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Joshua 24:13

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And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

And I have given {H5414} you a land {H776} for which ye did not labour {H3021}, and cities {H5892} which ye built {H1129} not, and ye dwell {H3427} in them; of the vineyards {H3754} and oliveyards {H2132} which ye planted {H5193} not do ye eat {H398}.

Then I gave you a land where you had not worked and cities you had not built, and you live there. You eat fruit from vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.'

So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

And I gave you a land whereon thou hadst not labored, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell therein; of vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

Commentary

Joshua 24:13 is a pivotal verse in Joshua's farewell address to the tribes of Israel at Shechem, encapsulating the profound grace and faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises to His people. It serves as a powerful reminder that their inheritance was a divine gift, not a human achievement.

Context

This verse is part of Joshua's final exhortation to the Israelites, delivered as he nears the end of his life. In Joshua 24, he gathers all the tribes at Shechem to renew their covenant with the Lord. Joshua recounts the entire history of God's redemptive work, from Abraham's calling to their miraculous settlement in the Promised Land. He reminds them of God's deliverance from Egypt, His provision in the wilderness, and His victories over their enemies. Verse 13 stands out as a summary of the ultimate blessing they received: a land of abundance that they did not earn, setting the stage for Joshua's challenge to choose whom they would serve.

Key Themes

  • Divine Provision and Unmerited Grace: The core message is God's active and generous provision. The repeated phrases "did not labour," "built not," and "planted not" powerfully emphasize that the land, cities, vineyards, and oliveyards were a pure gift from God. This highlights His unmerited favor and overwhelming generosity, underscoring that their inheritance was based entirely on His grace, not their merit or effort.
  • Fulfillment of Covenant Promises: This verse represents the culmination of centuries of divine promises, particularly the covenant made with Abraham, where God pledged to give his descendants the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:7; Genesis 15:18-21). It demonstrates God's unwavering faithfulness to His word.
  • Foundation for Obedience and Gratitude: By reminding them of these immense, unearned blessings, Joshua lays the groundwork for demanding loyalty and obedience from the Israelites. The magnitude of God's provision was meant to inspire a deep sense of gratitude and commitment to serving Him alone.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew verb for "given" (נָתַתִּי, natati) is in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action by God. This signifies that the act of bestowing the land was definitive and accomplished. The repeated negations ("not labour," "not built," "not planted") strongly underscore that the Israelites were passive recipients of these blessings. This linguistic emphasis highlights God's sovereign initiative and the entirely gratuitous nature of their inheritance, making it clear that it was God's doing, not theirs.

Practical Application

Joshua 24:13 offers timeless lessons for believers today:

  • Acknowledge God's Grace: We, too, often receive blessings in life—spiritual, material, and relational—that we did not earn. This verse calls us to recognize God as the ultimate source of all good things, fostering humility and profound gratitude. Just as Israel received a physical land, believers receive a spiritual inheritance in Christ, which is not earned by works but received through grace through faith.
  • Motivate Obedience: Understanding the depth of God's unmerited favor should not lead to complacency but to a desire to live lives that honor Him. Our response to His overwhelming goodness is to serve Him faithfully out of love and thanksgiving, rather than obligation or a desire to earn His favor.
  • Trust in His Provision: This verse reassures us of God's unwavering commitment to His promises. If He provided so abundantly for Israel, we can trust Him to meet our needs and fulfill His purposes in our lives according to His perfect will.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Deuteronomy 6:10 (12 votes)

    And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,

  • Deuteronomy 6:12 (12 votes)

    [Then] beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

  • Deuteronomy 8:7 (10 votes)

    For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;

  • Joshua 21:45 (6 votes)

    There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

  • Proverbs 13:22 (6 votes)

    ¶ A good [man] leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner [is] laid up for the just.

  • Joshua 11:13 (3 votes)

    But [as for] the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; [that] did Joshua burn.