Search Tools
New Defender's Study Bible Notes
13:1 stricken in years. There is no set “retirement age” for the servant of God, for there is always much land yet to be possessed for his Lord. Note Psalm 71:17-18; 92:12-14. There is still more study of God’s Word, more people needing to hear about Christ, more people with whom to share God’s comfort, more money to earn for His work, and certainly much yet to pray about.
13:1 land to be possessed. The combined armies of Israel had defeated the key cities and their forces, so that the remaining cities and their inhabitants could be assigned to the individual tribes that were given their respective territories. Joshua was responsible to get the land properly divided before he died, so Joshua 13–22 deals in detail with this final responsibility of his.
13:6 by lot. The respective inheritances were determined to some extent by lot (see also Joshua 14:2; 18:6), but other considerations (e.g., size–Numbers 33:54) were evaluated, presumably by the representative committee mentioned in Joshua 18:4-10).
13:8 beyond Jordan eastward. Moses had promised the lands taken from Sihon and Og to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh. Joshua 13 deals with this division.
13:22 the soothsayer. Balaam was a soothsayer, or diviner, not just a true prophet who had allowed greed to subvert his judgment and compromise his ministry. (For the account of Balaam’s actions, see Numbers 22:4–24:25; 31:8.)