Joshua 13:31

_AND HALF GILEAD, AND ASHTAROTH, AND EDREI, CITIES OF THE KINGDOM OF OG IN BASHAN, WERE PERTAINING UNTO THE CHILDREN OF MACHIR THE SON OF MANASSEH, EVEN TO THE ONE HALF OF THE CHILDREN OF MACHIR BY THEIR FAMILIES._ Pertaining unto the children of Machir - (see the note at Joshua 17:2; Numbers 26:29; 1 Chronicles 5:23.)...

7-33 The land must be divided among the tribes. It is the will of God that every man should know his own, and not take that which is another's. The world must be governed, not by force, but right. Wherever our habitation is placed, and in whatever honest way our portion is assigned, we should consider them as allotted of God; we should be thankful for, and use them as such, while every prudent method should be used to prevent disputes about property, both at present and in future. Joshua must be herein a type of Christ, who has not only conquered the gates of hell for us, but has opened to us the gates of heaven, and having purchased the eternal inheritance for all believers, will put them in possession of it. Here is a general description of the country given to the two tribes and a half, by Moses. Israel must know their own, and keep to it; and may not, under pretence of their being G...

The writer appends to the command of God Joshua 13:1 a statement that the other two tribes and a half had already had their inheritance marked out for them by Moses in the land east of Jordan. The boundaries of this territory as a whole are first set forth Joshua 13:8, and afterward the portions assigned within it to the two tribes and a half are severally described Joshua 13:15. Joshua 13:14 See Deuteronomy 18:1 and notes....

EXPOSITION THE DIVISION OF THE TERRITORY.— JOSHUA 13:1 NOW JOSHUA WAS OLD. This is usually regarded as the second part of the Book of Joshua; the first being devoted to the history of the conquest of Palestine, while the second is engaged with the history of its division among the conquerors. Dean Stanley, in his 'Sinai and Palestine,' as well as in his 'Lectures on the History of the Jewish Church,' describes this portion of the Book of Judges as the 'Domes. day Book' of the land of Canaan, and the remark has been constantly repeated. There is, however, a considerable difference between the great survey of the Conqueror and this one. The former was an accurate account, for purposes of taxation, national detente, and public order, of

AND HALF GILEAD,.... The other half not given to the Gadites, who had that half of it which Sihon possessed, and the tribe of Manasseh that half of it which Og possessed, see Deuteronomy 3:12; AND ASHTAROTH, AND EDREI, CITIES OF THE KINGDOM OF OG IN BASHAN; which are particularly mentioned, because royal cities, Joshua 13:10; see Deuteronomy 1:4; [WERE PERTAINING] UNTO THE CHILDREN OF MACHIR THE SON OF MANASSEH; and who was his only son; however, to his posterity only was this inheritance given, though not to them all: [EVEN] TO ONE HALF OF THE CHILDREN OF MACHIR, BY THEIR FAMILIES; which seems to confirm it that Manasseh had no other son, since his whole

1. INSTRUCTION GIVEN: THE TWO AND ONE-HALF TRIBES CHAPTER 13 _ 1. Jehovah speaks to Joshua (Joshua 13:1)_ 2. Inheritance of the two and one-half tribes (Joshua 13:8) About seven years had gone by since the passage over Jordan and Joshua, being old and advanced in years, is addressed by the Lord. He takes care of His servants in their old age and provides for their comfort. Much land was yet to be possessed. Israel never responded to the fulness of God's gift to them. How great their failure, as well as our failure as His spiritual people, to possess our possessions, which God's grace has put on our side! The unpossessed land is described in verses (Joshua 13:2)2-7. It was never possessed in f

JOSHUA 13. PARTS OF THE LAND AS YET UNCONQUERED. IN HERITANCE OF THE TWO AND A HALF TRIBES ON THE E. OF JORDAN. In Joshua 13:1 we meet with a statement which causes surprise. The whole land has been subdued (Joshua 11:23 to Joshua 12:24), yet now we read that even in Joshua's old age there remained very much land to be possessed. This plainly comes from an older source than ch. 12, and is very much nearer the true state of things. The later writer, however, in order to bring the statement into harmony with what he has written in Joshua 12, proceeds to explain the phrase very much land by referring it to distant places in the W. and N. (Joshua 13:2

MACHIR. Compare Numbers 32:39....

The Possession of the Half Tribe of Manasseh 29. _the half tribe of Manasseh_ "The fact that it is always called a half tribe appears curious, especially on comparison with the similar, yet widely different, case of Dan, which sent out to the north an army which surprised the Phœnician town of Laish." Ewald, 11. 299....

_VER._ 29-31. _AND MOSES GAVE INHERITANCE UNTO THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH_— It does not appear that the tribe of Manasseh had desired the settlements which Moses gave to the half tribe of it on the east of Jordan, Numbers 32:1. But as it was numerous, Numbers 26:34 and had evidently much cattle, Moses thought proper to associate the half with the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The country was extensive. The half tribe of Manasseh, placed on the north, covered the two others; and Moses, by placing it there, rewarded the family of Machir, who was so famous for his valour in the war against Og. Numbers 32:39....