The Land Yet to Be Possessed

131 And Joshua was old, advanced in age, and Jehovah said to him, Thou art old, advanced in age, and there remaineth yet very much land to take possession of. 2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the districts of the Philistines and all the Geshurites, 3 from the Shihor, which [floweth] before Egypt, as far as the borders of Ekron northward, [and which] is counted to the Canaanite; five lordships of the Philistines: of Gazah, and of Ashdod, of Eshkalon, of Gath, and of Ekron; also the Avvites; 4 in the south, the whole land of the Canaanites, and Mearah which [belongeth] to the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; 5 and the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sun-rising, from Baal-Gad at the foot of mount Hermon to the entrance into Hamath; 6 all the inhabitants of the hill-country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians; I will dispossess them from before the children of Israel. Only, partition it by lot to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.

7 And now divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes, and to half the tribe of Manasseh; 8 with him the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of Jehovah gave them: 9 from Aroer, which is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plateau of Medeba to Dibon, 10 and all the cities of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who reigned at Heshbon, to the border of the children of Ammon; 11 and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and the whole of Bashan to Salcah; 12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, who remained of the residue of the giants; and Moses smote them and dispossessed them. 13 But the children of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurites nor the Maachathites; but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites to this day.

The Inheritances Given by Moses

14 Only to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance: the offerings by fire of Jehovah the God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to them. 15 And Moses gave [a portion] to the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families. 16 And their territory was from Aroer, which is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plateau by Medeba; 17 Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plateau, Dibon, and Bamoth-Baal, and Beth-Baal-meon, 18 And Jahzah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath, 19 and Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar in the mountain of the vale, 20 and Beth-Peor, and the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth; 21 all the cities of the plateau, and the whole kingdom of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who reigned at Heshbon, whom Moses smote, him and the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the chiefs of Sihon dwelling in the land. 22 And Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner, did the children of Israel kill with the sword among them that were slain by them. 23 And the border of the children of Reuben was the Jordan, and [its] border. This is the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their hamlets. 24 And Moses gave [a portion] to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families. 25 And their territory was Jaazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, to Aroer which is before Rabbah; 26 and from Heshbon to Ramath-Mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir; 27 and in the valley, Beth-haram, and Beth-Nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon the king of Heshbon, the Jordan and [its] border, as far as the edge of the sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan eastward. 28 This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their hamlets. 29 And Moses gave [a portion] to half the tribe of Manasseh; and for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families: 30 their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, the whole kingdom of Og the king of Bashan, and all the villages of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities. 31 And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, [belonged] to the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, to the one half of the children of Machir according to their families. 32 This is that which Moses allotted for inheritance in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan of Jericho, eastward. 33 But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance: Jehovah the God of Israel is their inheritance, as he said to them.

Canaan Divided by Lot

141 And this is what the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, allotted for inheritance to them: 2 their inheritance was by lot, as Jehovah had commanded by Moses, for the nine tribes, and the half tribe. 3 For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half tribe beyond the Jordan, but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them. 4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim; and they gave no part to the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, and their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance. 5 As Jehovah had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.

Hebron Given to Caleb

6 Then the children of Judah came near to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, Thou knowest the word that Jehovah spoke to Moses the man of God, concerning me and thee, in Kadesh-barnea. 7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of Jehovah sent me from Kadesh-barnea to search out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8 And my brethren that had gone up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed Jehovah my God. 9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, The land whereon thy feet have trodden shall assuredly be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever! for thou hast wholly followed Jehovah my God. 10 And now behold, Jehovah has kept me alive, as he said, these forty-five years, since Jehovah spoke this word to Moses, when Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. 11 I am still this day strong, as in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out and to come in. 12 And now give me this mountain, of which Jehovah spoke in that day; for thou heardest in that day that Anakim are there, and great fortified cities. If so be Jehovah shall be with me, then I shall dispossess them, as Jehovah said. 13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed Jehovah the God of Israel. 15 Now the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-Arba; the great man among the Anakim. And the land rested from war.

The Territory Allotted to Judah

151 And the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was: to the border of Edom, the wilderness of Zin, southward, in the extreme south. 2 And their southern border was from the end of the salt sea, from the tongue that turns southward; 3 and it went out south of the ascent of Akrabbim, and passed on to Zin, and went up on the south of Kadesh-barnea, and passed to Hezron, and went up toward Addar, and turned toward Karkaah, 4 and passed on to Azmon, and went out by the torrent of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. That shall be your border southward. 5 —And the eastern border was the salt sea as far as the end of the Jordan.—And the border on the north side was from the tongue of the salt sea, at the end of the Jordan; 6 and the border went up toward Beth-hoglah, and passed north of Beth-Arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben; 7 and the border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and turned northward to Gilgal, which is opposite to the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the torrent; and the border passed to the waters of En-shemesh, and ended at En-rogel; 8 and the border went up to the valley of the son of Hinnom, toward the south side of the Jebusite, that is, Jerusalem; and the border went up to the top of the mountain that is before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim northward; 9 and the border reached along from the top of the mountain toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and went out toward the cities of mount Ephron; and the border reached along to Baalah, that is, Kirjath-jearim; 10 and the border turned from Baalah westwards toward mount Seir, and passed toward the side of Har-jearim, that is, Chesalon, northwards, and went down to Beth-shemesh, and passed Timnah. 11 And the border went out to the side of Ekron northwards, and the border reached along toward Shicron, and passed mount Baalah, and went toward Jabneel; and the border ended at the sea. 12 —And the west border is the great sea and [its] coast. This is the border of the children of Judah round about, according to their families.

Caleb Conquers Hebron and Debir

13 And to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion among the children of Judah according to the commandment of Jehovah to Joshua, the city of Arba, the father of Anak, that is, Hebron. 14 And thence Caleb dispossessed the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, who were born of Anak. 15 And from there he went up against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher. 16 And Caleb said, He that smites Kirjath-sepher and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife. 17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. 18 And it came to pass as she came, that she urged him to ask of her father a field; and she sprang down from the ass. And Caleb said to her, What wouldest thou? 19 And she said, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a southern land; give me also springs of water. Then he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

The Cities of Judah

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families. 21 The cities at the extremity of the tribe of the children of Judah, toward the border of Edom in the south, were: Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur, 22 and Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah, 23 and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Jithnan, 24 Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth, 25 and Hazor-hadattah, and Kerioth-Hezron, that is Hazor, 26 Amam, and Shema, and Molada, 27 and Hazar-gaddah, and Heshmon, and Beth-Pelet, 28 and Hazar-Shual, and Beer-sheba, and Biziothiah; 29 Baalah, and Ijim, and Ezem, 30 and Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah, 31 and Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansanna, 32 and Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities twenty-nine, and their hamlets. 33 —In the lowland: Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah, 34 and Zanoah, and En-gannim, Tappuah and Enam, 35 Jarmuth and Adullam, Sochoh and Azekah, 36 and Shaaraim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities and their hamlets. 37 Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal-Gad, 38 and Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel, 39 Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon, 40 and Cabbon, and Lahmas, and Chithlish, 41 and Gederoth, Beth-Dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities and their hamlets. 42 Libna, and Ether, and Ashan, 43 and Jiphthah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, 44 and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities and their hamlets. 45 Ekron and its dependent villages and its hamlets. 46 From Ekron and westward all that are by the side of Ashdod, and their hamlets. 47 Ashdod, its dependent villages and its hamlets; Gazah, its dependent villages and its hamlets, as far as the torrent of Egypt, and the great sea and [its] coast. 48 —And in the hill-country: Shamir, and Jattir, and Sochoh, 49 and Dannah, and Kirjath-sannah, that is, Debir, 50 and Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim, 51 and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities and their hamlets. 52 Arab, and Dumah, and Eshan, 53 and Janum, and Beth-Tappuah, and Aphekah, 54 and Humtah, and Kirjath-Arba, that is, Hebron, and Zior: nine cities and their hamlets. 55 Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Jutah, 56 and Jizreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah and Timnah: ten cities and their hamlets. 58 Halhul, Beth-Zur, and Gedor, 59 and Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon: six cities and their hamlets. 60 Kirjath-Baal, that is, Kirjath-jearim, and Rabbah: two cities and their hamlets. 61 —In the wilderness: Beth-Arabah, Middin, and Secacah, 62 and Nibshan, and Ir-Hammelah, and En-gedi: six cities and their hamlets. 63 But as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not dispossess them; and the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

The Birth of John the Baptist

57 But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that [the] Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John. 61 And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name. 62 And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called. 63 And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered. 64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God. 65 And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation. 66 And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And [the] Lord's hand was with him.

Zechariah's Prophecy

67 And Zacharias his father was filled with [the] Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, 68 Blessed be [the] Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, 69 and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant; 70 as he spoke by [the] mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began; 71 deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us; 72 to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant, 73 [the] oath which he swore to Abraham our father, 74 to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear 75 in piety and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And thou, child, shalt be called [the] prophet of [the] Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of [the] Lord to make ready his ways; 77 to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by [the] remission of their sins 78 on account of [the] bowels of mercy of our God; wherein [the] dayspring from on high has visited us, 79 to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] way of peace. 80 —And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 1:57-80

Commentary on Luke 1:57-66

(Read Luke 1:57-66)

In these verses we have an account of the birth of John the Baptist, and the great joy among all the relations of the family. He shall be called Johanan, or "Gracious," because he shall bring in the gospel of Christ, wherein God's grace shines most bright. Zacharias recovered his speech. Unbelief closed his mouth, and believing opened it again: he believers, therefore he speaks. When God opens our lips, our mouths must show forth his praise; and better be without speech, than not use it in praising God. It is said, The hand of the Lord was working with John. God has ways of working on children in their infancy, which we cannot account for. We should observe the dealings of God, and wait the event.

Commentary on Luke 1:67-80

(Read Luke 1:67-80)

Zacharias uttered a prophecy concerning the kingdom and salvation of the Messiah. The gospel brings light with it; in it the day dawns. In John the Baptist it began to break, and increased apace to the perfect day. The gospel is discovering; it shows that about which we were utterly in the dark; it is to give light to those that sit in darkness, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is reviving; it brings light to those that sit in the shadow of death, as condemned prisoners in the dungeon. It is directing; it is to guide our feet in the way of peace, into that way which will bring us to peace at last, Romans 3:17. John gave proofs of strong faith, vigorous and holy affections, and of being above the fear and love of the world. Thus he ripened for usefulness; but he lived a retired life, till he came forward openly as the forerunner of the Messiah. Let us follow peace with all men, as well as seek peace with God and our own consciences. And if it be the will of God that we live unknown to the world, still let us diligently seek to grow strong in the grace of Jesus Christ.