Bible Strands
Joshua 13:23
And the border of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the clans of the Reubenites, including the cities and villages.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua records the territorial boundaries following the conquest narrative, specifying the land allocated to Reuben’s clans after the defeat of Balaam’s forces. The passage functions as a geographic and legal designation within the broader land distribution account.
The words — גְּבוּל (ge.Vul) translates to “border” or “territory,” while נַחֲלַת (na.cha.Lat) means “inheritance,” establishing the legal and physical limits of the allotment. These terms anchor the verse in land division terminology.
The thread — The boundary language recurs in Numbers 34:13 and Joshua 18:20, where territorial limits are repeatedly defined for tribal inheritances. The inheritance concept appears throughout the conquest narratives as a legal transfer of land.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition of precise geographical markers and clarifies that tribal inheritance includes both fortified cities and surrounding villages. Readers must accept the allocation as a finalized, documented settlement rather than a vague claim.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages thereof.