Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
lot. "Fulfil thy duty in the distribution of the land, not even excepting what is still in
the firm grasp of the enemy; for I will take care to perform what I have promised.
From this we may learn to rely so perfectly upon the word of God, when undertaking
any duty, as not to be deterred by doubts of fears" ( Calvin ).
Verse 8-10. To the command of God to divide the land on this side the Jordan among
the nine tribes and a half (v.
7), the historian appends the remark, that the other two tribes and a half had already
received their inheritance from Moses on the other side (v. 8). This he proceeds to
describe in its full extent (vv. 9-13), and then observes that the tribe of Levi alone
received no landed inheritance, according to the word of the Lord (v. 14). After this
he gives a description in vv. 15-33 of the land assigned by Moses to each of the two
tribes and a half.
(Note: Knobel's remark, that vv. 8-14 anticipate the following section (vv. 15-33) in an unsuitable
manner, rests upon a thorough misunderstanding of the whole; for the account of the division of the land
to the east of the Jordan among the two tribes and a half (vv. 15-33) could not be introduced in a more
appropriate manner than by a description of the circumference of the land and of its principal parts (vv. 9-
13).)
The remark in v. 8 is so closely connected with what precedes by the expression
"with whom" (lit., with it ), that this expression must be taken as somewhat indefinite:
"with whom," viz., with half Manasseh, really signifying with the other half of
Manasseh, with which the Reubenites and Gadites had received their inheritance (see
Num 32 and Deut 3:8-17). The last words of v. 8, "as Moses the servant of Jehovah
gave them," are not a tautological repetition of the clause "which Moses gave them,"
but simply affirm that these tribes received the land given them by Moses, in the
manner commanded by Moses, without any alteration in his arrangements. The
boundaries of the land given in vv. 9-13 really agree with those given in Josh 12:2-5
and Deut 3:8, although the expression varies in some respects. The words of v. 9, "the
city that is in the midst of the river," i.e., the city in the valley, viz., Ar , are more
distinct than those of Josh 12:2, "and from the middle of the river." "All the plain" is
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