What is the meaning of Joshua 13:17? Heshbon - Central city of King Sihon’s Amorite kingdom. Israel literally captured it (Numbers 21:25–26: “Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and lived in them, including Heshbon…,”). - By listing Heshbon first, Joshua 13:17 underlines the Lord’s complete victory and His faithfulness to the promise in Deuteronomy 2:24, 31 that He would deliver Sihon’s land to Israel. - Later prophets mention Heshbon in oracles against Moab (Isaiah 15:4; Jeremiah 48:2, 45), showing that the city’s fate continued to mirror Israel’s covenant obedience or neglect. All its Cities on the Plateau - “The plateau” (the Mishor) is the elevated plain east of the Jordan. Moses previewed this inheritance in Deuteronomy 3:10, and Joshua now records its realization. - By adding “all its cities,” the text stresses the totality of the grant; nothing promised was withheld (Joshua 21:43-45). - This sweep of territory gave Reuben grazing land for flocks (Numbers 32:1-4) and space to thrive, yet also demanded diligence to remain faithful amid former pagan strongholds (Deuteronomy 12:2-4). Including Dibon - Dibon lay about 3 mi/5 km north of the Arnon Gorge. After conquest, Reubenites rebuilt it and called it “Dibon-gad” (Numbers 32:34-35). - Centuries later the Moabite King Mesha boasted of retaking Dibon (2 Kings 3:4-5), confirming the site’s lasting strategic value. - Prophets lamented Dibon when Moab faced judgment (Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 48:18-22), reminding readers that turning from the Lord invites ruin even for well-fortified towns. Bamoth-baal - Literally “high places of Baal.” Numbers 22:41 locates Balaam here when he first tried to curse Israel: “Balak … brought Balaam up to Bamoth-baal…”. - God granting this hilltop to Reuben displays His triumph over idolatry; confessedly pagan ground became covenant land. - Deuteronomy 12:3 commanded Israel to destroy such high places, so inheriting Bamoth-baal also carried the responsibility to tear down altars and lift up the Lord’s name instead. Beth-baal-meon - Another Baal-named town, rebuilt by Reuben (Numbers 32:37-38). - Ezekiel 25:9 and Jeremiah 48:23 mention it in judgments on Moab, again showing shifting control tied to nations’ responses to God. - The inclusion in the allotment underscores that God’s people must live distinctly holy lives even when surrounded by reminders of past idol worship. summary Joshua 13:17 catalogs key towns—Heshbon, the surrounding plateau cities, Dibon, Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon—as part of Reuben’s inheritance east of the Jordan. Each name testifies that the Lord literally kept His word to defeat Sihon and hand the land to Israel. The passage calls readers to trust God’s promises, steward blessings faithfully, and reject the idolatry that once defined these places. |
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