Joshua 14:3

Translation
King James Version
For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them.
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KJV (with Strong's)
For Moses H4872 had given H5414 the inheritance H5159 of two H8147 tribes H4294 and an half H2677 tribe H4294 on the other side H5676 Jordan H3383: but unto the Levites H3881 he gave H5414 none inheritance H5159 among H8432 them.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Moshe had already given the inheritances to the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Yarden; to the L'vi'im he gave no inheritance among them.
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Berean Standard Bible
For Moses had given the inheritance east of the Jordan to the other two and a half tribes. But he granted no inheritance among them to the Levites.
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American Standard Version
For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.
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World English Bible Messianic
For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
For Moses had giuen inheritance vnto two tribes and an halfe tribe, beyond Iorde: but vnto the Leuites he gaue none inheritance among them.
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Young's Literal Translation
for Moses hath given the inheritance of two of the tribes, and of half of the tribe, beyond the Jordan, and to the Levites he hath not given an inheritance in their midst;
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See also
Joshua 13:14Joshua 13:8Numbers 32:29Numbers 32:42Deuteronomy 3:12Deuteronomy 3:17Joshua 13:32
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Judah and Simeon
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In the KJVVerse 6,191 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Joshua 14:3 serves as a crucial explanatory parenthetical within the broader narrative of Israel's land distribution, meticulously detailing two foundational aspects of the inheritance process established by Moses. It first clarifies that the two and a half Transjordanian tribes had already received their territorial allotments east of the Jordan River. Concurrently, it reiterates the unique status of the Levites, who, by divine decree, were granted no territorial inheritance among the other tribes, thereby setting the theological and practical stage for the subsequent specific land allocations to the remaining tribes west of the Jordan.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse is strategically placed at the beginning of the detailed land distribution accounts in the Book of Joshua, specifically within the section spanning Joshua 13-21. Following the successful military campaigns and the initial subjugation of Canaanite kings, the narrative shifts from conquest to settlement. Joshua 13 provides a general overview of the land remaining and begins to outline the initial tribal allocations, particularly those east of the Jordan. Joshua 14 then transitions to the specific distribution west of the Jordan, commencing with Caleb's significant and faithful request for Hebron. Verse 3 functions as a vital explanatory note, reminding the reader of prior arrangements that precede the current distribution. This ensures that the subsequent allotments to the nine and a half tribes are understood within the complete, divinely ordained framework for all twelve tribes, providing necessary background before the detailed descriptions of each tribal boundary.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The events referenced in Joshua 14:3 reach back to the conclusion of the wilderness wanderings, just prior to Israel's entry into Canaan. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had specifically requested land east of the Jordan River due to its suitability for their extensive livestock (as recorded in Numbers 32:1-5). Moses granted this request under the strict condition that their fighting men would cross the Jordan and actively participate in the conquest of the land to the west (see Numbers 32:16-27). This agreement, now being fulfilled, powerfully underscores the sanctity of covenant fidelity and the necessity of inter-tribal cooperation in achieving God's purposes. Furthermore, the unique exclusion of the Levites from a territorial inheritance reflects a distinct divine mandate established at Mount Sinai. Unlike many ancient Near Eastern societies where priestly classes often held significant land, the Levites were set apart for exclusive service to the Lord. Their provision came from the tithes and offerings of the other tribes, and they were to dwell in designated cities scattered throughout the land (as detailed in Numbers 35:1-8). This arrangement emphasized their spiritual role, prevented them from accumulating land-based political power, and ensured their perpetual dependence on God and the support of the community.
  • Key Themes: Joshua 14:3 significantly contributes to several overarching themes present throughout the Book of Joshua and the Pentateuch. Firstly, it highlights Divine Order and Fulfillment, showcasing God's meticulous and faithful execution of His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob concerning the land. The distribution is not arbitrary but follows long-established divine directives given through Moses. Secondly, the verse underscores Distinct Callings and Provision, illustrating that God provides for His people in diverse ways according to their unique roles and purposes within the covenant community. While most tribes received a tangible territorial "inheritance," the Levites were designated a spiritual inheritance—the Lord Himself and the offerings of Israel (as seen in Numbers 18:20 and Deuteronomy 10:9). This distinction emphasizes that true blessing and security are not solely material. Lastly, the verse reinforces Historical Continuity, linking the immediate events of land distribution in Joshua directly to the foundational commands and arrangements made during the wilderness wanderings under Moses' leadership. This connection validates Joshua's authority and assures Israel that the land allocation is part of God's consistent, unfolding, and trustworthy plan.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Inheritance (Hebrew, naḥălâh', H5159): Occurring twice in this verse, naḥălâh is a pivotal term. It denotes more than mere property; it signifies an enduring possession, an ancestral portion, or a heritage, often with strong covenantal undertones. For the land-owning tribes, it represented their permanent, divinely allotted stake in the promised land, a tangible symbol of their identity, security, and the fulfillment of God's promise to their forefathers. For the Levites, the explicit absence of this territorial naḥălâh underscored their unique spiritual inheritance, where "the Lord is their inheritance" (Deuteronomy 10:9), emphasizing a spiritual rather than material legacy.
  • Given (Hebrew, nâthan', H5414): The verb "given" highlights the active and authoritative role of Moses, acting as God's divinely appointed agent, in the initial distribution of land east of the Jordan. It emphasizes that these allotments were not simply seized by human conquest but were divinely ordained and bestowed as a gift. This verb reinforces the theme of divine sovereignty and the orderly nature of God's provision for His people, underscoring that all land possession was ultimately a gracious gift from the Lord.

Verse Breakdown

  • "For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan:" This opening clause provides crucial retrospective information, referencing a past event that directly informs the present narrative of land distribution. It explains that the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh had already received their territorial naḥălâh (inheritance) from Moses, situated east of the Jordan River. This pre-emptive allocation was a result of their specific request and a covenantal agreement made with Moses, contingent upon their participation in the conquest of Canaan. The introductory "For" indicates that this is an explanatory statement, clarifying why only nine and a half tribes are now receiving land west of the Jordan.
  • "but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them." This contrasting clause immediately follows, highlighting the distinct and unique status of the tribe of Levi. Unlike the other tribes who received a territorial naḥălâh, the Levites were specifically excluded from a land inheritance "among them" (i.e., among the other tribes receiving tribal territories). This reiterates a fundamental principle established earlier in the Pentateuch: the Levites' inheritance was the Lord Himself, their provision coming from the tithes and offerings of the other tribes, and their dwelling in designated cities scattered throughout Israel. This distinction underscores their sacred, priestly function and their perpetual dependence on God's direct provision and the material support of the broader community.

Literary Devices

Joshua 14:3 effectively employs Contrast and Parenthetical Explanation to convey its message. The verse sharply contrasts the two and a half tribes who did receive a territorial inheritance with the Levites who received "none inheritance among them." This juxtaposition immediately highlights the unique divine arrangements for each group, underscoring the diverse ways God provides for and calls His people according to their specific roles within the covenant. The phrase "For Moses had given..." functions as a Parenthetical Explanation, providing crucial background information that clarifies the ongoing narrative of land distribution without disrupting the main flow of Caleb's story or the subsequent detailed tribal allotments. This device ensures the reader understands the complete context of the land division.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

This verse powerfully articulates God's meticulous and diverse provision for His people, demonstrating that His faithfulness extends to every tribe according to their unique calling and purpose. It underscores that God's promises are fulfilled not in a monolithic way, but through tailored arrangements that reflect His profound wisdom and the specific purposes He has for each part of His covenant community. The distinction between the land-owning tribes and the Levites teaches a profound truth: true inheritance is not solely material; a spiritual inheritance in the Lord can be of greater, even eternal, value and significance. This principle challenges contemporary believers to consider what their ultimate inheritance truly is and how God provides for those dedicated to spiritual service, often through the communal support of the body of Christ.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Joshua 14:3 offers profound insights into God's character and our own place within His divine economy. It reminds us that God's provision is not uniform but perfectly suited to the unique calling He places on each individual and community. Just as the tribes had distinct roles—some settling the land, others serving in the tabernacle—so too do believers today have diverse gifts, ministries, and callings within the body of Christ. This verse encourages us to embrace our unique "inheritance," whether it involves tangible resources, a specific vocational path, or a call to spiritual service, trusting that God will faithfully provide for us as we walk in obedience to His design. It also challenges us to honor and actively support those who dedicate their lives to full-time ministry, recognizing that their "inheritance" is often spiritual and requires the material and prayerful support of the broader community, much like the Levites depended on the tithes and offerings of Israel. Ultimately, this passage calls us to find our deepest satisfaction not in what we possess, but in the God who provides all things and is Himself our ultimate portion.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does understanding the diverse inheritances in Joshua challenge my own expectations of God's provision and blessing in my life?
  • In what ways might God be calling me to a "Levitical" form of service, where my primary "inheritance" is spiritual rather than material wealth or earthly security?
  • How can I better honor, pray for, and materially support those in my community or church whose primary calling is spiritual service, recognizing their unique form of "inheritance" and dependence on the body of Christ?

