Joshua 24 13

Joshua 24:13 kjv

And I have given you a land for which ye did not labor, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

Joshua 24:13 nkjv

I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.'

Joshua 24:13 niv

So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.'

Joshua 24:13 esv

I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.'

Joshua 24:13 nlt

I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build ? the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.

Joshua 24 verses

Joshua 24 13 Meaning

Joshua 24:13 succinctly describes the LORD God's lavish and unmerited provision for the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land. It emphasizes that their inheritance—the land itself, its established cities, its cultivated vineyards, and olive groves—was not acquired through their own toil or effort, but was a freely given gift from God. This statement highlights divine grace, sovereign action, and faithful covenant-keeping, presenting Israel's dwelling in Canaan as a direct consequence of God's unilateral goodness.

Joshua 24 13 Context

Joshua 24:13 is part of Joshua's farewell address to the assembled tribes of Israel at Shechem, delivered shortly before his death. This speech, recounted in Joshua 24, serves as a climactic reminder of God's covenant faithfulness and Israel's obligations. Joshua begins by recounting the LORD's redemptive history, starting with Abraham (v. 2), through the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, and the conquest of Canaan (vv. 2-13). Verse 13 stands as the culmination of this historical narrative, summarizing the successful and divinely orchestrated conquest by highlighting God's singular role in providing Israel with the material benefits of the land. It directly follows a declaration of God driving out the Amorites and other inhabitants, leading to the conquest without Israel's full might. This entire recount builds up to Joshua's urgent call for Israel to choose to serve the LORD alone (v. 14-15), rejecting the gods of the Amorites whom they had dispossessed, because their very existence and prosperity in the land were utterly dependent on God's grace and fidelity. The historical context for the original audience, who had either experienced or heard vivid accounts of the conquest, underscored the recent memory of their entrance into a land that was already developed. This served as a powerful incentive for allegiance to the LORD who had so abundantly provided.

Joshua 24 13 Word analysis

• And I have given you:
  • Hebrew: Wa'āḵën lākhem (וָאֲכֵן לָכֶם) – Literally "And I caused to give to you," or more naturally, "I have given to you." The use of "I" (ʾānoḵî - אָנֹכִי) emphasizes God's personal, sovereign action and initiative. This is not something they earned or took by force of will alone, but a direct, benevolent gift from God. The perfect tense indicates a completed action with ongoing effects.
• a land:
  • Hebrew: 'erets (אֶרֶץ) – refers to the entire physical territory, "earth," "land," or "country." Here specifically, the land of Canaan. Its provision highlights the fulfillment of centuries-old promises.
• for which you did not toil:
  • Hebrew: lōʾ yāgaʿtā bāh (לֹא יָגַעְתֶּם בָּהּ) – "You did not weary yourselves in it," or "you did not exert labor for it." Yāgaʿ (יָגַע) signifies strenuous labor, weariness from effort, exhaustive toil. This contrasts divine grace with human strenuous effort. The land was productive due to prior inhabitants' labor, not Israel's initial work.
• and cities:
  • Hebrew: waʿārîm (וְעָרִים) – "and cities." Refers to established, functional urban centers. Not raw wilderness they had to build from scratch. These were fortified and well-developed places.
• which you did not build:
  • Hebrew: ʾăšer lōʾ bĕnîtem (אֲשֶׁר לֹא בְנִיתֶם) – "which you did not build." Bānāh (בָּנָה) means to build, construct, establish. Israel inherited pre-built infrastructure. This highlights the immediacy of their settlement and the sheer extent of their unearned inheritance.
• and you dwell in them:
  • Hebrew: waṯêšbû bāhem (וַתֵּשְׁבוּ בָּהֶם) – "and you sat down in them," or "you took up residence in them." Yāšab (יָשַׁב) implies dwelling, settling, inhabiting. They enjoyed immediate occupancy and security without the preliminary hardship of construction.
• you eat:
  • Hebrew: kōlîm (כֹּלִים) – "you eat." Implies enjoyment and sustenance directly derived from the productivity of the land.
• of vineyards:
  • Hebrew: kĕrāmîm (כְּרָמִים) – "vineyards." Fruit-bearing orchards that require years of cultivation and care to become productive.
• and olive groves:
  • Hebrew: zêyṯîm (זֵיתִים) – "olive trees" or "olive groves." Like vineyards, these are long-term investments in agriculture, taking many years to bear fruit, providing essential oil and food.
• which you did not plant:
  • Hebrew: lōʾ nĕṭaʿtem (לֹא נְטַעְתֶּם) – "you did not plant." Nāṭaʿ (נָטַע) means to plant, cultivate. This specifically points out that the long-term, arduous work of agricultural establishment was done by others, yet Israel benefited fully from it.

Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis:

• "And I have given you a land for which you did not toil": This phrase introduces the central theme of God's unsolicited provision. The concept of "toil" implies a profound level of labor, often physically demanding and prolonged. Israel did not sow, clear, or cultivate the land from scratch; they received it as a cultivated inheritance. This sets a strong contrast between divine action and human effort, highlighting God's sovereign initiative.
• "and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them": This expands on the scope of the divine gift from agricultural land to established urban centers. The provision of ready-made cities meant instant security, infrastructure, and shelter, bypassing generations of development. "You dwell in them" underscores the immediate and peaceful enjoyment of what was freely given. It contrasts sharply with nomadic existence or the hardship of pioneering settlements.
• "you eat of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant": This specifies the nature of the agricultural bounty, highlighting high-value, long-term crops. Vineyards and olive groves require significant investment of time, expertise, and sustained labor over years before yielding fruit. That Israel simply "ate" of these, implying full, present enjoyment without previous investment, powerfully reinforces the idea of God's extravagant and timely provision, fulfilling His covenant promises (Deut 6:10-11) to a miraculous degree. This provision also subtly functions as a polemic, asserting that Israel's sustenance and blessing came from the true God, Yahweh, not from the Baals or local fertility deities previously worshiped in Canaan.

Joshua 24 13 Bonus section

The profound reality expressed in Joshua 24:13 established a crucial theological foundation for Israel's relationship with God: blessings are ultimately from His hand and are fundamentally a result of grace, not human merit. This understanding was vital for disabusing them of any notions that their success was due to their own military prowess, their moral superiority, or their diligent labor. Such an emphasis serves as an explicit and implicit polemic against pagan ideologies of their day, which often required appeasement of gods through human effort or sacrifice to gain prosperity or victory. In contrast, Yahweh freely gives. This verse also provided a framework for future generations of Israelites to interpret their national history—their periods of blessing and peace were always rooted in God's initial benevolent act, and their failures came from forgetting this gracious foundation. It underpins the principle that ongoing possession of the land was conditional upon continued faithfulness to the Covenant, not based on inherent right or past achievement, but on grateful obedience to the Giver. The "rest" in the land and cities from their toil was not permanent regardless of their conduct; rather, it was a dependent rest provided and sustained by God.

Joshua 24 13 Commentary

Joshua 24:13 serves as a profound summary of God's overwhelming grace toward Israel, presented in Joshua's final admonition to the nation. It encapsulates the core truth that Israel's dwelling in the Promised Land, with all its benefits—ready-made cities, productive farms—was a completely unmerited gift, not a reward for their righteousness or the fruit of their own strength. This powerful statement strips away any room for human pride or self-congratulation, compelling the Israelites to acknowledge their utter dependence on the LORD. The triple negation ("did not toil," "did not build," "did not plant") underscores the complete passivity of Israel in acquiring these foundational elements of their national life. Their very existence in the land, flourishing and at rest, was a direct consequence of God's covenant faithfulness and proactive generosity, fulfilled decades, even centuries, after the promise was made to Abraham.

This divine provision set a high standard for their required response: wholehearted loyalty and worship of the God who had given them everything. The abundance was intended to foster gratitude and obedience, not complacency or arrogance. It foreshadows the New Testament concept of salvation as a freely given gift of grace (Eph 2:8-9), received not through works, but through faith, allowing no one to boast. Practically, this verse reminds believers that much of what they possess and enjoy in their lives is ultimately from God's hand, whether spiritual blessings (e.g., peace, spiritual gifts) or material ones. It calls for a life of humility, gratitude, and dedicated service to the Giver, recognizing that our blessings are not earned but bestowed out of His immeasurable kindness.