Chapter commentary
Joshua Chapter 13
1
Jos 13:1-33.
繁體中文
English original
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.
2
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繁體中文
2-6. 還留下來的地——即尚待取得之地。本段是一個括號插敘，史家在此簡述尚未征服的地區：首先是非利士人全地——沿地中海一帶約六十英里長的狹長地帶，以及其南面的革書念人之地的合稱
(撒上 27:8)。
兩者合起來，包括「從埃及前的西曷河」——即 El-Arish 附近的一條小溪，是迦南東邊的南界——直到以革倫（非利士五個主要首長領地中最北的一個）之間的那一片地土。
English original
2-6. This is the land that yet remaineth--that is, to be acquired. This section forms a parenthesis, in which the historian briefly notices the districts yet unsubdued; namely, first, the whole country of the Philistines--a narrow tract stretching about sixty miles along the Mediterranean coast, and that of the Geshurites to the south of it
(1Sa 27:8).
Both included that portion of the country "from Sihor, which is before Egypt," a small brook near El-Arish, which on the east was the southern boundary of Canaan, to Ekron, the most northerly of the five chief lordships or principalities of the Philistines.
3
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繁體中文
3、4. 亞衛人：從［在］南方——七十士譯本及多種其他譯本將這兩句如此相連。亞衛人被趕出之後
(申 2:23)，
便在非利士地的南方安頓下來。尚未征服之地中的第二部分包括
English original
3, 4. also the Avites: From [on] the south--The two clauses are thus connected in the Septuagint and many other versions. On being driven out
(De 2:23),
they established themselves in the south of Philistia. The second division of the unconquered country comprised
4
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繁體中文
4. 迦南人全地，並米亞拉——（「洞穴」之意）
就是屬西頓人的地——上加利利一帶多山的地區，以洞穴和險塞著稱。
到亞弗——即今日之 Afqa，在黎巴嫩境內偏東。
到亞摩利人的交界——這是東北方原屬噩的一部分地業。尚未征服的第三區：
English original
4. all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah--("the cave")
that is beside the Sidonians--a mountainous region of Upper Galilee, remarkable for its caves and fastnesses.
unto Aphek--now Afka; eastward, in Lebanon.
to the borders of the Amorites--a portion of the northeastern territory that had belonged to Og. The third district that remained unsubdued:
5
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繁體中文
5. 迦巴勒人全地——他們的首府是迦巴勒，即希臘人所說的 Bylbos（比布羅斯），在地中海濱、西頓以北四十英里處。
向日出的全黎巴嫩——即反黎巴嫩山，其東支山脈，至黑門山為其正當的盡頭。
哈馬口——即巴力bek（Baalbec）谷地。
English original
5. all the land of the Giblites--Their capital was Gebal or Bylbos (Greek), on the Mediterranean, forty miles north of Sidon.
all Lebanon, toward the sunrising--that is, Anti-libanus; the eastern ridge, which has its proper termination in Hermon.
entering into Hamath--the valley of Baalbec.
6
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繁體中文
6、7. 山地一切居民，從黎巴嫩直到米斯利弗瑪音——
(參
書 11:8)
——即「一切西頓人和腓尼基人」。
我必將他們趕出去——這應許的成全是有條件的。以色列人若不忠心、不聽從，便不能征服此處所指定的各區；事實上，以色列人終未能佔有這些地方，儘管其居民後來臣服於大衛和所羅門的權下。
你只要拈鬮分給以色列人為業——括號中的插敘既畢，作者在此重接本章的主旨——神吩咐約書亞立刻分地的命令。以拈鬮之法分配，無論從哪方面看都是最佳的辦法，因為它杜絕了一切不滿的藉口，也免除了領袖獨斷偏私的指控；在摩西生前
(民 33:54)
即已宣告以此為各支派分地之法，正是要引導百姓承認神是那地之主，對全地有絕對的主權。況且，鄭重地訴諸拈鬮，正表明此非出於人的智慧，而是出於神的智慧。只是拈鬮只用於決定支派定居之區——定居地的廣狹則另按別的原則決定
(民 26:54)。
神在萬事之上掌權，這事有確鑿的明證：各支派所得的產業，正與雅各
(創 49:3-28)
和摩西
(申 33:6-25)
所預言的相符。
English original
6, 7. All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim--(See on
Jos 11:8)
--that is, "all the Sidonians and Phœnicians."
them will I drive out--The fulfilment of this promise was conditional. In the event of the Israelites proving unfaithful or disobedient, they would not subdue the districts now specified; and, in point of fact, the Israelites never possessed them though the inhabitants were subjected to the power of David and Solomon.
only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance--The parenthetic section being closed, the historian here resumes the main subject of this chapter--the order of God to Joshua to make an immediate allotment of the land. The method of distribution by lot was, in all respects, the best that could have been adopted, as it prevented all ground of discontent, as well as charges of arbitrary or partial conduct on the part of the leaders; and its announcement in the life of Moses
(Nu 33:54),
as the system according to which the allocations to each tribe should be made, was intended to lead the people to the acknowledgment of God as the proprietor of the land and as having the entire right to its disposal. Moreover, a solemn appeal to the lot showed it to be the dictate not of human, but divine, wisdom. It was used, however, only in determining the part of the country where a tribe was to be settled--the extent of the settlement was to be decided on a different principle
(Nu 26:54).
The overruling control of God is conclusively proved because each tribe received the possession predicted by Jacob
(Ge 49:3-28)
and by Moses
(De 33:6-25).
8
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繁體中文
8. 與他們同得——希伯來文作「他」。這前詞顯然是指瑪拿西，不過不是剛剛提到的那個半支派，而是另外的半支派；因為作者彷彿被這字的發音所牽引，轉而記述約旦河東已分給流便、迦得和瑪拿西半支派的產業
(參
民 32:1；
民 32:33；
另參
申 3:8-17)。
值得留意的是，把這些疆界記在案乃是智慧之舉。一旦對各區或各產業的確實界限發生誤會或爭端，便總可訴諸這一權威文獻，從而得以充分了解他們從神所領受的，並對此心存感恩
(詩 16:5、6)。
English original
8. With whom--Hebrew, "him." The antecedent is evidently to Manasseh, not, however, the half-tribe just mentioned, but the other half; for the historian, led, as it were, by the sound of the word, breaks off to describe the possessions beyond Jordan already assigned to Reuben, Gad, and the half of Manasseh (see on
Nu 32:1;
Nu 32:33;
also see
De 3:8-17).
It may be proper to remark that it was wise to put these boundaries on record. In case of any misunderstanding or dispute arising about the exact limits of each district or property, an appeal could always be made to this authoritative document, and a full knowledge as well as grateful sense obtained of what they had received from God
(Ps 16:5, 6).
書 13:1-33。
尚未征服之地的境界
1. 約書亞年紀老邁——他此時大概已過百歲；因征服並勘測那地約用了七年，分地一年；而他死時一百一十歲
(書 24:29)。
分地之工與征服之工一樣，都包括在約書亞的使命之內；他年事已高，這便成了立即開始履行這一職責——把迦南分給以色列各支派（不僅是已得之地，也包括尚待征服之地）——的特殊理由。