Joshua 13 · Verse 1

Joshua 13:1

Now Joshua was old and 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 possessed.
Joshua 13:1, King James Version

Joshua 13:1 in other translations

BSBNow Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed.
WEBNow Joshua was old and well advanced in years. The LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed.
ASVNow Joshua was old and well stricken in years; and Jehovah said unto him, Thou art old and well stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.
YLTAnd Joshua is old, entering into days, and Jehovah saith unto him, ‘Thou hast become aged, thou hast entered into days; as to the land, very much hath been left to possess.
DARBYAnd Joshua was old, advanced in age, and Jehovah said to him, Thou art old, advanced in age, and there remaineth yet very much land to take possession of.
BBENow Joshua was old and full of years; and the Lord said to him, You are old and full of years, and there is still very much land to be taken.
WebsterNow Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the LORD said to him Thou art old and advanced in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

What does Joshua 13:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Jos 13:1-33. Bounds of the Land Not Yet Conquered.

1. Now Joshua was old and stricken in years--He was probably above a hundred years old; for the conquest and survey of the land occupied about seven years, the partition one; and he died at the age of one hundred ten years (Jos 24:29). The distribution, as well as the conquest of the land, was included in the mission of Joshua; and his advanced age supplied a special reason for entering on the immediate discharge of that duty; namely, of allocating Canaan among the tribes of Israel--not only the parts already won, but those also which were still to be conquered.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Joshua being old, the Lord informs him of the land yet remaining to be possessed, Jos 13:1. Of the unconquered land among the Philistines, Jos 13:2, Jos 13:3. Among the Canaanites, Sidonians, and Amorites, Jos 13:4, Jos 13:5. The inhabitants of the hill country and the Sidonians to be driven out, Jos 13:6. The land on the east side of Jordan, that was to be divided among the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, Jos 13:7-12. The Geshurites and the Maachathites not expelled, Jos 13:13. The tribe of Levi receive no inheritance, Jos 13:14. The possessions of Reuben described, Jos 13:15-23. The possessions of Gad, Jos 13:24-28. The possessions of the half tribe of Manasseh, Jos 13:29-31. Recapitulation of the subjects contained in this chapter, Jos 13:32, Jos 13:33. Verse 1 Joshua was old - He is generally reputed to have been at this time about a hundred years of age: he had spent about seven years in the conquest of the land, and is supposed to have employed about one year in dividing it; and he died about ten years after, aged one hundred and ten years. It is very likely that he intended to subdue the whole land before he made the division of it among the tribes; but God did not think proper to have this done. So unfaithful were the Israelites that he appears to have purposed that some of the ancient inhabitants should still remain to keep them in check, and that the respective tribes should have some labor to drive out from their allotted borders the remains of the Canaanitish nations. There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed - That is, very much when compared with that on the other side Jordan, which was all that could as yet be said to be in the hands of the Israelites.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 13:1-6
At this chapter begins the account of the dividing of the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel by lot; a narrative showing the performance of the promise made to the fathers, that this land should be given to the seed of Jacob. We are not to pass over these chapters of hard names as useless. Where God has a mouth to speak, and a hand to write, we should find an ear to hear, and an eye to read; and may God give us a heart to profit! Joshua is supposed to have been about one hundred years old at this time. It is good for those who are old and stricken in years to be put in remembrance of their being so. God considers the frame of his people, and would not have them burdened with work above their strength. And all people, especially old people, should set to do that quickly which must be done before they die, lest death prevent them, Ec 9:10. God promise that he would make the Israelites masters of all the countries yet unsubdued, through Joshua was old, and not able to do it; old, and not likely to live to see it done. Whatever becomes of us, and however we may be laid aside as despised, broken vessels, God will do his own work in his own time. We must work out our salvation, then God will work in us, and work with us; we must resist our spiritual enemies, then God will tread them under our feet; we must go forth to our Christian work and warfare, then God will go forth before us.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Joshua 13:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַvi.ho.Shu.a'and JoshuaH3091
זָקֵ֔ןza.Kenhe was oldH2204
בָּ֖אba'he had comeH935
בַּיָּמִ֑יםbai.ya.Mimin <the> daysH3117
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֵלָ֗יו'e.Lavto himH413
אַתָּ֤ה'a.TahyouH859
זָקַ֙נְתָּה֙za.Kan.tahyou are oldH2204
בָּ֣אתָBa.tayou have comeH935
בַיָּמִ֔יםvai.ya.Mimin <the> daysH3117
וְהָאָ֛רֶץve.ha.'A.retzand the landH776
נִשְׁאֲרָ֥הnish.'a.Rahit remainsH7604
הַרְבֵּֽה\־har.beh-muchH7235
מְאֹ֖דme.'OdveryH3966
לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ\׃le.rish.Tahto take possession of itH3423

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 13:1

  • Joshua 14:10

    And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.

  • Deuteronomy 31:3

    The Lord thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath said.

  • Joshua 24:29

    And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

  • Genesis 18:11

    Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

  • Joshua 23:1-2

    And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:

  • Luke 1:7

    And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

  • 1 Kings 1:1

    Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 The bounds of the land not yet conquered.
8 The inheritance of the two tribes and half.
14 The Lord and his sacrifices are the inheritance of Levi.
15 The bounds of the inheritance of Reuben.
22 Balaam slain.
24 The bounds of the inheritance of Gad;
29 and of the half tribe of Manasseh.

A.M. 2560. B.C. 1444. An. Ex. Is. 47. Joshua.
14:10; 23:1,2; 24:29; Ge 18:11; 1Ki 1:1; Lu 1:7
to be possessed. Heb. to possess it.
De 31:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 13:1

    Now Joshua was old and 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 possessed.

  • Joshua 13:2

    This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,

Read all of Joshua 13

Joshua 13:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y SIENDO Josué ya viejo, entrado en días, Jehová le dijo: Tú eres ya viejo, de edad avanzada, y queda aún muy mucha tierra por poseer.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et Josué était vieux, avancé en âge, et l’ Éternel lui dit: Tu es devenu vieux, tu avances en âge, et il reste un très grand pays à posséder.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Josua war alt, wohlbetagt, und Jehova sprach zu ihm: Du bist alt, wohlbetagt, und vom Lande ist sehr viel übrig in Besitz zu nehmen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Josue senex provectæque ætatis erat, et dixit Dominus ad eum: Senuisti, et longævus es, terraque latissima derelicta est, quæ necdum sorte divisa est: