1 And Joshua is old, entering into days, and Jehovah saith unto him, 'Thou hast become aged, thou hast entered into days ; as to the land, very much hath been left to possess.
2 'This [is] the land that is left ; all the circuits of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
3 from Sihor which [is] on the front of Egypt, and unto the border of Ekron northward, to the Canaanite it is reckoned, five princes of the Philistines, the Gazathite, and the Ashdothite, the Eshkalonite, the Gittite, and the Ekronite, also the Avim.
4 'From the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah, which [is] to the Sidonians, unto Aphek, unto the border of the Amorite ;
5 and the land of the Giblite, and all Lebanon, at the sun-rising, from Baal-Gad under mount Hermon, unto the going in to Hamath :
6 all the inhabitants of the hill-country, from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-Maim, all the Sidonians : I — I dispossess them before the sons of Israel ; only, cause it to fall to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
7 'And now, apportion this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh,' —
Note · Josué 13.1–7
La tâche inachevée est nommée avant le partage
Le vieillissement du chef ne supprime pas l’ampleur de ce qui reste. L’énumération des régions fait contraste avec les sommaires de conquête totale. Cette tension est une donnée de lecture du livre, pas une difficulté à cacher. Le partage exprime ici un horizon promis autant qu’un état de contrôle effectivement décrit.
8 with it the Reubenite, and the Gadite, have received their inheritance, which Moses hath given to them beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses servant of Jehovah hath given to them ;
9 from Aroer, which [is] on the edge of the brook Arnon, and the city which [is] in the midst of the brook, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dihon,
10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorite, who reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the Bene-Ammon,
11 and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurite, and of the Maachathite, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah ;
12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei ; he was left of the remnant of the Rephaim, and Moses doth smite them, and dispossess them ;
13 and the sons of Israel dispossessed not the Geshurite, and the Maachathite ; and Geshur and Maachath dwell in the midst of Israel unto this day.
14 Only, to the tribe of Levi he hath not given an inheritance ; fire-offerings of Jehovah, God of Israel, is its inheritance, as He hath spoken to it.
Note · Josué 13.8–14
Les tribus orientales sont incluses sans nier les populations demeurées
La notice reprend les territoires attribués par Moïse puis mentionne les Gueshouriens et les Maakathiens encore présents. Le livre ne raconte donc pas partout une disparition complète des anciens habitants. Lévi est distingué par un mode d’héritage lié au culte, qui recevra une traduction matérielle dans les villes du chapitre 21.
15 And Moses giveth to the tribe of the sons of Reuben, for their families ;
16 and the border is to them from Aroer, which [is] on the edge of the brook Arnon, and the city which [is] in the midst of the brook, and all the plain by Medeba,
17 Heshbon, and all its cities which [are] in the plain, Dibon, and Bamoth-Baal, and Beth-Baal-Meon,
18 and Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,
19 and Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zareth-Shahar, in the mount of the valley,
20 and Beth-Peor, and the springs of Pisgah, and Beth-Jeshimoth,
21 and all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorite, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote, with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, princes of Sihon, inhabitants of the land.
22 And Balaam, son of Beor, the diviner, have the sons of Israel slain with the sword, among their wounded ones.
23 And the border of the sons of Reuben is the Jordan, and [its] border ; this [is] the inheritance of the sons of Reuben, for their families, the cities and their villages.
Note · Josué 13.15–23
La part de Ruben rassemble territoire et mémoire de conflit
La liste des villes est interrompue par le rappel des chefs madianites et de Balaam. Le devin, dont la parole a pourtant béni Israël dans les Nombres, apparaît ici parmi les morts. Le commentaire doit conserver ces différentes scènes sans inventer un récit continu de ses pensées ni faire de son titre une preuve suffisante de chaque accusation possible.
24 And Moses giveth to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad, for their families ;
25 and the border is to them Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and the half of the land of the Bene-Ammon, unto Aroer which [is] on the front of Rabbah,
26 and from Heshbon unto Ramath-Mispeh, and Betonim, and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir,
27 and in the valley, Beth-Aram, and Beth-Nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan and [its] border, unto the extremity of the sea of Chinnereth, beyond the Jordan, eastward.
28 This [is] the inheritance of the sons of Gad, for their families, the cities and their villages.
29 And Moses giveth to the half of the tribe of Manasseh ; and it is to the half of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, for their families.
30 And their border is from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the small towns of Jair, which [are] in Bashan, sixty cities ;
31 and the half of Gilead, and Ashteroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, [are] to the sons of Machir, son of Manasseh, to the half of the sons of Machir, for their families.
32 These [are] they whom Moses caused to inherit in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, [by] Jericho, eastward ;
33 and to the tribe of Levi Moses gave not an inheritance ; Jehovah, God of Israel, Himself [is] their inheritance, as He hath spoken to them.
Note · Josué 13.24–33
La précision des parts n’abolit pas le besoin des autres
Gad et la moitié orientale de Manassé reçoivent des territoires détaillés. La conclusion reprend la situation de Lévi, dont l’héritage est exprimé comme relation à Dieu. Cette formule ne doit pas servir à refuser des ressources aux personnes affectées au service : le livre précisera justement leurs lieux de vie et les espaces pour leurs troupeaux.