FAQ

Why did Moses give land to only two and a half tribes east of the Jordan, and not all of them?

Answer: Moses granted land east of the Jordan to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh at their specific request. These tribes had a large number of livestock and found the fertile plains of Gilead and Bashan suitable for their herds (see Numbers 32:1-5). Moses agreed to their request on the condition that their fighting men would cross the Jordan River with the other tribes and help conquer the land of Canaan to the west. This arrangement ensured tribal unity and shared responsibility in fulfilling God's command to take the entire promised land, as detailed in Numbers 32.

What was the Levites' "inheritance" if they received no land?

Answer: The Levites' inheritance was unique and spiritual, rather than territorial. As the tribe set apart for priestly and tabernacle service, their provision came directly from the Lord and the offerings of the other tribes. Numbers 18:20 explicitly states, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel." They received tithes, firstfruits, and portions of sacrifices from the other tribes, and were also given 48 cities scattered throughout Israel to dwell in, along with pastureland for their livestock (see Numbers 35:1-8). This arrangement ensured their dedication to spiritual duties and their presence among all the tribes for teaching and ministry.

How does this verse connect to the broader narrative of the Book of Joshua?

Answer: Joshua 14:3 serves as a crucial contextual bridge, ensuring the reader understands the complete picture of land distribution. It explains why the subsequent detailed allotments in Joshua 15-19 only concern nine and a half tribes, as the other two and a half had already received their inheritance. Furthermore, it highlights the unique status of the Levites, which is elaborated upon later when their cities are assigned (see Joshua 21). This verse underscores the continuity of God's covenant plan from Moses to Joshua, emphasizing that the entire process of land allocation was divinely ordained and meticulously fulfilled, demonstrating God's faithfulness to His promises.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Joshua 14:3, with its delineation of diverse inheritances, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the New Covenant. While the Old Testament tribes received a physical land as their inheritance, Christ is the ultimate and eternal inheritance for all believers. Just as the Levites' portion was the Lord Himself, so for those in Christ, our spiritual inheritance is far greater than any earthly possession. We are "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17), receiving "an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). The distinct callings foreshadowed in Joshua—some settling the land, others serving in the tabernacle—are brought to their ultimate purpose in the Church, where all believers, by virtue of their union with Christ, are a "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9), called to offer spiritual sacrifices and proclaim the excellencies of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. Christ, through His atoning work and resurrection, has secured for us not merely a plot of land, but eternal life and a spiritual dwelling in Him, fulfilling all of God's covenant promises in a way that transcends the material and points to the glorious reality of our heavenly citizenship and the new creation (Philippians 3:20; Revelation 21:1-4).

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Commentary on Joshua 14 verses 1–5

The historian, having in the foregoing chapter given an account of the disposal of the countries on the other side Jordan, now comes to tell us what they did with the countries in the land of Canaan. They were not conquered to be left desert, a habitation for dragons, and a court for owls, Isa 34:13. No, the Israelites that had hitherto been closely encamped in a body, and the greatest part of them such as never knew any other way of living, must now disperse themselves to replenish these new conquests. It is said of the earth, God created it not in vain; he formed it to be inhabited, Isa 45:18. Canaan would have been subdued in vain if it had not been inhabited. Yet every man might not go and settle where he pleased, but as there seems to have been in the days of Peleg an orderly and regular division of the habitable earth among the sons of Noah (Gen 10:25, Gen 10:32), so there was now such a division of the land of Canaan among the sons of Jacob. God had given Moses directions how this distribution should be made, and those directions are here punctually observed. See Num 26:53, etc.

I. The managers of this great affair were Joshua the chief magistrate, Eleazar the chief priest, and ten princes, one of each of the tribes that were now to have their inheritance, whom God himself had nominated (Num 34:17, etc.) some years before; and, it should seem, they were all now in being, and attended this service, that every tribe, having a representative of its own, might be satisfied that there was fair dealing, and might the more contentedly sit down by its lot.

II. The tribes among whom this dividend was to be made were nine and a half. 1. Not the two and a half that were already seated (Jos 14:3), though perhaps now that they saw what a good land Canaan was, and how effectually it was subdued, they might some of them repent their choice, and wish they had now been to have their lot with their brethren, upon which condition they would gladly have given up what they had on the other side Jordan; but it could not be admitted: they had made their election without power of revocation, and so must their doom be; they themselves have decided it, and they must adhere to their choice. 2. Not the tribe of Levi; this was to be otherwise provided for. God had distinguished them from, and dignified them above, the other tribes, and they must not now mingle themselves with them, nor cast in their lot among them, for this would entangle them in the affairs of this life, which would not consist with a due attendance on their sacred function. But, 3. Joseph made two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, pursuant to Jacob's adoption of Joseph's two sons, and so the number of the tribes was kept up to twelve, though Levi was taken out, which is intimated here (Jos 14:4): The children of Joseph were two tribes, therefore they gave no part to Levi, they being twelve without them.

III. The rule by which they went was the lot, Jos 14:2. The disposal of that is of the Lord, Pro 16:33. It was here used in an affair of weight, and which could not otherwise be accommodated to universal satisfaction, and it was used in a solemn religious manner as an appeal to God, by consent of parties. In dividing by lot, 1. They referred themselves to God, and to his wisdom and sovereignty, believing him fitter to determine for them than they for themselves. Psa 47:4, He shall choose our inheritance for us. 2. They professed a willingness to abide by the determination of it; for every man must take what is his lot, and make the best of it. In allusion to this we are said to obtain an inheritance in Christ (Eph 1:11), eklerothemen - we have obtained it by lot, so the word signified; for it is obtained by a divine designation. Christ, our Joshua, gives eternal life to as many as were given him, Joh 17:2.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–5. Public domain.
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Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 17.2
A first and a second distribution of the inheritance is reported. The first is indeed through Moses, but the second, and the more powerful, is depicted as accomplished through Jesus [Joshua]. Across the Jordan, Moses decrees property to the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad and to half the tribe of Manasseh, but all the rest receive their inheritance through Jesus [Joshua]. We have already spoken first about how those who had pleased God through the law do not yet reach those things that have been perfected. They precede in time those who attain to the promises through faith in Jesus but must wait for those coming afterwards who will please God in a different time but by one faith, just as the apostle says, “They might not attain perfection without us.”
Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 17.1
Just as those who submit to the law, which is the “shadow” of that true law, diligently serve a “shadow and copy” of “heavenly things,” so those who divide the inheritance of the land in Judea imitate the “copy and shadow” of a heavenly division. Thus truth was in heaven, “but a shadow and copy” of truth was on earth. And as long as this shadow remained on earth, there was an earthly Jerusalem; there was a temple, an altar and a visible worship; there were priests and high priests; and there existed regions and towns of Judea and all these things that are described in this book and are now recited.
JeromeAD 420
Against Jovinianus 2.34
The whole account of the land of Judah and of the tribes is typical of the church in heaven. Let us read Joshua, the son of Nun, or the concluding portions of Ezekiel, and we shall see that the historical division of the land as related by the one finds a counterpart in the spiritual and heavenly promises of the other. What is the meaning of the seven and eight steps in the description of the temple? Or again, what significance attaches to the fact that in the Psalter, after being taught the mystic alphabet by the one hundred and eighteenth psalm we arrive by fifteen steps at the point where we can sing: “Behold, now bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord: you who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.” Why did two tribes and a half dwell on the other side of Jordan, a district abounding in cattle, while the remaining nine tribes and a half either drove out the old inhabitants from their possessions or dwelled with them? Why did the tribe of Levi receive no portion in the land but have the Lord for its portion? And how is it that of the priests and Levites, themselves, the high priest alone entered the Holy of Holies where were the cherubim and the mercy seat? Why did the other priests wear linen raiment only, and not have their clothing of wrought gold, blue, scarlet, purple and fine cloth? The priests and Levites of the lower order took care of the oxen and carts; those of the higher order carried the ark of the Lord on their shoulders. If you do away with the gradations of the tabernacle, the temple, the church, if, to use a common military phrase, all upon the right hand are to be “up to the same standard,” bishops are to no purpose, priests in vain, deacons useless. Why do virgins persevere? Widows toil? Why do married women practice continence? Let us all sin, and when once we have repented, we shall be on the same footing as the apostles.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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