Bible Commentaries

Now Joshua was old [and] ^a 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 ^b possessed.

(a) Being almost a hundred and ten years old.

(b) After the enemies are overcome.

All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto ^c 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.

(c) Read (Joshua 11:8).

Nevertheless the children of Israel ^d expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

(d) Because they had not destroyed all as God had commanded they that remainder were snares and pricks to hurt them, (Numbers 33:35) ; (Joshua 23:13) ; (Judges 2:3).

Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire [are] ^e their inheritance, as he said unto them.

(e) Levi will live by the sacrifices, (Numbers 18:21).

^f Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.

(f) So that both they who obeyed wicked counsel and the wicked counsellor perished by the just judgment of God.

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 ^g other side Jordan eastward.

(g) That is, in the land of Moab.

And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, [were pertaining] unto the ^h children of Machir the son of Manasseh, [even] to the one half of the children of Machir by their families.

(h) Meaning, his nephews and posterity.