Josué 13

Josué 13

Constable on Philistines - The Philistines were not native Canaanite peoples. They had migrated to Canaan from the northwest. They had by this time displaced the Canaanites in the southwest portion of the Promised Land. Because the land they occupied was part of what God had promised Israel the Israelites were responsible to drive them out too. The Israelites were not successful in doing this. The Philistines increased in power and influence over the Israelites eventually becoming the major enemy of Israel during Saul’s reign. At this time, however, they were a smaller, secondary target of the Israelites. The Geshurites are a bit more obscure (SEE NOTE) as there was another group referred to as Geshurites and it was in Geshur was a territory in the northern part of Bashan, which was allotted to the half-tribe of Manasseh, which settled east of the Jordan; but its inhabitants, the Geshurites, could never be expelled (Joshua 13:13). Several sources suggest this group of Geshurites is a different group located more to the South. Utley has this note on the Geshurites” The Geshurites are mentioned in 12:5 but this is a different group with the same name. This same group appears in 13:11, 13, but it is also related to the one mentioned in 12:5. We learn from 1 Sam. 27:8 that Geshur is a tribe somewhere between Arabia and Philistia. Donald Campbell - Geshur and Maacah (already mentioned in Joshua 12:5) were not defeated by the Israelites, and the reason for this is not given. These countries were located east and northeast of the Sea of Kinnereth (Sea of Galilee). (The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament)