Joshua 13 13

Joshua 13:13 kjv

Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

Joshua 13:13 nkjv

Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

Joshua 13:13 niv

But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maakah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.

Joshua 13:13 esv

Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day.

Joshua 13:13 nlt

But the Israelites failed to drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.

Joshua 13 verses

Joshua 13 13 Meaning

Joshua 13:13 states that the Israelites did not dispossess the Geshurites and Maachathites from their land, and consequently, these groups continued to reside among the people of Israel up to the time of the writing. This verse highlights an incomplete fulfillment of God's command to utterly drive out the inhabitants of the promised land, foreshadowing future struggles and compromises for the nation of Israel due to partial obedience.

Joshua 13 13 Context

Joshua chapter 13 marks a significant pivot in the book, transitioning from the narratives of conquest to the detailed descriptions of land apportionment among the tribes of Israel. God instructs Joshua, now old and advanced in years, to divide the "very much land that remains to be possessed" (Josh 13:1). Amidst the geographical delineations of the eastern tribal territories (Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh), verse 13 is inserted as a critical, somber note. It stands as an immediate historical and theological qualification, highlighting an explicit instance where the Israelites, despite being empowered by God, failed to execute the divine command of complete dispossession within their allocated boundaries. Historically, the Geshurites and Maachathites inhabited regions in the northeast, within the area designated for the half-tribe of Manasseh or parts of Gad, just east and northeast of the Sea of Galilee. These peoples were part of the broader Canaanite groups God commanded Israel to expel (Deut 20:16-18) to prevent idolatry and moral corruption. Their continued presence underscores a deep failure in Israel's early commitment to God's covenant requirements, setting the stage for the recurring cycles of apostasy detailed in the Book of Judges.

Joshua 13 13 Word analysis

• "But" (וְאֶת֙ - ve'et): This conjunction indicates a contrast or exception to the overarching narrative of Israel's successes and the imminent distribution of the land. It immediately draws attention to a failure amidst the triumphs.
• "the Geshurites" (הַגְּשׁוּרִ֤י - haGeshuri): A specific people group residing in the territory of Geshur, an Aramean kingdom situated northeast of the Sea of Galilee, within the broader land designated for Israel. Their mention highlights that even distinct, independent groups bordering Israel were meant to be subdued or removed according to God's decree. This group gained later significance through David's wife Maacah, who was a Geshurite princess, demonstrating continued interaction and failure of separation.
• "and the Maachathites" (וְאֶת־הַֽמַּעֲכָתִִ֑י - ve'et-hama'akhathi): Another specific people group associated with the territory of Maachah, adjacent to Geshur. Both groups resided in the northern Transjordan region. Their naming reinforces the precision of the biblical account in documenting specific failures.
• "were not expelled" (לֹא֙ הוֹרִ֣ישׁוּ - lo horishu): Literally, "they did not dispossess" or "they did not inherit/take possession." This active voice emphasizes that the failure rested squarely on the Israelites' actions (or inactions). It was not that God failed to enable them, but that they failed to complete the task commanded. The verb yarash signifies taking possession of land by driving out its inhabitants.
• "by the Israelites" (בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל - benei Yisra'el): This phrase explicitly identifies the agents of this incomplete conquest, removing any ambiguity regarding who was responsible. It underlines Israel's agency and responsibility in their covenant walk.
• "rather," (וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב - vayyeshev): This conjunction introduces the direct consequence of the previous statement. Because they were not driven out, they dwelt among them.
• "Geshur and Maachath" (גְּשׁ֣וּר וּמַעֲכָ֔ת - Geshur uMa'akhath): Here, the terms refer to the people of these lands, emphasizing their continued physical presence and, by implication, their cultural and religious influence.
• "dwell among Israel" (בְּקֶ֣רֶב יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל - beqerev Yisra'el): They cohabitated and integrated, contrary to the divine mandate of complete separation. This arrangement inevitably led to the syncretism and idolatry detailed in Judges and subsequent historical books.
• "to this day" (עַד֮ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּה֒ - ‘ad hayyom hazzeh): A frequently used temporal marker in historical texts, signifying that the condition described persisted from the time of the event up to the time the book was written or recounted. This emphasizes the lasting, generational impact of Israel's initial disobedience and validates the historical veracity of the ongoing situation. It highlights the enduring consequence of unaddressed compromise.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "But the Geshurites and the Maachathites were not expelled by the Israelites": This statement forms a crucial commentary on Israel's obedience. Despite a strong command from God and a clear ability demonstrated in other conquests, this phrase indicates a fundamental shortfall, shifting from a tone of triumphant conquest to one of missed opportunity and disobedience at the very outset of the land distribution.
• "rather, Geshur and Maachath dwell among Israel to this day": This clause directly presents the consequence of the failure: not merely a temporary oversight, but a permanent integration. The phrase "to this day" underscores the enduring nature of this compromise, serving as a solemn warning that unaddressed disobedience leaves lasting impacts across generations, influencing national identity and religious fidelity.

Joshua 13 13 Bonus Section

The Geshurites and Maachathites, unlike the Jebusites in Jerusalem or some Canaanite remnants, were Aramean (Syrian) kingdoms. Their presence underscores Israel's failure to assert full dominion not only over central Canaanite cities but also over strategically significant territories on their borders, particularly the eastern Transjordan area. This highlights a broader strategic and spiritual vulnerability established early on. Later, the very existence of a Geshurite king (Talmai) whose daughter (Maacah) became one of King David's wives (2 Sam 3:3) and whose kingdom served as a refuge for Absalom (2 Sam 13:37), strikingly demonstrates the long-term geopolitical and social ramifications of Israel's initial incomplete obedience. It was not just local integration, but a persistent independent foreign presence that profoundly impacted Israel's internal affairs and royal family history. This detail powerfully validates the "to this day" clause, revealing how the choices of one generation laid foundations for the complex and often troubled political and religious landscape of later generations.

Joshua 13 13 Commentary

Joshua 13:13 serves as a sobering historical note amidst the otherwise triumphal narrative of the conquest and land distribution. It pinpoints a specific failure: Israel's omission in fully expelling the Geshurites and Maachathites, distinct foreign groups inhabiting territories God had allocated to His people. This omission was a direct breach of God's clear and repeated command to utterly dispossess or destroy all inhabitants of Canaan to preserve Israel's spiritual purity and covenant fidelity. This partial obedience was not a benign oversight but a crucial act of disobedience stemming perhaps from a lack of faith, insufficient resolve, or a desire for convenience. The phrase "to this day" confirms that this failure had lasting consequences, allowing pagan influence to remain embedded within the borders of Israel, laying the groundwork for the future apostasies, intermarriages, and spiritual compromises detailed extensively in the Book of Judges and later historical narratives. This verse, therefore, transcends a mere geographical detail; it is a theological commentary on the profound dangers of incomplete obedience and highlights the persistent struggle Israel faced in fully inheriting and living according to the divine pattern for the Promised Land. Spiritually, it acts as a timeless reminder to believers that any area of unyielded sin or worldly influence not "driven out" will remain within, potentially corrupting faith and hindering the full experience of God's blessings and purpose for their lives.

Examples:

• An individual struggling with a recurring sin, having partially addressed it but never fully "expelled" it from their life, finding it continues to "dwell among them," hindering spiritual growth.
• A community of faith, aware of unbiblical cultural trends, but not definitively separating from them, allowing compromise to linger "to this day," affecting its witness and doctrine.