“Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!'” Ezekiel 33:11
What does God want from me?
“What does God want from me?” We’ve probably heard it; perhaps we’ve thought about it.
In our Bible verse today, God first tells us what he DOESN’T want. He doesn’t want to send us to hell. He doesn’t want to condemn us. Oh, it’s true, that’s what we deserve, because of our sinfulness. And if we consistently, stubbornly rebel against God, refusing to believe in him, then God has no choice, and he will send us to hell. But truly this isn’t what God wants
So, what DOES God want? In short, he wants us. He wants our heart, our affection, our trust. He wants us to spend eternity with him. He wants you and me so badly that he—Jesus—became one of us, dying on the cross to pay for our sins in full.
God wanted you that badly; God loved you that dearly. And God wants you to have the benefits of Jesus’ work—forgiveness of sins, peace with God, and much more—for all eternity. That’s what God wants for you!
Prayer:
O Savior, thank you for claiming me as one of your children. Although I’d rebelled against you, you wanted me. What grace! Lead me to always turn to you, to focus on you, to live in a way that makes clear that I appreciate what you’ve done for me. Amen.
When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. . . “[We] know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.” Galatians 2:11,16
Hard Conversations
The apostle Paul had to have a hard conversation with Cephas, better known as the apostle Peter. You know the kind of conversation—the one that puts your stomach in knots and that you’d really rather avoid. Paul had to call Peter out in front of the whole church because Peter’s actions were damaging the church.
As more and more Gentiles came to faith in Jesus, cultural questions naturally arose. Did these non-Jewish believers have to follow Jewish customs to belong to the Christian church? Did they have to live like Jews in order to be true Christians? The Bible’s answer is clear: of course not.
Yet Peter had stopped eating with Gentile Christians and ate only with Jewish Christians. By his actions, he was sending the message that faith in Jesus was not enough. If you wanted to be a true believer, you needed faith in Christ and obedience to the Old Testament ceremonial laws.
Paul saw what was happening and recognized the effect it was having on the other believers. Without hesitation, he confronted Peter. Paul was not concerned about fitting in, hurting feelings, or offending people. He was concerned for the spiritual welfare of the entire church. He recognized Peter’s actions for what they really were: a threat to the very message of forgiveness through faith in Jesus alone.
So, Paul reminded them that we are justified—acquitted in God’s courtroom—not by what we do, how we act, or how we live, but solely by what Jesus has done for us.
Jesus calls us to confront a brother or sister’s sin not only for that person’s sake, but also for the good of the whole church. When we refuse to have those difficult conversations, our silence can strengthen others in their sin as well.
Confronting sin is never easy. Yet God gives his people the privilege and responsibility to have these hard conversations for the greater good of his people.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, please keep me mindful of the importance of having hard conversations about sin. Amen.
“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?” Ezekiel 33:11
God Wants Sinners to Live
It’s the middle of the night. Loud banging pounds on your front door. The doorbell rings without stopping. Small stones tap against your bedroom window. Then your phone starts ringing and doesn’t stop. The ruckus is anything but welcome. But when you look out the window, you discover your house is on fire, and your neighbor has been desperately trying to wake you up and save your life.
Thank God he did! And wouldn’t you do the same for him? Wouldn’t you do whatever it took to rescue him from the flames?
That is what God is talking about through the prophet Ezekiel. Warning fellow believers about the danger of sin is rarely appreciated at first. But just as a neighbor makes a racket to save someone from a burning house, God sounds the alarm because he loves us.
Through Ezekiel, God made it clear that a warning about sin is not intended to be an unwanted disturbance. It’s a message of life!
God rings our doorbell, pounds on our door, and sends fellow Christians to get our attention. Maybe it is your parents. Maybe a Christian friend. Maybe your pastor. However the warning comes, it comes in love, because God wants sinners to live.
How much does he want that? He chose the death of his own Son over the death of the wicked. Jesus’ death gives you forgiven life. Jesus’ resurrection gives you eternal life. And as surely as Jesus lives, he wants nothing more than for us to be alive with him, forever, in heaven.
That is why God sounds the alarm. Not to knock sinners down, but to lift them up with the gospel. Not to condemn, but to call them to the Savior who forgives.
So, whichever end of the warning you are on, remember God’s purpose. His goal is never your death. His goal is your life!
Prayer:
Sovereign Lord, thank you for turning me from my sin and giving me life in Christ. Amen.
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13 To Caleb son of Jephunneh, Joshua gave a portion among the people of Judah, in keeping with the word of the Lord to Joshua, namely, the city of Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak). Kiriath Arba is now called Hebron. 14 Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 Then he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath Sepher.
16 Caleb said, “If anyone attacks Kiriath Sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Aksah to him as his wife.” 17 Othniel son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, [1] captured Kiriath Sepher, and Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him as his wife.
18 When she came to Othniel, she pressured him to ask her father for some pastureland. [2] As she dismounted from the donkey, Caleb said to her, “What do you want?”
19 She said, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the dry Negev, you should also give me springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
The Cities in Judah
20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans.
21 The cities at the southern edge of the tribe of the people of Judah along the border with Edom in the Negev are:
Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Sokoh, Azekah, 36 Sha’araim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim [4]—fourteen cities and their villages.
37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 38 Dilan, Mizpah, Jokthe’el, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Kabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Na’amah, and Makkedah—sixteen cities and their villages.
42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Akzib, and Mareshah—nine cities and their villages.
45 Ekron and its surrounding towns [5] and its villages.
46 West of Ekron, all the towns that are near Ashdod and their villages.
47 Also Ashdod with its surrounding towns and its villages.
Gaza with its surrounding towns and its villages, as far as the Stream of Egypt, with the Mediterranean Sea as the boundary.
48 In the hill country the cities were:
Shamir, Jattir, Sokoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven cities and their villages.
52 Arab, Rumah, Eshan, 53 Janum, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine cities and their villages.
55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezre’el, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten cities and their villages.
58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, 59 Ma’arath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon—six cities and their villages.
⎣Tekoa, Ephrathah (that is, Bethlehem), Peor, Etam, Kolan, Tatem, Shoresh, Kerem, Gallim, Bether and Manoko—eleven cities and their villages.⎦ [6]
60 Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah—two cities and their villages.
61 In the wilderness:
Beth Arabah, Middin, Sekakah, 62 Nibshan, Ir Melah, and En Gedi—six cities and their villages.
63 But as for the Jebusites, who were the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah were not able to drive them out. The Jebusites have lived with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.
Ephraim and Manasseh
Joshua 16
1 The allotment for the descendants of Joseph starts from the Jordan of Jericho and from the waters of Jericho on the east and extends up through the wilderness, ascending from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel. 2 Then it goes out from Bethel to Luz [7] and crosses over to the border of the Arkites at Ataroth. 3 It descends westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth Horon and as far as Gezer, and it ends at the sea.
4 So the descendants of Joseph—the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim—received their inheritance.
Ephraim
5 The border of the descendants of Ephraim was arranged according to their clans.
The southern border of their inheritance, starting from the east end, extends from Ataroth Addar up to Upper Beth Horon.
6 Then the border goes out to the sea. [8]
Starting at Mikmethath on the northeast, the border curves around toward the southeast, toward Ta’anath Shiloh, and it crosses over on the east of Janoah.
7 Then it descends from Janoah to Ataroth and to Na’arath. It touches Jericho and goes out to the Jordan. [9]
8 From Tappuah the border goes west to the streambed of the Kanah. It ends at the sea. [10]
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim according to their clans. 9 It also includes the cities that were set apart for the descendants of Ephraim in the middle of the inheritance of the descendants of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.
10 But the Ephraimites did not drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer. So the Canaanites have lived within Ephraim to this day, but they have become a labor force of slaves.
Manasseh
Joshua 17
1 The second allotment went to the tribe of Manasseh, even though he was the firstborn of Joseph.
To Makir, [11] the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a warrior—to him went Gilead and Bashan.
2 The next allotment went to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh according to their clans: that is, to the sons [12] of Abiezer, to the sons of Helek, to the sons of Asriel, to the sons of Shechem, to the sons of Hepher, and to the sons of Shemida. These were the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, the males according to their clans.
3 Now Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Tirzah. 4 They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the other leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.”
So, in keeping with the word of the Lord, he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.
5 Thus the portions of Manasseh were assigned as ten portions, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan, which are in the region east of the Jordan, 6 because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead went to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.
7 The border of Manasseh extends from Asher to Mikmethath, which is close to Shechem. Then the border turns to the right [13] toward the inhabitants of En Tappuah. 8 The land of Tappuah belongs to Manasseh, but Tappuah, on the border of Manasseh, belongs to the descendants of Ephraim.
9 Then the border descends to the streambed of the Kanah.
South of the streambed, these cities belonging to Ephraim are located among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh is north of the streambed, and it ends at the sea. 10 The land to the south belongs to Ephraim and the land to the north belongs to Manasseh, and the sea is its border. The borders touch Asher on the northwest and Issachar on the northeast.
