Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Joshua
Chapter 13: The LORD Was Their Inheritance
Joshua is old, and the conquest is far advanced, yet God says, 'there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.' The book now turns from war to inheritance: the dividing of the land among the tribes. God begins with the eastern territories Moses gave to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. But the deepest note of the chapter sounds twice, over the tribe of Levi, who receive no land at all: 'the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance.' Here is the treasure of the whole book, and of the whole Bible: God Himself is the portion of His people.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Joshua chapter 13. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here God calls Joshua to divide the inheritance though much land remains, assigns the eastern tribes their portion, and declares that Levi's inheritance is the LORD Himself. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Much Land Remains
Old Joshua is told the possessing is not finished.
Them Will I Drive Out
God pledges to give what remains; divide it by lot.
Reuben, Gad, Manasseh
The land Moses gave beyond Jordan is recorded.
The LORD Their Portion
No land, for the LORD Himself is their inheritance.
There Remaineth Yet Very Much Land (Joshua 13:1-14)
God tells the aging Joshua that much land is still to be possessed, promises to drive out its inhabitants, and commands the division of the inheritance, while Levi receives no land, for the LORD is their inheritance.
The Sacrifices of the LORD Are Their Inheritance
"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. This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, 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: From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites: And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath. All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh, With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them; From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon; And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon; And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah; All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out. Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day. Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them."
Word Study
"remaineth," Hebrew sha'ar (שָׁאַר). The word means to remain, to be left over. It sounds a striking note at the very moment of triumph: "there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed... This is the land that yet remaineth." Israel had won great victories; "the land rested from war" (11:23); the kings were subdued and counted. And yet much land was still unpossessed. Here is a truth every believer must grasp: the victory is real, but the possessing is not finished. God had given the whole land in promise, but it had to be entered and possessed piece by piece. This is the "already, but not yet" of the life of faith. In Christ, God has given us all things, "all things are yours" (1 Corinthians 3:21); "blessed... with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3); yet we must still press on to lay hold of what is ours, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14). There is always "yet very much land to be possessed", more of God to know, more ground to take, more of the promised inheritance to enter. And notice: Joshua was "old and stricken in years," yet the call to possess did not cease with age; God's people never reach a point where there is nothing more to lay hold of. So sha'ar guards us against two errors: complacency, resting as though the work were done when much remains; and discouragement, forgetting that God has already given what we are called to possess. The land was Israel's by promise; they had only to go on possessing it. So the fullness of Christ is ours; let us press on to take hold of all He has given.
Explanation
A striking honesty opens the section. Even as the land is about to be divided, God tells the aged Joshua, "there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed" — the Philistine coast, the Geshurites, and more. The inheritance is fully given by promise, yet not fully taken in fact. So God commands Joshua to divide it all by lot anyway, the unconquered along with the conquered, that the tribes might possess by faith what God had already granted. It is the shape of the whole believing life: the gift is secured, and still there is ground to claim, step by step.
Gospel Focus
The book now turns a corner: from the conquest of the land to the division of the inheritance. And God's first word to the aging Joshua is a gracious realism: "there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed." The victory is not the end of the calling; there is still ground to take. Yet God attaches a promise to the unfinished task: "them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance." Israel is to divide the land by faith, apportioning even the territory not yet occupied, trusting God to give what He has promised. This is faith laying claim to the promise before it is fully seen. Then the chapter turns to the tribe of Levi, and sounds the note that will define the whole division of the land: "Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance." Levi received no territory, because their portion was God Himself, His service, His offerings, His presence. While every other tribe measured its inheritance in fields and cities, Levi's inheritance was the LORD. This is the highest privilege, not the lowest, to have God Himself as one's portion. For the Apostolic reader the chapter teaches both the responsibility and the treasure of the inheritance. We are to press on to possess all that God has given, never complacent that much remains, never discouraged, for the promise is sure. And above all, we learn where the truest inheritance lies. Like Levi, the believer's greatest portion is not lands or goods but God Himself. To have the Lord as our inheritance is to be richer than all who own the earth, for He who has God has all.
The LORD God of Israel Was Their Inheritance (Joshua 13:15-33)
The chapter records the eastern inheritance of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, and closes by declaring again that Levi's inheritance is the LORD God of Israel Himself.
The LORD God of Israel Was Their Inheritance
"And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families. And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba; Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon, And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath, And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zarethshahar in the mount of the valley, And Bethpeor, and Ashdothpisgah, and Bethjeshimoth, And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country. Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them. 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. And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad according to their families. And their coast was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before Rabbah; And from Heshbon unto Ramathmizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir; And in the valley, Betharam, and Bethnimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and his border, even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward. This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the cities, and their villages. And Moses gave inheritance unto the half tribe of Manasseh: and this was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh by their families. And their coast was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, threescore cities: And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were pertaining unto the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even to the one half of the children of Machir by their families. These are the countries which Moses did distribute for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward. But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them."
Word Study
"inheritance," Hebrew nachalah (נַחֲלָה). The word means an inheritance, a heritage, a possession received and held, especially the portion of land passed down in a family. The whole chapter is about nachalah: each tribe receives its inheritance of land, "the inheritance of the children of Reuben," "the inheritance unto the tribe of Gad," and so on. But the chapter opens and closes with a different kind of inheritance, given to Levi: "the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance." Levi received no nachalah of land, because the LORD Himself was their nachalah. This is one of the most beautiful truths in Scripture, and it becomes the language of the deepest faith. The psalmist prays, "The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance... I have a goodly heritage" (Psalm 16:5-6); "God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever" (Psalm 73:26); "The LORD is my portion, saith my soul" (Lamentations 3:24). To have God Himself as one's inheritance is infinitely greater than to own the whole land, for lands can be lost, but the one whose portion is the Lord can say, "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places" (Psalm 16:6). And in the New Covenant this becomes the portion of every believer, for we are made "a kingdom of priests" (compare 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6), and our inheritance is God Himself, "an inheritance incorruptible... reserved in heaven" (1 Peter 1:4), while God calls us "his inheritance" as well (Ephesians 1:18). So nachalah lifts our eyes from lands and goods to the true treasure. The tribes had fields; Levi had God, and Levi was richer. The believer's inheritance is not the passing things of earth but the LORD Himself, our portion for ever.
