Joshua18
New American Standard
1Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them.
2But there remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance.
3So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe so that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me.
5And they shall divide it into seven portions; Judah shall stay in its territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay in their territory on the north.
6And you shall write a description of the land in seven divisions, and bring the description here to me. Then I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.
7For the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”
8Then the men arose and went, and Joshua commanded those who went to write a description of the land, saying, “Go and walk through the land and write a description of it, and return to me; then I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.”
9So the men went and passed through the land, and wrote a description of it by cities in seven divisions in a book; and they came to Joshua at the camp at Shiloh.
10Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land for the sons of Israel according to their divisions.
11Now the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot lay between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.
12Their border on the north side was from the Jordan, then the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward, and it ended at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
13Then from there the border continued to Luz, to the side of Luz (that is, Bethel) southward; and the border went down to Ataroth-addar, near the hill which lies on the south of lower Beth-horon.
14And the border changed direction from there and turned around on the west side southward, from the hill which lies opposite Beth-horon southward; and it ended at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the west side.
15Then the south side was from the edge of Kiriath-jearim, and the border went westward and went to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah.
16Then the border went down to the edge of the hill which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, which is in the Valley of Rephaim northward; and it went down to the Valley of Hinnom, to the slope of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En-rogel.
17Then it turned northward and went to En-shemesh, and went to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, and it went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
18And it continued to the side in front of the Arabah northward, and went down to the Arabah.
19Then the border continued to the side of Beth-hoglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern border.
20Moreover, the Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families, and according to its borders all around.
21Now the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, and Emek-keziz,
22Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, and Bethel,
23Avvim, Parah, and Ophrah,
24Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages.
25Gibeon, Ramah, and Beeroth,
26Mizpeh, Chephirah, and Mozah,
27Rekem, Irpeel, and Taralah,
28Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Joshua 18.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The tabernacle set up at Shiloh. (1). The remainder of the land described and divided. (2–10). The boundaries of Benjamin. (11–28).
v1
Shiloh was in the lot of Ephraim, the tribe to which Joshua belonged, and it was proper that the tabernacle should be near the residence of the chief governor. The name of this city is the same as that by which Jacob prophesied of the Messiah, Ge 49:10. It is supposed by some that the city was thus called, when it was chosen for the resting-place of the ark, which typified our great Peace-maker, and the way by him to a reconciled God.
vv2-10
After a year or more, Joshua blamed their slackness, and told them how to proceed. God, by his grace, has given us a title to a good land, the heavenly Canaan, but we are slack to take possession of it; we enter not into that rest, as we might by faith, and hope, and holy joy. How long shall it be thus with us? How long shall we thus stand in our own light, and forsake our own mercies for lying vanities? Joshua stirs the Israelites up to take possession of their lots. He is ready to do his part, if they will do theirs.
vv11-28
The boundaries of each portion were distinctly drawn, and the inheritance of each tribe settled. All contests and selfish claims were prevented by the wise appointment of God, who allotted the hill and the valley, the corn and pasture, the brooks and rivers, the towns and cities. Is the lot of any servant of Christ cast in affliction and sorrow? It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good. Are we in prosperity and peace? It is from above. Be humbled when you compare the gift with your own unworthiness. Forget not Him that gave the good, and always be ready to resign it at his command.
Key Words
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
עֵדָה: a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
קָהַל: to convoke
שִׁילֹה: Shiloh, a place in Palestine
שָׁכַן: to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively)
אֹהֶל: a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)
מוֹעֵד: properly, an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival; conventionally ayear; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand)
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
Cross References
Joshua 18Benjamin's lot fell safely between Joseph and Judah, fulfilling Moses' blessing.
Supported by JFB
The choice of Shiloh fulfilled God's command to establish a place for His name.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jeremiah recalls how God set His name at Shiloh at the first, warning of judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The name Shiloh connects to Jacob's Messianic prophecy of peace and gathering.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Shiloh remained the center of Israel's worship for over 300 years until Samuel's day.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Detailed description of the Valley of Hinnom, tracing the exact same boundary with Judah.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Asaph laments how God eventually forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Uses the same Hebrew term to upbraid the people for being slack to possess land.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Confirms the Levites have no land inheritance, as the Lord's priesthood is their portion.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Jerusalem was allotted to Benjamin, but they could not drive out the Jebusites.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Establishes the south and north boundaries with Judah and Joseph respectively.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Expresses the theology of the lot being entirely disposed by the Lord before His presence.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
The final conclusion of dividing the land by lot in Shiloh before the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB