⚔️WEB · Joshua 24:13
What does Joshua 24:13 mean?
"I gave you a land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you didn’t build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn’t plant.’"
— Joshua 24:13 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand.
“‘You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand.
I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with your sword, nor with your bow.
I gave you a land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you didn’t build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn’t plant.’
“Now therefore fear Yahweh, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve Yahweh.
If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”
The people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake Yahweh, to serve other gods;
Explanation
Joshua 24:13 is part of God's closing address to Israel, spoken through Joshua near the end of the book that bears his name. In plain language, the verse states a simple but weighty fact: the Israelites are now living in a land they did not clear or cultivate, dwelling in cities they did not construct, and eating fruit from vineyards and olive groves they did not plant. Everything they now enjoy came to them as a gift rather than as the product of their own labor.
The context is crucial. Joshua has gathered all the tribes of Israel at Shechem for a covenant renewal ceremony. He is an old man near death, and this gathering is his farewell address to the nation he has led into the Promised Land. In the verses leading up to this one, Joshua recounts Israel's entire history—from Abraham's call, through the patriarchs, the slavery in Egypt, the exodus, the wilderness wanderings, and the conquest of Canaan. Verse 13 is the climax of this historical recitation, summarizing what God has just accomplished: he defeated the nations of Canaan and handed their developed land, cities, and agricultural produce over to Israel. The point Joshua is making to the assembled tribes is that their prosperity is not self-generated; it is the direct result of God's faithfulness to his promises to their ancestors.
Theologically, this verse underscores the biblical theme of grace preceding obedience. Before Joshua calls the people to "fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth" (verse 14), he first reminds them of what God has already done
Compare translations
Go deeper with ScriptureCompanion AI
Ask questions about any verse, follow reading plans, write personal prayers, and track your daily habit — all grounded in verified scripture text.