Joshua 13:2-6 Meaning: Claiming What God Promises
2“This is the land that still remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all the Geshurites;
3from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avvim,
4on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;
5and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad under Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath;
6all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, even all the Sidonians. I will drive them out from before the children of Israel. Just allocate it to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you.
2This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
3From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
4From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:
5And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baal–gad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.
6All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth–maim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
2This is the land that yet remaineth: all the regions of the Philistines, and all the Geshurites;
3from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the border of Ekron northward, which is reckoned to the Canaanites; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avvim,
4on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongeth to the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;
5and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baal-gad under mount Hermon unto the entrance of Hamath;
6all the inhabitants of the hill-country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians; them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only allot thou it unto Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
2`This is the land that is left; all the circuits of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
3from Sihor which is on the front of Egypt, and unto the border of Ekron northward, to the Canaanite it is reckoned, five princes of the Philistines, the Gazathite, and the Ashdothite, the Eshkalonite, the Gittite, and the Ekronite, also the Avim.
4`From the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah, which is to the Sidonians, unto Aphek, unto the border of the Amorite;
5and the land of the Giblite, and all Lebanon, at the sun-rising, from Baal-Gad under mount Hermon, unto the going in to Hamath:
6all the inhabitants of the hill-country, from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-Maim, all the Sidonians: I--I dispossess them before the sons of Israel; only, cause it to fall to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
2This is the land that yet remaineth: all the districts of the Philistines and all the Geshurites,
3from the Shihor, which [floweth] before Egypt, as far as the borders of Ekron northward, [and which] is counted to the Canaanite; five lordships of the Philistines: of Gazah, and of Ashdod, of Eshkalon, of Gath, and of Ekron; also the Avvites;
4in the south, the whole land of the Canaanites, and Mearah which [belongeth] to the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;
5and the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sun-rising, from Baal-Gad at the foot of mount Hermon to the entrance into Hamath;
6all the inhabitants of the hill-country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians; I will dispossess them from before the children of Israel. Only, partition it by lot to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
Meaning in one sentence
Joshua 13:2, 6 shows God commanding division of land not yet conquered, teaching us to trust His promises and act in faith before we see the outcome.
Context
Joshua is old, and God tells him directly: “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed.” What follows is a detailed list, Philistines, Geshurites, Sidonians, and many more, all the territories still held by enemy peoples. It would be easy to hear this as bad news: the conquest is incomplete, and the leader is tired. But God does not scold or despair. Instead, He commands Joshua to start dividing the land as an inheritance right now, before a single more battle is fought. The rest of the chapter records the actual distribution among the tribes. This passage sits at a hinge moment: the major battles are won, but the slow, daily work of possessing the land still lies ahead. God is saying that what He has promised is as good as done, and His people can live accordingly.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight of this passage. The first is sha’ar, the verb behind “remains” in verse 1. It means what is left over after loss, a remnant. God does not tell Joshua to ignore the leftover territory; He names it plainly. Pretending the unfinished work is not there is not faith. Faith looks at what remains and hears God’s next command.
The second word is chashav, translated “counted” or “reckoned” in verse 3. It means to think, calculate, or impute. God says the land of the Philistines is counted as Canaanite, it belongs to the promise even though foreigners hold it. The verb implies a deliberate mental act: God reckons it so, and His people are to adopt that reckoning. They are to see what is not yet theirs as already theirs in God’s eyes.
The third is nachalah, “inheritance,” used three times in these verses. It is not just property; it is a family gift, something passed down and secured by relationship. God tells Joshua to give this land, still occupied, as an inheritance. The command treats the gift as already valid. The only question is whether the heirs will live like it.
How Christians Read This Verse
Reformed commentators like Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasize the call to faith: Joshua must divide the land based on God’s promise, not on visible conquest. Calvin writes that to delay the division would “detract injuriously from his honor.” Henry notes that God’s work continues even when human leaders grow old. On the other hand, Methodist commentator Adam Clarke observes that the promise to drive out the inhabitants was conditional on Israel’s continued obedience, and because they later failed, the Sidonians were never fully expelled. Anglican interpreters in the Cambridge Bible describe these verses as a parenthesis that lists districts still to be reduced, leaving the work to the individual tribes. All traditions agree that God’s command to allocate the land before it was conquered is a striking act of faith and a pattern for trusting future grace.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume that because the land was not yet conquered, God’s promise had failed or was only partial. In fact, the conquest of the main armies was complete, and God was now ordering the next step: claiming the territory by faith through allocation. The promise had not stalled; it was moving into a new phase that required trust, not just fighting.
Living This Out
You have a situation right now that feels like this: a promise from God that seems half-finished. A relationship you are praying for, a skill you are growing into, a calling that has not yet taken shape. You can see the enemy still holding the ground. God is not asking you to ignore the difficulty. He is asking you to name what remains, then start living as if the inheritance is already yours. That could mean acting on a promise before you feel ready. It could mean treating a strained friendship as already healed, a workplace as already blessed, a gift as already given. Not pretending, but trusting. Joshua divided the land before anyone lived on it. What is one piece of promised ground you can claim today, not by forcing the outcome, but by acting as if God keeps His word?
Main takeaway: God commands us to claim by faith what He has promised, even when we cannot yet see it fully possessed.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told Joshua to divide up the land for the people even though enemies still lived there. That meant they had to trust God to help them get it later. You can trust God for something He promised, even before you see it happen.
For ages 9, 12
Joshua was old, and a lot of land still needed to be taken from enemy groups. But God said, “Start dividing it up now.” That is faith: acting on God’s promise before you see the result. Maybe you are waiting for a prayer to be answered or a situation to change. God may be asking you to start living as if He has already done what He said. Trust Him enough to take the next step.
Questions People Ask
Why did God tell Joshua to divide land that had not been conquered yet?
God wanted Israel to act in faith based on His promise. The land was already given to them in God’s plan; their job was to trust that He would drive out the inhabitants as they moved forward. Allocating it by lot before it was conquered was a way of claiming the promise before seeing the result.
Who were the Geshurites in Joshua 13:2?
The Geshurites were a people group living in the southern part of Canaan, near Philistia. They are listed separately from the Philistines, probably because they were a distinct tribe. Some commentators connect them with the region of Geshur east of the Jordan, but here they appear in the southwest. Their exact identity is uncertain, but they were among the peoples Israel had not yet displaced.
What does 'I will drive them out' in Joshua 13:6 mean?
God promises to personally remove the remaining inhabitants from the land. However, many commentators note that this promise was conditional on Israel’s obedience. In later history, Israel failed to fully drive out these peoples, and the promise was not completely fulfilled. The verse shows God’s intention and power, but also sets up the human responsibility to cooperate.
Is Joshua 13:2, 6 a model for how Christians should claim God’s promises?
Many Christians read this passage as a picture of faith: God gives a promise, and the believer responds by acting on it before it is visibly fulfilled. Just as Joshua divided the land by faith, we can step into what God has said, treating His word as already true. This does not mean ignoring reality, but trusting that the One who promised is faithful.
What is the 'Shihor' mentioned in Joshua 13:3?
Shihor is likely a name for the eastern branch of the Nile or the Wadi el-Arish, a river marking the border between Egypt and Canaan. The word means 'black,' referring to the dark, turbid water. It appears here as the southern boundary of the Philistine territory. Some translations render it 'the river of Egypt.'
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