וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלָיו אַתָּה זָקַנְתָּה בָּאתָ בַיָּמִים וְהָאָרֶץ נִשְׁאֲרָה הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד לְרִשְׁתָּהּ

Joshua was old, advanced in years. Even at the start of the wars, Joshua was not a young man. His colleague Caleb, who was probably about the same age, testifies with regard to himself that he was already old when the people entered the land. Since then, several stressful years had passed. And the Lord said to him: You are old and you have advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be taken possession of. The borders of the land designated for those who came out of Egypt had already been defined in the Torah, and at this point only a portion of that land, mainly the hilly area in the center of Canaan, had been conquered.

זֹאת הָאָרֶץ הַנִּשְׁאָרֶת כָּל גְּלִילוֹת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים וְכָל הַגְּשׁוּרִי

This is the land that remains, which was not conquered, whether for political or military reasons: all the districts of the Philistines, on the coast, and all that of the Geshurites;

מִן הַשִּׁיחוֹר אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי מִצְרַיִם וְעַד גְּבוּל עֶקְרוֹן צָפוֹנָה לַכְּנַעֲנִי תֵּחָשֵׁב חֲמֵשֶׁת סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הָעַזָּתִי וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִי הָאֶשְׁקְלוֹנִי הַגִּתִּי וְהָעֶקְרוֹנִי והָעַוִּים

from the Shihor, the Nile, or its eastern branch, which is before Egypt, northward to the border of Ekron that is considered land of the Canaanites, and it is currently ruled by the five governors of the Philistines: the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gitites, and the Ekronites; and in addition to those five, there were also the Avites, probably the remnants of a nation that dwelled in the area before the arrival of the Philistines. The Ramban cites proof that the Avites were Hivites, among the descendants of Canaan.

מִתֵּימָן כָּל אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי ומְעָרָה אֲשֶׁר לַצִּידֹנִים עַד אֲפֵקָה עַד גְּבוּל הָאֱמֹרִי

From the south: all the land of the Canaanites, the areas where the Canaanite nations dwelled, some of which had been conquered, and likewise the Me’ara that belongs to the Sidonians, to Afeka, and from there up to the border of the Emorites in the north;

וְהָאָרֶץ הַגִּבְלִי וְכָל הַלְּבָנוֹן מִזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מִבַּעַל גָּד תַּחַת הַר חֶרְמוֹן עַד לְבוֹא חֲמָת

and the land of the Gevalites, located on the coast, in the region of Sidon, and all the Lebanon, toward the rising sun, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Levo Hamat, a very large area that covers a considerable portion of modern Syria;

כָּל יֹשְׁבֵי הָהָר מִן הַלְּבָנוֹן עַד מִשְׂרְפֹת מַיִם כָּל צִידֹנִים אָנֹכִי אוֹרִישֵׁם מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רַק הַפִּלֶהָ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנַחֲלָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ

all the inhabitants of the highlands, from the Lebanon to Misrefot Mayim (see 11:8), all of this region, which currently belongs to the Sidonians; I will eventually dispossess them from before the children of Israel. Only allot it to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you.

וְעַתָּה חַלֵּק אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת בְּנַחֲלָה לְתִשְׁעַת הַשְּׁבָטִים וַחֲצִי הַשֵּׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה

Now divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh, the tribes who will receive their inheritance on the western side of the Jordan.

עִמּוֹ הָראוּבֵנִי וְהַגָּדִי לָקְחוּ נַחֲלָתָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרָחָה כַּאֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה'

With it, the other half-tribe of Manasseh, the Reubenites, and the Gadites received their inheritance that Moses gave them beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses servant of the Lord gave them. Although these tribes did not settle in their inheritance until after Joshua had dispersed his army, their portions on the eastern side of the Jordan were already marked out and had been given to them, and there could be no objections to that division.

