Summary
In Joshua 13, God reminds the aging commander Joshua that substantial territory still remains to be allocated. He enumerates the borders of the remaining lands—stretching from Philistine territories to the Canaanite and Ammonite domains—highlighting the vastness of the area still to be settled. The Lord commands Joshua to divide this land among the nine Israelite tribes plus the half-tribe of Manasseh, specifying the inheritances for Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh in detail. The chapter lists extensive towns, plains, and regions that belong to each tribe, noting the Levites are exempt from land allotment and are instead given the sacred task of making offerings. Joshua also observes that some peoples, such as the Geshurites and Maachathites, were not expelled and remain among the Israelites.