Explanation
The chapter carefully deeds out the lands east of Jordan to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh — the portions Moses had assigned. But one tribe is deliberately left off every map: "unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave none inheritance." Twice the reason is given, and it is the richest line in the chapter — "the sacrifices of the LORD... are their inheritance," and "the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance." The priestly tribe received no fields because they received God Himself. Theirs was the better portion, a foretaste of every believer whose treasure is not land but the Lord.
Gospel Focus
The chapter carefully records the inheritance of the eastern tribes, Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, the lands Moses had given them beyond the Jordan. The details are exact, city by city, border by border, for God is precise in keeping His promises; every family's portion is remembered. Woven into the record is a sober reminder, "Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay", the false prophet who had tried to curse Israel and then corrupted them (Numbers 22-25, 31), fell under judgment, a warning that those who set themselves against God's people come to ruin. But the chapter's crowning word is reserved for the last verse, and it echoes the opening: "unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance." This is stated twice (13:14, 33) to frame the whole division of the land, as if to say: before you read of all these fields and cities, remember what the best inheritance really is. Levi, the tribe set apart for God's service, was given no soil, because they were given God. Their portion was to stand before Him, to serve at His altar, to bear His presence, to live on His offerings; the LORD was their nachalah. For the Apostolic reader this is the treasure hidden in a chapter of boundaries. The world measures wealth in lands and possessions; but the highest inheritance is God Himself. To be a Levite, portionless in earth but rich in God, was the best lot of all. And this is now the calling of every believer. We are a royal priesthood, and our inheritance is not the passing goods of this world but the living God, our portion for ever. Whatever else we have or lack, if we have the Lord as our inheritance, we are richer than all the tribes with all their fields. The land was for the others; the LORD was Levi's, and the LORD is ours.
Chapter 13 in Review
Joshua 13 turns from conquest to inheritance. Though Joshua is "old and stricken in years" and great victories are won, God says, "there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed," and pledges, "them will I drive out," commanding that the land be divided "by lot... for an inheritance." The chapter records the eastern inheritance of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, the lands Moses gave beyond the Jordan. And twice, framing the whole division, it declares of the tribe of Levi: "the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter holds two great truths. First, the tension of the "already, but not yet." The land was given, yet much remained to be possessed; the victory was real, yet the work was not finished. So it is in Christ: God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings, given us all things, yet we must press on to lay hold of what is ours, never complacent that much remains, never discouraged, for the promise is sure. There is always "yet very much land to be possessed", more of God to know, more ground to take. Second, and above all, the truest inheritance is God Himself. While every tribe measured its portion in fields and cities, Levi was given no land, "the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance." This is the treasure of the whole book: to have God as one's portion is greater than to own the earth. The psalmists made it their song, "the LORD is the portion of mine inheritance"; "God is... my portion for ever." And it is now the inheritance of every believer, a royal priesthood whose portion is the living God. So we press on to possess all He has given; and we hold fast, above every earthly thing, the one inheritance that can never be lost: the LORD Himself, our portion for ever.
- The victory is real, but the possessing is not finished: "yet very much land" remains (13:1).
- Israel divided even unpossessed land by faith, trusting God's promise to drive out the enemy (13:6-7).
- The "already, but not yet": all is ours in Christ, yet we press on to possess it (13:1; Philippians 3:12).
- God is precise in keeping His promises; every family's portion is remembered (13:15-31).
- Those who set themselves against God's people come to ruin, like Balaam (13:22).
- Levi's inheritance was the LORD Himself, the greatest portion of all (13:14, 33).
Questions for Reflection
- Is there "yet very much land" in your walk with God still to be possessed?
- Are you complacent, or discouraged, or pressing on to lay hold of what God has given?
- Do you measure your wealth by earthly things, or by having God as your portion?
- Can you say with the psalmist, "the LORD is the portion of mine inheritance"?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Much land yet to possess; the already/not yet: Joshua 13:1-7; Judges 1:27-36; 1 Corinthians 3:21-23; Ephesians 1:3; Philippians 3:12-14; Hebrews 4:1. Dividing the inheritance by faith; God's promise to drive out: Joshua 13:6-7; Exodus 23:29-30; Deuteronomy 7:22; Joshua 23:5. The eastern inheritance; Balaam's judgment: Joshua 13:8-32; Numbers 21:21-35; 31:8; 2 Peter 2:15-16; Jude 11. Levi's inheritance is the LORD: Joshua 13:14, 33; Numbers 18:20-24; Deuteronomy 10:9; 18:1-2; Psalm 16:5-6; 73:26; Lamentations 3:24; 1 Peter 1:4. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Much land yet to possess; the "already, but not yet" of faith: Joshua 13:1-7; Ephesians 1:3; Philippians 3:12.
- The eastern inheritance recorded; Balaam's judgment: Joshua 13:8-32; Numbers 31:8; 2 Peter 2:15.
- Levi's inheritance is the LORD Himself: Joshua 13:14, 33; Numbers 18:20; Psalm 16:5-6; 73:26.
- The believer's portion is God, our inheritance for ever: Lamentations 3:24; 1 Peter 1:4; Ephesians 1:18.