מֵעֲרוֹעֵר אֲשֶׁר עַל שְׂפַת נַחַל אַרְנוֹן והָעִיר אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַנַּחַל וְכָל הַמִּישֹׁר מֵידְבָא עַד דִּיבוֹן

From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Stream, and including the city that is within the stream, presumably on an elevated location where there was no water, and the entire plain from Medeva to Divon;

וְכֹל עָרֵי סִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן עַד גְּבוּל בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

and all the cities of Sihon king of the Emorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the children of Amon;

וְהַגִּלְעָד וּגְבוּל הַגְּשׁוּרִי וְהַמַּעֲכָתִי וְכֹל הַר חֶרְמוֹן וְכָל הַבָּשָׁן עַד סַלְכָה

and the Gilad, and the border of the Geshurites and Maakhatites, as although Geshur and Maakha were not conquered at the time, Moses nevertheless apportioned their territory, and all Mount Hermon, and all the Bashan to Salkha;

כָּל מַמְלְכוּת עוֹג בַּבָּשָׁן אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ בְּעַשְׁתָּרוֹת וּבְאֶדְרֶעִי הוּא נִשְׁאַר מִיֶּתֶר הָרְפָאִים וַיַּכֵּם מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּרִשֵׁם

all the kingdom of Og in the Bashan, who reigned in Ashtarot and in Edre’i; he remained from the remnant of the Refaim, a nation of giants, some of whom still lived in the land, and Moses smote them and dispossessed them.

לֹא הוֹרִישׁוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַגְּשׁוּרִי וְאֶת הַמַּעֲכָתִי וַיֵּשֶׁב גְּשׁוּר וּמַעֲכָת בְּקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

But the children of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurites and the Maakhatites, and Geshur and Maakhat live in the midst of Israel to this day.

רַק לְשֵׁבֶט הַלֵּוִי לֹא נָתַן נַחֲלָה אִשֵּׁי ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא נַחֲלָתוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' לוֹ

Only to the tribe of Levi did he not give an inheritance, as the fire offerings and service of the Lord, the God of Israel, are its inheritance, as He spoke to it. As servants of God, the Levites did not receive an inheritance of land, although they were given residential cities even on the eastern side of the Jordan (see chap. 20). Furthermore, the members of this tribe were entitled to regular gifts from offerings and tithes, as stated in the Torah.

וַיִּתֵּן מֹשֶׁה לְמַטֵּה בְנֵי רְאוּבֵן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם

Moses gave to the tribe of the children of Reuben their inheritance, according to their families.

וַיְהִי לָהֶם הַגְּבוּל מֵעֲרוֹעֵר אֲשֶׁר עַל שְׂפַת נַחַל אַרְנוֹן וְהָעִיר אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַנַּחַל וְכָל הַמִּישֹׁר עַל מֵידְבָא

Their border was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Stream, and the city that is within the stream, and all the plain to Medeva;

חֶשְׁבּוֹן וְכָל עָרֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר בַּמִּישֹׁר דִּיבוֹן וּבָמוֹת בַּעַל וּבֵית בַּעַל מְעוֹן

Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the plain; Divon, and Bamot Baal, and Beit Baal Meon;

וְיַהְצָה וּקְדֵמֹת וּמֵפָעַת

and Yahatz, and Kedemot, and Mefaat;

וְקִרְיָתַיִם וְשִׂבְמָה וְצֶרֶת הַשַּׁחַר בְּהַר הָעֵמֶק

and Kiryatayim, and Sivma, and Tzeret HaShahar, on the highlands of the valley;

וּבֵית פְּעוֹר וְאַשְׁדּוֹת הַפִּסְגָּה וּבֵית הַיְשִׁמוֹת

and Beit Peor, and the slopes of the Peak, and Beit HaYeshimot;

וְכֹל עָרֵי הַמִּישֹׁר וְכָל מַמְלְכוּת סִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן אֲשֶׁר הִכָּה מֹשֶׁה אֹתוֹ ואֶת נְשִׂיאֵי מִדְיָן אֶת אֱוִי וְאֶת רֶקֶם וְאֶת צוּר וְאֶת חוּר וְאֶת רֶבַע נְסִיכֵי סִיחוֹן יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ

and all the cities of the plain, and the entire kingdom of Sihon king of the Emorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote along with the princes of Midyan: Evi, Rekem, Tzur, Hur, and Reva, who were the vassals of Sihon, inhabitants of the land, under Sihon’s patronage, as he was in control of a large proportion of the land east of the Jordan. These kings were killed in a different war from the one waged against Sihon, a war that also changed the political situation of the region.

ואֶת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר הַקּוֹסֵם הָרְגוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּחֶרֶב אֶל חַלְלֵיהֶם

The verse parenthetically notes that the children of Israel slayed Bilam son of Beor, the diviner, who had arrived in Midyan, by the sword, with [el] their slain. The unusual term el here, which can mean “for,” alludes to the idea that they killed Bilam because of all the Israelites who were slain due to his advice. His killing was in revenge for his attempts to harm Israel.

וַיְהִי גְּבוּל בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן הַיַּרְדֵּן וּגְבוּל זֹאת נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם הֶעָרִים וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

The border of the children of Reuben was the Jordan and its borderland, including the area near the banks of the river. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their surrounding areas, small settlements around the large cities.

וַיִּתֵּן מֹשֶׁה לְמַטֵּה גָד לִבְנֵי גָד לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם

Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad, and divided it according to their families.

וַיְהִי לָהֶם הַגְּבוּל יַעְזֵר וְכָל עָרֵי הַגִּלְעָד וַחֲצִי אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן עַד עֲרוֹעֵר אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי רַבָּה

Their border was Yazer, and all the cities of Gilad, and half the land of the children of Amon, which was conquered by Sihon, and which contained important cities, to Aroer, which is before Raba;

וּמֵחֶשְׁבּוֹן עַד רָמַת הַמִּצְפֶּה וּבְטֹנִים וּמִמַּחֲנַיִם עַד גְּבוּל לִדְבִר

and from Heshbon to Ramat Mitzpe, and Betonim; and from Mahanayim to the border of Lidvir;

וּבָעֵמֶק בֵּית הָרָם וּבֵית נִמְרָה וְסֻכּוֹת וְצָפוֹן יֶתֶר מַמְלְכוּת סִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַיַּרְדֵּן וּגְבֻל עַד קְצֵה יָם כִּנֶּרֶת עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרָחָה

in the valley, Beit Haram, and Beit Nimra, and Sukot, and Tzafon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan and its border, to the edge of the Sea of Galilee beyond the Jordan eastward. The Sea of Galilee was not within the borders of the tribe of Gad; rather, it belonged to the tribes that settled on its western side. The division between the tribes who settled on the eastern side of the Jordan did not run in straight lines. Some of the portions, but not all of them, sprawled westward to the Jordan. To a great extent, the inheritances of Gad and Reuben were intermingled.

זֹאת נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי גָד לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם הֶעָרִים וְחַצְרֵיהֶם

This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their surrounding areas.

וַיִּתֵּן מֹשֶׁה לַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט מְנַשֶּׁה וַיְהִי לַחֲצִי מַטֵה בְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם

Moses gave an inheritance also to half the tribe of Manasseh, and it was for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families.

וַיְהִי גְבוּלָם מִמַּחֲנַיִם כָּל הַבָּשָׁן כָּל מַמְלְכוּת עוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן וְכָל חַוֹּת יָאִיר אֲשֶׁר בַּבָּשָׁן שִׁשִּׁים עִיר

Their border was from Mahanayim, the entire Bashan, the entire kingdom of Og king of the Bashan, and all of Havot Ya’ir in the Bashan, sixty cities;

וַחֲצִי הַגִּלְעָד וְעַשְׁתָּרוֹת וְאֶדְרֶעִי עָרֵי מַמְלְכוּת עוֹג בַּבָּשָׁן לִבְנֵי מָכִיר בֶּן מְנַשֶּׁה לַחֲצִי בְנֵי מָכִיר לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם

and half of northern Gilad, and Ashtarot, and Edre’i, the cities of the kingdom of Og in the Bashan, for the children of Makhir son of Manasseh, for the half of the children of Makhir who settled on the eastern side of the Jordan, according to their families.

אֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר נִחַל מֹשֶׁה בְּעַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב מֵעֵבֶר לְיַרְדֵּן יְרִיחוֹ מִזְרָחָה

All these are what Moses bequeathed from the plains of Moav, across the Jordan from Jericho, eastward.

וּלְשֵׁבֶט הַלֵּוִי לֹא נָתַן מֹשֶׁה נַחֲלָה ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא נַחֲלָתָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָהֶם

The verse repeats something already stated in the previous section (verse 14), which will be reiterated on several further occasions: But Moses did not give an inheritance to the tribe of Levi, even after he had given demarcated portions to the two and a half tribes; the Lord, God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He spoke to them: “I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.”