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Joshua 13

Joshua 13:23

Reuben’s Inheritance · Joshua 13:15–23
Read Joshua 13

Translations

Modern
And the border of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the clans of the Reubenites, including the cities and villages.
Traditional
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.
Literal
And the border of the sons of Reuben was the Jordan and its bank. This was the inheritance of the sons of Reuben by their clans, the cities and their villages.
Latin
Factusque est terminus filiorum Ruben Jordanis fluvius. Hæc est possessio Rubenitarum per cognationes suas urbium et viculorum.

Original

Hebrew
English
And the border of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the clans of the Reubenites, including the cities and villages.

Notes

Joshua 13:15–23

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.

Joshua 13:1–21:45

  • 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.

Theme notes and profiles

Joshua Inheriting the Land

Events

People

Reuben: Firstborn son of Jacob and Leah

Places

Jordan: A river and region, significant in Israel's history

Glossary

Allotment of the Land Ammon, Ammonites Ashtaroth, Ashterathite Joshua (Person) Joshua, Book of Judges, Book of Kerioth Numbers, Book of Tribe of Dan

Topics

Reubenites: Have Their Inheritance East of the Jordan River The Amorites: Land of, Given to Reubenites the Tribe of Reuben: Bounds of Their Inheritance The Tribes of Israel: Reuben, Gad and Half Manasseh: Settled on East Side of Jordan Topography of Canaan