11 Also belonging to Manasseh but lying within the territory of Issachar and Asher are Beth Shan and its surrounding towns, [14] Ibleam and its surrounding towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its surrounding towns, the inhabitants of Endor and its surrounding towns, the inhabitants of Ta’anach and its surrounding towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its surrounding towns; also three cities of the Nephet. [15]
12 But the people of Manasseh were not able to take possession of these cities, and the Canaanites were determined to continue living in this land. 13 When the people of Israel grew strong, they made the Canaanites serve as a labor force, but they did not drive them out completely.
14 The descendants of Joseph spoke with Joshua. They said, “Why did you give us an inheritance of only one lot and one portion, even though we are a numerous people, whom the Lord has blessed right up to the present?”
15 But Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear some land for yourself in the territory of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too confining for you.”
16 The descendants of Joseph said, “The hill country is not sufficient for us, and all the Canaanites living in the valleys have iron chariots, [16] both those in Beth Shan and its surrounding towns and those in the Valley of Jezre’el.”
17 But Joshua said to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh, “Because you are a numerous people and you have great strength, you will not have just one allotment, 18 but you will also have the hill country. Even though it is forest, you will clear it, and all of it will be yours, because you will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and even though they are strong.”
Footnotes
Joshua 15:17 It is not certain whether Othniel or Kenaz was Caleb’s brother. It seems most likely that it was Kenaz.
Joshua 15:18 As the text is translated here, Aksah urged her husband to ask her father for the land, but he apparently did not do so, which would account for her making the request herself. See Judges 1:14-15.
Joshua 15:32 There are more than twenty-nine cities listed. In fact, there are thirty-six. Some of the totals given in the lists do not correspond with the number of locations named. Many of the city names also have different spellings in different texts. The footnotes do not cite every variant spelling.
Joshua 15:36 There are fourteen cities without Gederothaim, so it may be an alternate name for Gederah.
Joshua 15:45 Literally her daughters. Here the daughters are the small towns in the territory of the main city.
Joshua 15:59 This list of eleven cities is not present in the Hebrew text, but it is in the Greek Old Testament. It seems unlikely that a list of the cities of Judah would not include Bethlehem.
Joshua 16:2 Or that is Luz. The translation follows the Hebrew text, but elsewhere Luz is the old name of Bethel.
Joshua 16:6 This description includes both the southern and the western borders.
Joshua 16:7 This seems to describe the eastern part of the northern border as well as the eastern border, but the whole description of the border is difficult.
Joshua 16:8 This seems to describe the western half of the northern border.
Joshua 17:1 Makir was the name of the son of Manasseh, who lived about four hundred years before the division of the land. Here Makir refers to the clan descended from Makir. Perhaps the clan was led by another man named Makir.
Joshua 17:2 Sons may include multiple generations.
Joshua 17:7 Or the south
Joshua 17:11 Literally her daughters. Here the daughters are the small towns in the territory of the main city.
Joshua 17:11 The meaning of the phrase translated three cities of the Nephet is uncertain. Nephet may refer to a height or it may be a place name. It may refer to a region around Dor.
Joshua 17:16 The term iron chariots probably refers to chariots fitted with iron trappings.
1 Now Joshua had grown old and had advanced in years. So the Lord said to him, “You have grown old and advanced in years, but very much land remains to be taken as your possession.
2 “This is the land that remains:
All the districts of the Philistines and all of the Geshurites, 3 from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, to the border of Ekron on the north. (This is reckoned as belonging to the Canaanites, but includes the five serens [1] of the Philistines, the serens of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as the Avvites 4 on the south.)
All the land of the Canaanites, and Me’arah, [2] which belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, up to the border of the Amorites.
5 The land of the Gebalites, [3] and all of Lebanon toward the rising of the sun, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon up to the entry to Hamath, 6 all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, and all the Sidonians.
“I myself will drive them out as the people of Israel advance. So assign the land to Israel as their possession by lot, just as I have commanded you. 7 Now apportion this land as an inheritance for nine of the tribes and one of the half tribes of Manasseh.”
Division of the Transjordan
8 Together with the other half tribe of Manasseh, the Reubenites and Gadites had already received their inheritance from Moses in the area east of the Jordan, just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had assigned it to them.
9 It extended from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Canyon, and from the city that is in the middle of the canyon, and included all the tableland [4] from Medeba to Dibon.
