Favor · the best way to learn the Bible
Joshua 13 Bible study: Very much land remains
Joshua 13 opens with the LORD telling an old Joshua to share out land not yet taken: "I will drive them out from before the children of Israel. Just allocate it to Israel for an inheritance" (13:6). And its account of the east side, Moses' gift, twice turns to the one tribe with no land, Levi: "The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance" (13:33).
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the words behind the words, what most readers miss, and how it all leads to Jesus.
First week free, then $10 a month per person
“But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he spoke to them.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“In Joshua 13:1 the LORD tells Joshua, "You are old and advanced in years."”
Is that in Joshua 13, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
Share out what isn't taken yet
The chapter opens with Joshua's age, said twice: "Now Joshua was old and well advanced in years", and the LORD's own words to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed" (13:1) (tap possessed). Then the LORD names what remains: "all the regions of the Philistines" (13:2), "the five lords of the Philistines" (13:3), "all the land of the Canaanites" (13:4), "all Lebanon" (13:5), "even all the Sidonians" (13:6). And he tells Joshua what to do with it: "I will drive them out from before the children of Israel. Just allocate it to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you" (13:6) (tap allocate). "Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh" (13:7). After many days (23:1), Joshua says it back to Israel: "Behold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes" (23:4), and "You shall possess their land, as the LORD your God spoke to you" (23:5). In Hebrew, allotted in 23:4 is the verb of allocate in 13:6.
Where it leads to Jesus
They shall inherit the earth
Joshua 13:1leads toMatthew 5:5
The LORD tells Joshua, "there remains yet very much land to be possessed" (13:1). In Hebrew that is the verb and the word for land the book uses of taking the land, as in Joshua's "How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land" (18:3), and a psalm of David uses the same two in a promise: "But the humble shall inherit the land" (Psalm 37:11). Jesus said, "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Jesus doesn't cite Joshua 13, and Matthew doesn't say he is quoting the psalm, so setting them side by side is a reading. Some hear in Jesus' words the promise of the land that Joshua 13 is still sharing out, now spoken to the gentle. Others read each in its own setting: Joshua 13 is the dividing of Canaan among Israel's tribes (13:7), and Matthew 5:5 is one of the blessings Jesus spoke to his disciples (Matthew 5:1-2).
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Joshua 13
That was a taste
The rest of Joshua 13 is waiting in Favor
- Two verses side by side
- The east side was Moses' gift
- The tribe with no land
- Old and advanced in years
- Names with a past
- Five names from Numbers
- 14 questions as you read
- 8 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Joshua 13 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
נַחֲלָהnachalahsay na-kha-LAH
Brown-Driver-Briggs: "possession, property, inheritance". Strong's: "something inherited". It comes nine times in this chapter, from the LORD's "Just allocate it to Israel for an inheritance" (13:6) to the tribes' lists: "This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben" (13:23), "This is the inheritance of the children of Gad" (13:28). Four of the nine are about Levi, twice in each verse. "Only he gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The offerings of the LORD, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance" (13:14), and "But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance" (13:33). The book of Joshua uses the word fifty times, more than any other book of the Hebrew Bible.
For your group
Joshua 13 Bible study questions
- 1The LORD told Joshua, "You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed" (13:1), and then gave him work to do (13:7). What still feels unfinished in your life, and what might God be asking you to do with it now?
- 2The tribe of Levi had no land, and the chapter says, "The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance" (13:33). What would change for you this week if you counted God himself as what you have?
- 3Reuben, Gad and half Manasseh already had their land from Moses (13:8), yet they crossed the Jordan armed to help their brothers (1:14; 4:12). Who could you help this week out of what you have already been given?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Joshua 13 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
Start a Bible studyThe best way to learn the Bible
Favor opens up every chapter as you read.
Favor is a Bible study app for your phone or computer. It takes you through the Bible one chapter at a time, a few minutes a day, and shows you what's really there: the words behind the words, the moments most people miss, and how the whole story fits together. For you. For everyone.
Every chapter explains itself
As you read, short notes open up what's really going on, the details most readers walk past, and the honest questions people ask.
The Hebrew and Greek behind it
Tap a highlighted word to see the original, how to say it, and what it means, checked against the original-language texts.
Every page leads to Jesus
Watch promises made in Genesis kept in Jesus. Each line lights up on your map as you read.
Better together
Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together.
- 1
Start your free week
Sign up in a minute with your email.
- 2
Read a few minutes a day
Each chapter opens itself up as you go. Tap what you're curious about.
- 3
Bring your people, if you like
Send one link. Everyone reads the same chapter, then meets to talk.
First week free, then $10 a month per person
Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
How much does it cost?
Your first week is free. After that it's $10 a month per person, the same for everyone, including groups and churches. There are no tiers and nothing extra to unlock.
Can I read Joshua 13 straight away?
Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Joshua 13 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
Do I need a group?
No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?
Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
Which Bible does Favor use?
The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
Is Favor tied to a church?
No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
Start with Joshua 13
The best way to learn the Bible. For you. For everyone.
There's a seat for you at the table.
Start your free weekFirst week free, then $10 a month per person · Log in
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home