This verse from Joshua 13:23 is a simple summary statement about the territory allocated to the tribe of Reuben after the Israelites conquered Canaan. Let's break it down:
"The border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan." This indicates that the eastern boundary of the Reubenites' land was the Jordan River. It means they controlled the land right up to the riverbank.
"This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and its villages." This clarifies that the territory described was formally given (inherited) to the tribe of Reuben. The phrase "according to their families" likely means that within the larger tribal area, land was further subdivided and distributed among the various clans or families within the tribe of Reuben. "The cities and its villages" suggests that the inheritance included both urban centers and the surrounding rural settlements dependent on those cities.
In essence, this verse signifies the formal allocation of land to the Reubenites after the Israelite conquest, defining the eastern border as the Jordan River and including both cities and surrounding villages, distributed among the families within the tribe. It's a brief but crucial piece of the land distribution narrative in the Book of Joshua.
This verse from Joshua 13:23 is a simple summary statement about the territory allocated to the tribe of Reuben after the Israelites conquered Canaan. Let's break it down:
"The border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan." This indicates that the eastern boundary of the Reubenites' land was the Jordan River. It means they controlled the land right up to the riverbank.
"This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and its villages." This clarifies that the territory described was formally given (inherited) to the tribe of Reuben. The phrase "according to their families" likely means that within the larger tribal area, land was further subdivided and distributed among the various clans or families within the tribe of Reuben. "The cities and its villages" suggests that the inheritance included both urban centers and the surrounding rural settlements dependent on those cities.
In essence, this verse signifies the formal allocation of land to the Reubenites after the Israelite conquest, defining the eastern border as the Jordan River and including both cities and surrounding villages, distributed among the families within the tribe. It's a brief but crucial piece of the land distribution narrative in the Book of Joshua.