10 It included all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, up to the border of the people of Ammon;
11 also Gilead, and the territory of the Geshurites and the Ma’akathites, and all Mount Hermon and all of Bashan to Salekah;
12 also all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and in Edrei.
(Og himself was left from the remnant of the Rephaim, [5] and Moses struck them down and drove them out.)
13 But the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites and the Ma’akathites. So Geshur and Ma’akath have lived within Israel to this day.
14 But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give an inheritance. Their inheritance is the offerings made by fire to the Lord, the God of Israel, just as he said to them.
Reuben
15 Moses gave land to the tribe of the descendants of Reuben according to their clans.
16 Their territory included Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Canyon, and the city that is in the middle of the canyon, and all of the tableland by Medeba.
17 It included Heshbon and all its cities that are in the tableland, also Dibon, Bamoth Baal, and Beth Baal Meon, 18 also Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mepha’ath;
19 also Kiriathaim, and Sibmah, and Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley, 20 and Beth Peor, and the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth, 21 all the cities of the tableland.
It included the whole kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, whom Moses had struck down, together with the chiefs of Midian, namely, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were subject kings under Sihon and lived in his land.
22 In addition to the Midianites who were killed, the Israelites killed with the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination.
23 The border of the descendants of Reuben was the Jordan River. This was the border of the inheritance of the descendants of Reuben according to their clans—the cities and their villages.
Gad
24 Moses also gave land to the tribe of Gad, to the descendants of Gad according to their clans.
25 Their territory included Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half of the land of the descendants of Ammon, as far as Aroer, which is near Rabbah.
26 Also it extended from Heshbon to Ramat Hamizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir.
27 Also in the valley he gave them Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, and Succoth, as well as Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as a border, up to the end of the Sea of Galilee, [6] the region beyond the Jordan to the east.
28 This is the inheritance of the descendants of Gad according to their clans—the cities and their villages.
Half Manasseh
29 Moses also gave land to the half tribe of Manasseh. It was given to the half tribe of the descendants of Manasseh according to their clans.
30 Their territory extended from Mahanaim through all of Bashan, including all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan and all the tent villages of Jair, which are in Bashan—sixty cities in all.
31 He gave half of Gilead, also Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities belonging to the kingdom of Og in Bashan, to the descendants of Makir, the son of Manasseh, to half of the descendants of Makir according to their clans.
32 These territories are what Moses had given as an inheritance while in the Plains of Moab from the region beyond the Jordan of Jericho to the east.
33 But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had not given an inheritance. The Lord, the God of Israel—he is their inheritance, as he had said to them.
The Division of the Land of Canaan
Joshua 14
1 The following are the allotted inheritances for the descendants of Israel in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leading fathers [7] of the tribes allotted as an inheritance to the people of Israel. 2 The inheritances for nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh were determined by lot, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.
3 Moses had already assigned inheritances to two tribes and to one half tribe in the region east of the Jordan, but to the Levites he did not give an inheritance among the other tribes. 4 Because the sons of Joseph had been divided into two tribes, namely, Manasseh and Ephraim, the Levites did not receive a tribal territory in the land. They did, however, receive cities to live in along with the cities’ pasturelands for their cattle and property. [8]5 Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, that is what the people of Israel did when they apportioned the land.
Judah Caleb’s Request
6 When the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal, Caleb son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, said this to him:
You know what the Lord spoke to Moses, the man of God, concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to scout the land, and I brought back to him my heartfelt advice. 8 When my brother Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt, I nevertheless fully followed the Lord my God. 9 So Moses swore an oath to me on that day. He said, “Most certainly the land on which your foot has walked shall be an inheritance for you and for your children forever, because you fully followed the Lord my God.”
10 So now as you see, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, for these forty-five years since the Lord spoke this promise to Moses when Israel was traveling in the wilderness. So now, here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as on the day that Moses sent me out. My strength for going out and for coming back from battle is the same now as it was then.
12 So now, give me this place in the hill country that the Lord promised that day. Even though you heard on that day that the Anakites are there, as well as large fortified cities, perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out, just as the Lord said.
13 So Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Therefore Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, as an inheritance to this day, because he fully followed after the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 The name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath Arba. Arba was the greatest man among the Anakites.
So the land rested from war.
The Borders of Judah
Joshua 15
1 This was the allotment for the tribe of the descendants of Judah according to their clans. It extended south to the border with Edom and through the Negev to the Wilderness of Zin in the extreme south.
2 Their border on the south started from the south end of the Dead Sea, [9] from the bay [10] that faces south.
3 It goes south from the Ascent of Akrabbim and crosses over to Zin and ascends from south of Kadesh Barnea.
Then it crosses over to Hezron and ascends to Adar and curves around to Karka.
