7 "Now therefore, apportion this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe e of Manasseh ." 8 With the other half-tribe, the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east , just as Moses the servant of the Lord gave to them; 9 from Aroer , which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon , with the city which is in the middle of the valley , and all the plain of Medeba , as far as Dibon ; 10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites , who reigned in Heshbon , as far as the border of the sons of Ammon ; 11 and Gilead , and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites , and all Mount Hermon , and all Bashan as far as Salecah ; 12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan , who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim ); for Moses struck them and dispossessed them. 13 But the sons of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurites or the Maacathites ; for Geshur and Maacath live among Israel until this day .
14 Only to the tribe of Levi he did not give an inheritance ; the offerings by fire to the Lord , the God of Israel , are their inheritance , as He spoke to him. 15 So Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the sons of Reuben according to their families . 16 Their territory was from Aroer , which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon , with the city which is in the middle of the valley and all the plain by Medeba ; 17 Heshbon , and all its cities which are on the plain : Dibon and Bamoth-baal and Beth-baal-meon , 18 and Jahaz and Kedemoth and Mephaath , 19 and Kiriathaim and Sibmah and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley , 20 and Beth-peor and the slopes of Pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth , 21 even all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon , whom Moses struck with the chiefs of Midian , Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba , the princes of Sihon , who lived in the land . 22 The sons of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor , the diviner , with the sword among the rest of their slain . 23 The border of the sons of Reuben was the Jordan . This was the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their families , the cities and their villages . 24 Moses also gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad , to the sons of Gad , according to their families . 25 Their territory was Jazer , and all the cities of Gilead , and half the land of the sons of Ammon , as far as Aroer which is before e Rabbah ; 26 and from Heshbon as far as Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim , and from Mahanaim as far as the border of Debir ; 27 and in the valley , Beth-haram and Beth-nimrah and Succoth and Zaphon , the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon , with the Jordan as a border , as far as the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan to the east . 28 This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad according to their families , the cities and their villages . 29 Moses also gave an inheritance to the half-tribe e of Manasseh ; and it was for the half-tribe e of the sons of Manasseh according to their families . 30 Their territory was from Mahanaim , all Bashan , all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan , and all the towns of Jair , which are in Bashan , sixty cities ; 31 also half of Gilead , with Ashtaroth and Edrei , the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan , were for the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh , for half of the sons of Machir according to their families . 32 These are the territories which Moses apportioned for an inheritance in the plains of Moab , beyond e the Jordan at Jericho to the east . 33 But to the tribe of Levi , Moses did not give an inheritance ; the Lord , the God of Israel , is their inheritance , as He had promised to them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joshua 13:7-33
Commentary on Joshua 13:7-33
(Read Joshua 13:7-33)
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 property, both at present and in future. Joshua must be herein a type of Christ, who has not only conquered the gates of hell for us, but has opened to us the gates of heaven, and having purchased the eternal inheritance for all believers, will put them in possession of it. Here is a general description of the country given to the two tribes and a half, by Moses. Israel must know their own, and keep to it; and may not, under pretence of their being God's peculiar people, encroach on their neighbours. Twice in this chapter it is noticed, that to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance: see Numbers 18:20. Their maintenance must be brought out of all the tribes. The ministers of the Lord should show themselves indifferent about worldly interests, and the people should take care they want nothing suitable. And happy are those who have the Lord God of Israel for their inheritance, though little of this world falls to their lot. His providences will supply their wants, his consolations will support their souls, till they gain heavenly joy and everlasting pleasures.