What is the meaning of Joshua 13:6? all the inhabitants of the hill country • The phrase sets the scope: no pockets of resistance are to be left in the mountain regions. • Deuteronomy 7:1-2 speaks of God delivering “many nations stronger and greater than you” for total removal, matching the comprehensive language here. • Joshua 11:16 records that Joshua already subdued much of this terrain, yet unfinished portions remain; God is now confirming the final completion. from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim • These markers stretch from the northern range of Lebanon south-westward toward the waters near Sidon. • Joshua 12:7 frames the same borders, showing continuity in God’s plan. • Deuteronomy 1:7 calls Israel to “enter and possess the hill country… all the way to the great river, the Euphrates,” reminding us that God’s boundaries are expansive and firmly set. all the Sidonians • Sidonians represent the influential coastal Canaanites famed for commerce and seafaring. • Judges 3:3 notes pockets of Sidonians left in the land became a future snare; God’s directive here eliminates that threat. • 1 Kings 16:31 links Sidon with later idolatry through Jezebel, underscoring why God orders their removal now. I Myself will drive out before the Israelites • The victory is God-initiated; Israel serves as His instrument. • Exodus 23:27-30: “I will send My terror ahead of you… little by little I will drive them out.” The same divine strategy is repeated. • Joshua 24:12 emphasizes, “It was not with your sword or bow.” Success rests on trusting God’s active presence, not on human strength. be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel • Casting lots guarantees impartial distribution among the tribes, affirming God’s sovereignty over every boundary line. • Numbers 26:55-56 sets the precedent: “The land shall be divided by lot according to the names of the tribes.” • Proverbs 16:33 reminds, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD,” assuring every family that their portion is God-chosen. as I have commanded you • This recalls earlier instructions to Moses (Numbers 34:13) and Joshua (Joshua 1:6-7) to apportion the land faithfully. • Obedience is not optional; it is the final link between promise and possession. • Deuteronomy 31:3 reaffirms that the LORD will “cross over ahead of you,” but Israel must follow through exactly as told. summary God reiterates that He Himself will complete the conquest from the heights of Lebanon to the coastal strongholds of Sidon. Israel’s role is twofold: trust His promised power to expel every remaining enemy and obediently distribute the land by lot so that each tribe receives its God-appointed inheritance. The verse assures that the Lord’s promises, boundaries, and methods are unchangeable—and when His people rely on His strength and obey His commands, the inheritance is secure. |
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