4 Then it crosses over to Azmon and goes out to the Stream of Egypt. [11]
The border ends at the Mediterranean Sea.
This is your southern border.
5 The border on the east is the Dead Sea, [12] up to the mouth of the Jordan.
The border on the north side starts from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.
6 The border ascends to Beth Hoglah and crosses over north of Beth Arabah.
Then the border ascends to the Stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben.
7 Then the border ascends to Debir from the Valley of Achor and turns north toward Gilgal, which is opposite the Ascent of Adummim, which is south of the streambed.
Then the border crosses over to the waters of En Shemesh, ending at En Rogel.
8 Then the border ascends through the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the slope of the Jebusites on the south side of Jerusalem.
Then the border ascends to the top of the mountain that is across the Valley of Hinnom on the west side, where Hinnom meets the north end of the Valley of Rephaim.
9 Then the border bends from the top of the mountain to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah and goes out to the cities of Mount Ephron.
Then the border bends toward Baalah—that is, Kiriath Jearim.
10 The border curves around from Baalah westward to Mount Seir and crosses over to the slope of Mount Jearim from the north—that is, Kesalon—and descends to Beth Shemesh, then crosses over to Timnah.
11 The border goes out to the slope of Ekron, on the north.
Then the border bends to Shikkeron and crosses over Mount Baalah and goes out to Jabne’el, and the border ends at the sea.
12 The border on the west—the Mediterranean Sea [13] is the border.
This is the border on all sides for the descendants of Judah according to their clans.
Footnotes
Joshua 13:3 The word seren is a special word used only of the rulers of the five Philistine city states. It seems to be a Philistine term. It may be related to the Greek word tyrant, an autocratic ruler of a city state. Seren is apparently a title like pharaoh or czar, which is applied to one specific class of rulers. Since this is a unique title, the EHV uses the transliteration seren rather than the traditional rendering lord.
Joshua 13:4 Or perhaps from Arah. The meaning and location of this place name are uncertain.
Joshua 13:5 The city of Gebal is also called Byblos. This Greek version of the name is the more common name of the city in English.
Joshua 13:9 The Hebrew term mishor refers to a high plateau. It often refers to this specific area near Medeba, in which case it can be translated as a proper name, Mishor.
Joshua 13:12 See the note at 12:4.
Joshua 13:27 Hebrew Sea of Kinneret
Joshua 14:1 Fathers is a common title for the ruling elders among the Israelites.
Joshua 14:4 That is, there were already a total of twelve tribal allotments without granting a tribal allotment for Levi. Levi’s inheritance, therefore, was within the territory of other tribes.
Joshua 15:2 Hebrew Salt Sea
Joshua 15:2 The Hebrew word lashon, translated bay in this verse and in verse 5, means tongue. Tongue might plausibly refer to a tongue-shaped bay, but there are no noticeable bays or peninsulas on the north and south shores of the sea, so the significance of the term in these verses is uncertain. It may simply mean shore or end.
Joshua 15:4 This is not the Nile but one of the seasonal streams in the wilderness, perhaps at Arish. It is also called the Wadi of Egypt or the Brook of Egypt.
1 When Jabin king of Hazor heard what had happened, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Akshaph, 2 and to the kings in the northern hill country, those in the Arabah south of Kinneret, [1] in the Shephelah, and in Naphoth Dor to the west, 3 as well as to the Canaanites in the east and the west, and to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and to the Hivites below Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4 They came out—they and all their divisions with them—a people as numerous as the sand on the seashore, together with very many horses and chariots. 5 All these kings gathered together. They came and camped together at the Waters of Merom to wage war against Israel.
6 But the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because tomorrow at this time I will give all of them to Israel as corpses. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
7 So Joshua and all the military forces with him came upon them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them. 8 The Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them and pursued them as far as Great Sidon, as far as Misrephoth Maim, and as far east as the Valley of Mizpah. They struck them down until they left no survivor for them. 9 Joshua did to them just as the Lord had said to him: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
10 Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor. He struck down its king with the sword, even though Hazor had formerly been the head of all these kingdoms. 11 The Israelites struck down every living thing that was in Hazor with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction. He left nothing breathing, and Hazor he burned with fire.
