The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 108
SECT. CVIII.
JOſhua having ſo far conquered the Land, as we have ſhewed, and being now well in years, God calls him to divide the Land by lot among the nine Tribes and an half, for he had promiſed he ſhould do it, Ch. 1.6. And therefore he commands him to go about it now, and not to defer it till they were poſſeſſed of all, as poſſibly Joſhua thought he muſt have done. He commands him to divide thoſe parts that were not ſubdued, nor ſhould be in his life time, as if they were already conquered. He tells him, He had not promiſed him that he ſhould Conquer the whole Land which he had given to his people, but only that he ſhould bring them into it, [Deut. 31.23.] and divide it for an Inheritance among them. He tells him how much of the Land remained yet unconquered, which notwithſtanding he intended ſhould be divided among them, and they ſhould have it in their Charter, and it ſhould be given them in the diviſion; and this might be a ſpur to them to endeavour the gaining of it, and to drive out the old Inhabitants. Now the Land yet unconquered He tells him was this, firſt the Land of the Philiſtins that lay a long the Coaſts of the Midland-Sea from Sihor, which divides Paleſtine from Egypt, and the Land of Geſhuri in Syria, and bordering on the Northern part of Canaan. This Land of the Philiſtines He ſhews him belongs to Canaan, and conſequently to the Iſraelites, though as yet they have not taken it. For the Philiſtines (called Caphtorim, becauſe they came from Caphtor, Amos 9.7.) entred upon this part of Canaan, drave out the old Inhabitants, and dwelt in it themſelves, Deut. 2.23. and now this Land was under five Lords of the Philiſtins yet unſubdued. There were alſo the Avites, who being expelled out of their Land by the Philiſtins, did yet (it ſeems) continue in ſome portion of their Land, adjoyning to the Philiſtins. All this Land lying along the Sea-Coaſts from the South unto Mearah, or the Cave which is by the Sidonians and Aphek (a Town not far from Sidon) and ſo to the Borders of the Amorites; for there were Amorites on both ſides of Jordan. And the Land of the Giblites, a people that inhabited Gebal, Pſal. 83.7. a Promontory near Sidon, and all Lebanon towards the Eaſt was not conquered, and ſo eaſterly as far as Hamath, where even in David's time there was a Canaanitiſh King, 2 Sam. 8.9. All theſe God promiſes to drive out before the Children of Iſrael, provided they continued faithful in keeping Covenant with Him. But they failing herein, never came to poſſeſs the Lands of all thoſe Nations, though in David's and Solomon's time they brought them to be Tributary to them. However God injoyns Joſhua to divide that Land before ſpoken of (though not yet conquered) among the nine Tribes, and the half Tribe of Manaſſeh on the Weſt-ſide of Jordan; for the Reubenites and Gadites with the other half Tribe of Manaſſeh had already received their Inheritance on the other ſide, which Moſes had given them. And having mentioned their Inheritance, he firſt deſcribes the whole Land without Jordan from Arnon to Lebanon, and then ſhews what each of them ſeverally had. The border of the Geſhurites and Maachathites are here mentioned as a part of the Land without Jordan, belonging to the two Tribes and half planted there, becauſe given to them by Moſes with the reſt, but they did not drive them out. For theſe Geſhurites and Maachathites dwelling in the out-skirts of their Country, and they having Land enough for their preſent uſe, out of an act of baſe ſloth ſuffered them to rooſt among them, and did not endeavour to drive them out. Moſes in the diviſion of that Land without Jordan gave no part to the Tribe of Levi; that is, no Regions or Parts of the Country as he did to the other Tribes upon which they might live by Tillage and Husbandry, but only ſome Cities to dwell in, and the Suburbs belonging to them with ſome circuit of Ground for the feeding of their Cattel, becauſe God himſelf was to be their Portion, and the Sacrifices, and other Oblations due unto God, were to be for their Maintenance. Now the bounds of the Lands given to each Tribe beyond Jordan by Moſes, are particularly ſet down to prevent all ſtrife and diviſion among them for the future.
Joſhua 13. whole Chapter.