levi, the son of Jacob/Israel the patriarch (Genesis 29:34). Starting with Aaron, the Levites served as priests to minister to the people before the LORD. Their responsibilities included carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD whenever the Israelites traveled or when they needed to move the ark for some other purposes (Deuteronomy 10:8; 31:9).

The Levitical priests were also to offer sacrifices to God (Deuteronomy 10:8; 2 Chronicles 29:11; Ezekiel 44:15). They were the ones who would pronounce the priestly benediction upon the people (Numbers 6:24-26; Deuteronomy 10:8). Because of their role and function, they could not have land to farm or raise livestock: the offerings by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance (v 14). 

The Levites had the greatest responsibility for ministering before the LORD and leading the other tribes in righteousness and truth. Their duties were so important that they received no allotment of land. However, in return for their service, they lived off the offerings and tithes the other tribes presented to the LORD (Numbers 18:21). The portion of offerings given to the Levites allowed them to focus on their religious duties, since they did not have to spend time farming or ranching. It was their inheritance, as the LORD spoke to them when He promised to give them no allotment of land (Numbers 18:21-24).

Every other tribe received territory; Levi received the LORD Himself. God had told Aaron, the first high priest: "I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel" (Numbers 18:20). The text states Levi's special portion twice in this one chapter (vv. 14, 33), framing the whole land list with it. David later claimed Levi's privilege as his own: "The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup" (Psalm 16:5).