12 Joshua captured all the cities of these kings and all their kings. He struck them with the edge of the sword. He devoted them to destruction just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. 13 But none of the cities standing on their mounds were burned by Israel—except that Joshua did burn Hazor. 14 All of the plunder from these cities, including the cattle, was taken by the people of Israel as spoils of war for themselves, but they struck down every person with the edge of the sword until they had exterminated them all. They did not leave anything that breathed. 15 Just as the Lord had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He did not fail to carry out a single word of everything that the Lord had commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua took all this land: the hill country, [2] all the Negev, [3] all the land of Goshen, [4] the Shephelah, [5] the Arabah, [6] the mountainous region of Israel and its foothills, 17 from Mount Halak that rises to Seir, as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings. He struck them and put them to death. 18 For many days [7] Joshua made war with all these kings. 19 There was no city that made peace with the people of Israel except for the Hivites living in Gibeon. The Israelites took them all in battle, 20 for it was the Lord who hardened their hearts so that they would confront Israel in battle and would be devoted to destruction, and they would not receive mercy but would be destroyed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
21 At that time Joshua went and cut off the Anakites [8] from the hill country—from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua devoted them and their cities to destruction. 22 There were no Anakites remaining in the land of the Israelites. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod were they left. 23 So Joshua took the whole land according to everything the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their allotments for their tribes. Then the land rested from war.
The Conquered Kings East of the Jordan
Joshua 12
1 The following are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel struck down and then took possession of their land, which was east of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the Arnon Canyon to Mount Hermon, including all of the Arabah east of the Jordan.
2 The first was Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. He ruled over the territory that extends from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Canyon, and from the middle of the canyon [9] all the way north to the Jabbok Canyon, which is the border of the Ammonites. 3 This includes half of Gilead. He also ruled over the eastern part of the Arabah [10] from the Sea of Kinneret [11] south as far as the Sea of the Arabah, which is the Salt Sea, [12] and east in the direction of Beth Jeshimoth and south as far as the slopes of Pisgah.
4 The second area was the territory of Og king of Bashan, who was from a remnant of the Rephaim [13] and who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. 5 He was ruler in Mount Hermon, in Salekah, and in all Bashan up to the border of the Geshurites and the Ma’akathites, [14] and in half of Gilead as far south as the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
6 Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the people of Israel struck them down. Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave this land east of the Jordan as a possession to the tribe of Reuben, to the tribe of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.
The Conquered Kings West of the Jordan
7 The following are the kings of the land that Joshua and the people of Israel struck down in the area west of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments, 8 which were in the hill country, in the Shephelah, in the Arabah, on the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negev—land that formerly was the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
9 the king of Jericho
one
the king of Ai, which is next to Bethel
one
10 the king of Jerusalem
one
the king of Hebron
one
11 the king of Jarmuth
one
the king of Lachish
one
12 the king of Eglon
one
the king of Gezer
one
13 the king of Debir
one
the king of Geder
one
14 the king of Hormah
one
the king of Arad
one
15 the king of Libnah
one
the king of Adullam
one
16 the king of Makkedah
one
the king of Bethel
one
17 the king of Tappuah
one
the king of Hepher
one
18 the king of Aphek
one
the king for the Sharon Plain [15]
one
19 the king of Madon
one
the king of Hazor
one
20 the king of Shimron Meron
one
the king of Akshaph
one
21 the king of Ta’anach
one
the king of Megiddo
one
22 the king of Kedesh
one
the king of Jokneam in Carmel
one
23 the king of Dor in Naphoth Dor
one
the king of Goyim in Gilgal
one
24 the king of Tirzah
one
all of the kings
thirty-one.
Footnotes
Joshua 11:2 A city near the Sea of Galilee, or the sea itself, which is also called Kinneret.
Joshua 11:16 The Hebrew is literally the mountain. The EHV retains the traditional rendering hill country for the highland regions of Israel. (This section of Joshua is the key to learning the geography of Israel.)
Joshua 11:16 The Negev is the arid region in the southern part of Judah.
Joshua 11:16 Not to be confused with the land of Goshen in Egypt, this Goshen seems to be along the western side of Judah.
Joshua 11:16 Shephelah, which means “low region,” is the name for the foothills west of the hill country.
Joshua 11:16 The Arabah is the deep valley that contains the Jordan River and continues south of the Dead Sea.
Joshua 11:18 About seven years
Joshua 11:21 The Anakites were some of the earliest inhabitants of Canaan. They were known for their giant stature.
Joshua 12:2 The parallel passage in Joshua 13:9 reads from the city that is in the middle of the canyon.
