Shared ground

Joshua frames Israel’s past victories as something the leaders personally witnessed: Yahweh acted against “these nations,” and Yahweh is the one who fought for Israel (explicit in v.3). The passage also holds together two realities at once: some peoples have been “cut off,” yet other peoples and land still “remain” (explicit in v.4).

Joshua presents the land situation as both assigned and unfinished. He says he has already allotted the remaining nations/areas as an inheritance for the tribes, using broad boundary language (“from the Jordan … to the great sea,” explicit in v.4). At the same time, he expects future change: Yahweh will push out the remaining peoples so Israel will possess the land, consistent with what God previously said (explicit in v.5; compare the book’s fulfillment theme in Joshua 21:44–45).

Where interpretation differs

A main question is what “because of you” means in v.3. Some read it mainly as “for your sake” (Yahweh acted on Israel’s behalf). Others hear more of a “because you were there / in front of them” sense (Yahweh acted by removing enemies from Israel’s path). Either way, the verse’s main point remains that Yahweh, not Israel’s skill, is credited with the outcome.

Another question is how to relate “I have allotted” (v.4) to the ongoing presence of “nations that remain.” Some take Joshua’s wording to emphasize that the legal/administrative assignment is complete even if possession is not. Others think it implies an assignment that is set in motion but still being worked out on the ground.

A smaller question is what “cut off” means in v.4. Some take it as total removal; others as decisive defeat or loss of control without implying every person is gone.

Why the disagreement exists These differences come from how flexible the key phrases are in ordinary speech (“because of you,” “allotted,” “cut off”), and from the passage itself combining completed language (allotted; promises spoken) with incomplete realities (nations remain; future driving out).

What this passage clearly contributes The passage supplies a theological interpretation of Israel’s history: victories are credited to Yahweh’s fighting for Israel (v.3), and the future is described as the continuation of that same pattern (v.5). It also shows how Joshua understands the land promise working through time: an inheritance can be assigned while full possession is still pending, with boundaries stated broadly and remaining resistance acknowledged (v.4–5).