The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV
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37Kedemoth with its common-land, and Mephaath with its common-land: four cities;
38and from the tribe of Gad, lRamoth in Gilead with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Mahanaim with its common-land,
39Heshbon with its common-land, and Jazer with its common-land: four cities in all.
40So all the cities for the children of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.
41mAll the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities with their common-lands.
42Every one of these cities had its common-land surrounding it; thus were all these cities.
The Promise Fulfilled
43So the LORD gave to Israel nall the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they otook possession of it and dwelt in it.
44pThe LORD gave them qrest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And rnot a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
45sNot a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
Joshua 22
Eastern Tribes Return to Their Lands
1Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh,
2and said to them: “You have kept aall that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, band have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.
3“You have not 1left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.
4“And now the LORD your God has given crest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, dwhich Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
5“But etake2 careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, fto love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
6So Joshua gblessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.
7Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, hbut to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,
8and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. iDivide the 3spoil of your enemies with your brethren.”
9So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to jthe country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
An Altar by the Jordan
10And when they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan—a great, impressive altar.
11Now the children of Israel kheard someone say, “Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the 4frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan—on the children of Israel’s side.”
12And when the children of Israel heard of it, lthe whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.
13Then the children of Israel msent nPhinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead,
14and with him ten rulers, one ruler each from the chief house of every tribe of Israel; and oeach one was the head of the house of his father among the 5divisions of Israel.
15Then they came to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,
16“Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD: ‘What ptreachery6 is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, qthat you might rebel this day against the LORD?
17‘Is the iniquity rof Peor not enough for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD,
18‘but that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? And it shall be, if you rebel today against the LORD, that tomorrow sHe will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
197‘Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of the LORD, twhere the LORD’s tabernacle stands, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the LORD, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the LORD our God.
20u‘Did not Achan the son of Zerah 8commit a trespass in the 9accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”
21Then the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the 10divisions of Israel:
22“The LORD vGod of gods, the LORD God of gods, He wknows, and let Israel itself know—if it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the LORD, do not save us this day.
23“If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the LORD Himself xrequire an account.
24“But in fact we have done it 11for fear, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your descendants may speak to our descendants, saying, “What have you to do with the LORD God of Israel?
25“For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between you and us, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no part in the LORD.” So your descendants would make our descendants cease fearing the LORD.’
26“Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice,
27‘but that it may be ya 12witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may zperform the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, “You have no part in the LORD.” ’
28“Therefore we said that it will be, when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, ‘Here is the replica of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and us.’
29“Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn from following the LORD this day, ato build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the LORD our God which is before His tabernacle.”
30Now when Phinehas the priest and the rulers of the congregation, the heads of the 13divisions of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them.
31Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the LORD is bamong us, because you have not committed this treachery against the LORD. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.”
32And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the rulers, returned from the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought back word to them.
33So the thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of Israel cblessed God; they spoke no more of going against th
em in battle, to destroy the land where the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
34The children of Reuben and the children of 14Gad called the altar, Witness, “For it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.”
Joshua 23
Joshua’s Farewell Address
1Now it came to pass, a long time after the LORD ahad given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua bwas old, advanced in age.
2And Joshua ccalled for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them: “I am old, advanced in age.
3“You have seen all that the dLORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the eLORD your God is He who has fought for you.
4“See, fI have divided to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, as far as the Great Sea westward.
5“And the LORD your God gwill expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, has the LORD your God promised you.
6i“Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, jlest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left,
7“and lest you kgo1 among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not lmake mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to mswear by them; you shall not nserve them nor bow down to them,
8“but you shall ohold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.
9p“For the LORD has 2driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day.
10q“One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, ras He promised you.
11s“Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God.
12“Or else, if indeed you do tgo back, and cling to the remnant of these nations—these that remain among you—and umake marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you,
13“know for certain that vthe LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. wBut they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God has given you.
14“Behold, this day xI3 am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that ynot one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.
15z“Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so the LORD will bring upon you aall harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you.
164“When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the banger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”
Joshua 24
The Covenant at Shechem
(cf. Ex. 24:9–18)
1Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to aShechem and bcalled for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they cpresented themselves before God.
2And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: d‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of 1the River in old times; and ethey served other gods.
3f‘Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of 2the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his 3descendants and ggave him Isaac.
4‘To Isaac I gave hJacob and Esau. To iEsau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess, jbut Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
5k‘Also I sent Moses and Aaron, and lI plagued Egypt, according to what I did among them. Afterward I brought you out.
6‘Then I mbrought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.
7‘So they cried out to the LORD; and He put ndarkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them. And oyour eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelt in the wilderness pa long time.
8‘And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, qand they fought with you. But I gave them into your hand, that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you.
9‘Then rBalak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and ssent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.
10t‘But I would not listen to Balaam; utherefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand.
11‘Then vyou went over the Jordan and came to Jericho. And wthe men of Jericho fought against you—also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand.
12x‘I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but ynot with your sword or with your bow.
13‘I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and zcities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’
14a“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in bsincerity and in truth, and cput away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of 4the River and din Egypt. Serve the LORD!
15“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, echoose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether fthe gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of 5the River, or gthe gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. hBut as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
16So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;
17“for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed.
18“And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. iWe also will serve the LORD, for He is our God.”
19But Joshua said to the people, j“You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a kholy God. He is la jealous God; mHe will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
20n“If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, othen He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.”
21And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD!”
22So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that pyou have chosen the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses!”
23“Now therefore,” he said, q“put away the foreign gods which are among you, and rincline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.”
24And the people ssaid to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”
25So Joshua tmade6 a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance uin Shechem.
26Then Joshua vwrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took wa large stone, and xset it up there yunder the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.
27And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be za witness to us, for ait has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.”
28So bJoshua let the people depart, each to his own inheritance.
Death of Joshua and Eleazar
29cNow it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred
and ten years old.
30And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at dTimnath Serah, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.
31eIsrael served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had fknown all the works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.
32gThe bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground hwhich Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred 7pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33And iEleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in a hill belonging to jPhinehas his son, which was given to him in the mountains of Ephraim.
Joshua Commentaries
Joshua 1
1:2 the land which I am giving. This is the land God promised in His covenant with Abraham and often reaffirmed later (Gen. 12:7; 13:14–15; 15:18–21).
1:4 Borders of the Promised Land are: west, the Mediterranean seacoast; east, Euphrates River far to the east; south, the wilderness over to the Nile of Egypt; north, Lebanon.
1:5 The promise of divine power for Joshua’s task.
1:6 I swore to their fathers. Cf. Gen. 12:7; 15:18–21; 17:8; 26:3; 28:13; 35:12 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
1:7 strong and very courageous. See note on Deut. 31:6–8.
1:8 This Book of the Law. A reference to Scripture, specifically Genesis through Deuteronomy, written by Moses (cf. Ex. 17:14; Deut. 31:9–11, 24). meditate in it. To read with thoughtfulness, to linger over God’s Word. The parts of Scripture they possessed have always been the main spiritual food of those who served Him, e.g., Job (Job 23:12); the psalmist (Ps. 1:1–3); Jeremiah (Jer. 15:16); and Jesus (John 4:34). prosperous…good success. The promise of God’s blessing on the great responsibility God has given Joshua. The principle here is central to all spiritual effort and enterprise, namely the deep understanding and application of Scripture at all times.