Joshua 12:3 That is, the deep valley which contains the Jordan River
Joshua 12:3 That is, the Sea of Galilee
Joshua 12:3 That is, the Dead Sea
Joshua 12:4 Rephaim is the name of a group of people known for their great height. Og, as well as the strong warriors who fought David’s elite warriors (2 Samuel 21:16-20), were Rephaim. Goliath likely was also one of them. Their name seems to have come from a forefather named Rapha (2 Samuel 21:16). They seem to have been the earliest inhabitants of the land. By the time of the judges only a remnant of them was left. They were also known as Emim and Zamzummim.
Joshua 12:5 The stop mark ′ indicates that the double a should be pronounced as two syllables, Ma-ak.
1 When Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction, and that Joshua had done to Ai and its king exactly what he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were allied with them, 2 then he and those with him were very afraid because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal capital cities. It was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3 So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon. He said, 4 “Come up, join me, and help me. We must attack Gibeon, because it made peace with Joshua and with the Israelites.”
5 So the five kings of the Amorites—namely, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon—gathered together and went up with all their divisions. [1] They set up camp around Gibeon and waged war against it.
6 The men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not withdraw your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly! Save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Amorites living in the hill country have united themselves against us.”
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal—he and all the military forces with him, including all the strong warriors.
8 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because I have given them into your hand. Not a man among them will be able to stand in your presence.”
9 So Joshua came upon them unexpectedly by marching up from Gilgal all night. 10 The Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, and he struck a powerful blow against them at Gibeon. Then he chased them on the road that goes up to Beth Horon, and he struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 While they were fleeing from Israel on the descent from Beth Horon, the Lord hurled large stones from the heavens on them all the way to Azekah. So they died. Those who died from the hailstones were many more than those whom the Israelites killed by the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord on the day that the Lord gave the Amorites into the power of Israel ⎣when he struck them down at Gibeon, and they were struck down before the people of Israel⎦. [2] He said in the sight of Israel:
Sun, rest at Gibeon. Moon, rest at the Valley of Aijalon. 13 The sun rested, and the moon stood still until a nation could avenge itself on its enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? [3] The sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has never been a day like that day either before it or after it, a day when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, for the Lord was fighting for Israel.
15 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
16 Those five kings fled and hid in the cave at Makkedah. 17 It was reported to Joshua: “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men over it to guard them. 19 But you—do not stand still. Chase your enemies and attack them from the rear. [4] Do not give them a chance to get to their cities, because the Lord your God has given them into your hand.”
20 When Joshua and the people of Israel had inflicted a devastating blow upon them, to the point that they were almost wiped out (though a small group of survivors escaped into the fortified cities), 21 then all the people returned safely to the camp of Joshua at Makkedah. No one dared to speak a word against [5] the people of Israel—against any one of them!
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.” 23 They did so and brought those five kings out to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 When they had brought those kings out to Joshua, he summoned every man of Israel and said to the commanders of the fighting men who had gone with him, “Come, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came and put their feet on their necks.
25 Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid. Do not be overwhelmed. Be strong and courageous because the Lord will do these same things to all your enemies against whom you are waging war.” 26 Joshua struck them down after that, and after he had killed them, he hung them on five trees. They were hung on the trees until evening.
27 At sunset Joshua gave the command, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves. They placed large stones over the mouth of the cave, which remain there to this very day.
28 Joshua captured Makkedah on that day and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He devoted it to destruction, together with every living thing that was in it. He did not leave a survivor. So he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and waged war against Libnah. 30 The Lord gave it into the hand of Israel, together with its king. He struck Libnah with the edge of the sword, together with every living thing that was in it. He did not leave a survivor in it. So he did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Next Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. He set up camp against it and waged war against it. 32 The Lord gave Lachish into the hand of Israel. He captured it on the second day, and he struck it with the edge of the sword, together with every living thing that was in it, exactly as he had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him and his people until he did not leave one survivor for him.
34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved from Lachish to Eglon. They set up camp against it and waged war against it. 35 They captured it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword, together with every living thing that was in it. On that day he devoted it to destruction, exactly as he had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they waged war against it. 37 They captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword together with its king and all its settlements and every living thing that was in it. He did not leave a survivor, exactly as he had done to Eglon. He devoted it to destruction, along with every living thing in it.
38 Next Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to Debir and waged war against it. 39 He captured it, together with its king and all its settlements. They struck them with the edge of the sword and devoted to destruction every living thing that was in it. He did not leave a survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, just as he had done to Libnah and its king.
