A. The Land That Remained; the Allotment of the Transjordan Tribes (13:1-33)

The section begins with a notice about the land that remained to be conquered (vv.1-6). The book of Joshua does not claim that all the land had been conquered, though we could get that impression if we read only the narratives of the two decisive campaigns. The areas of least Canaanite occupation were the areas opened up by Joshua’s campaigns, and these were the first settled by Israel. The areas listed here were the most populous Canaanite regions; Israel did not conquer those in Joshua’s day.

The two-and-a-half tribes in Transjordan had received their allotments several years before the Conquest of the land west of the Jordan (Cisjordan). Thus, it was fitting that their portion should be described first.

In the tribal allotments some borders are described closely enough that they can be plotted on a map; others are not. Locations of many of the cities are known today; many are not known.