A common misinterpretation views this verse as a blanket divine endorsement for violent land grabs or ethnic cleansing without regard to context, ignoring that it pertains specifically to God's covenant with Israel regarding the Promised Land after centuries of divine patience with the Canaanites' wickedness; others erroneously apply it to justify modern geopolitical claims or perpetual tribal territories, overlooking how Israel's later failures to fully obey led to incomplete conquests, idolatry, and divine judgment as detailed in subsequent biblical history.
Joshua 13:6
King James Version (1769)
6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth–maim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
This passage underscores God's unwavering commitment to fulfill His covenant promise by driving out the remaining Canaanite inhabitants, such as those in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephothmaim and the Sidonians, from the land designated for Israel, while directing Joshua to immediately divide it as an inheritance among the tribes according to His command, illustrating a balance between divine intervention in conquest and human obedience in stewardship and faith-filled action even before full possession.