40 In this way Joshua struck the whole land: the hill country, [6] the Negev, [7] the Shephelah, [8] and the slopes, [9] together with all their kings. He did not leave a survivor. Every breathing thing he devoted to destruction, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him. 41 Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea all the way to Gaza and from the whole land of Goshen [10] all the way to Gibeon. 42 All of these kings and their land Joshua captured at one time because the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for Israel. 43 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
Footnotes
Joshua 10:5 Literally all their camps
Joshua 10:12 The words in half-brackets are not in the Hebrew text but appear in the Greek Old Testament. The words that are not present in the Hebrew text lie between two occurrences of the word Israel, so the copyist’s eye may have skipped from one occurrence to another.
Joshua 10:13 Or the Book of the Upright
Joshua 10:19 Or cut off their rear guard
Joshua 10:21 Literally sharpen his tongue at
Joshua 10:40 Or highlands. The Hebrew is literally the mountain. The translation retains the traditional rendering hill country for the highland regions of Israel. Here it refers to the central mountain ridge of Israel.
Joshua 10:40 The Negev is the arid region in the southern part of Judah. EHV uses the book of Joshua to teach the Hebrew geographic terms which occur frequently as English transliterations.
Joshua 10:40 Shephelah, which means “low region,” is the name for the foothills west of the hill country.
Joshua 10:40 The slopes seem to be the descents on the eastern and western sides of the hill country.
Joshua 10:41 This Goshen seems to be along the western side of Judah and is not to be confused with the Goshen in Egypt.
1 When all the kings who were west of the Jordan in the hill country, [1] in the Shephelah, [2] and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea [3] as far as Lebanon (the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites) heard what had happened, 2 they gathered together with one purpose: to wage war against Joshua and Israel.
3 However, when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they responded by coming up with a clever scheme: They gathered their provisions as if they were going on a trip. [4] They loaded worn-out sacks on their donkeys and wineskins that were worn-out, split, and mended. 5 They put worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and they put on worn-out clothing. All the bread in their provisions was dried out. It had begun to crumble. 6 Then they came to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and told him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a land far away. So now, make a treaty with us.”
7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you?”
8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”
So Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”
9 They said to him, “Because of the Name of the Lord your God, your servants have come from a land very far away. For we heard the report about him and all that he did in Egypt 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were in the area east of the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. 11 Our elders and all the inhabitants of our land said to us, ‘Take in your hand provisions for the journey and go to meet them. You should say to them, “We are your servants, so now make a treaty with us.”’ 12 This bread of ours was hot when we packed for the trip at our houses on the day we set out to come to you. Now, look, it is dried out and has become crumbs! 13 The wineskins were new when we filled them. Look, they have burst! Look at our clothing and our sandals. They wore out because of the great length of the journey.”
14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but they did not seek the word of the Lord. 15 So Joshua made peace with them. He made a treaty with them to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.
16 But three days after they had made the treaty with them, the Israelites heard that they were their neighbors, that is, that they were living among them. 17 So the people of Israel set out and came to the Gibeonites’ cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, Kephirah, Be’eroth, [5] and Kiriath Jearim. 18 But the people of Israel did not attack them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. So the whole community grumbled against the leaders.
19 All the leaders said to the community, “We swore an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so now we are not able to touch them. 20 This is what we should do with them: We will keep them alive so that there will not be anger against us because of the oath that we swore to them.” 21 Then the leaders said to the community, “They shall live!” So they became wood cutters and water carriers for the whole community, just as the leaders had advised concerning them.
22 Then Joshua summoned them and said to them, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live very far away from you,’ when in fact you live right among us? 23 So now you are cursed! The name ‘slave’ will never be removed from you. You will always be wood cutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
24 They answered Joshua, “Your servants were told very clearly that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to exterminate all the inhabitants of the land from your presence. We feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we did this. 25 So here we are, in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your eyes to do to us, do it.”
26 So that is what he did to them. He saved them from the hand of the people of Israel so that they did not kill them. 27 On that day Joshua designated them as wood cutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord, for the place the Lord would choose, until this very day.
Footnotes
Joshua 9:1 Or highlands. The word traditionally translated hill country is the same Hebrew word that means mountain. But in many cases, as it does here, it refers to highland regions, not to a mountain peak. This translation retains the traditional rendering hill country for the highland regions of Israel.
Joshua 9:1 The Shephelah is the region of foothills west of the central mountain range of Israel.
Joshua 9:1 Hebrew Great Sea
Joshua 9:4 The meaning of this sentence is uncertain.
Joshua 9:17 The stop mark ′ is inserted into some names as a pronunciation guide. The double vowel in Beer should not be read as one syllable, Beer, but as two syllables, Be-er.
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