Joshua 18NKJV
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Joshua18

New King James Version

1Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them.

2But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance.

3Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?

4Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me.

5And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall remain in their territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north.

6You shall therefore survey the land in seven parts and bring the survey here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.

7But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”

8Then the men arose to go away; and Joshua charged those who went to survey the land, saying, “Go, walk through the land, survey it, and come back to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.”

9So the men went, passed through the land, and wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities; and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.

10Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.

11Now the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot came out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.

12Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the mountains westward; it ended at the Wilderness of Beth Aven.

13The border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Bethel) southward; and the border descended to Ataroth Addar, near the hill that lies on the south side of Lower Beth Horon.

14Then the border extended around the west side to the south, from the hill that lies before Beth Horon southward; and it ended at Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west side.

15The south side began at the end of Kirjath Jearim, and the border extended on the west and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.

16Then the border came down to the end of the mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the Rephaim on the north, descended to the Valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite city on the south, and descended to En Rogel.

17And it went around from the north, went out to En Shemesh, and extended toward Geliloth, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

18Then it passed along toward the north side of Arabah, and went down to Arabah.

19And the border passed along to the north side of Beth Hoglah; then the border ended at the north bay at the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary.

20The Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their families.

21Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,

22Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

23Avim, Parah, Ophrah,

24Chephar Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba: twelve cities with their villages;

25Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

26Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah,

27Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

28Zelah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Joshua 18.

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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.

Cross References

Joshua 18
v11Deuteronomy 33:12fulfillment

Benjamin'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

v1Genesis 49:10typology

The name Shiloh connects to Jacob's Messianic prophecy of peace and gathering.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v11 Samuel 1:3thematic

Shiloh remained the center of Israel's worship for over 300 years until Samuel's day.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v16Joshua 15:8thematic

Detailed description of the Valley of Hinnom, tracing the exact same boundary with Judah.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v1Psalms 78:60thematic

Asaph laments how God eventually forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v3Judges 18:9thematic

Uses the same Hebrew term to upbraid the people for being slack to possess land.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v7Joshua 13:14thematic

Confirms the Levites have no land inheritance, as the Lord's priesthood is their portion.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v28Judges 1:21contrast

Jerusalem was allotted to Benjamin, but they could not drive out the Jebusites.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v5Joshua 15:1-12thematic

Establishes the south and north boundaries with Judah and Joseph respectively.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v10Proverbs 16:33thematic

Expresses the theology of the lot being entirely disposed by the Lord before His presence.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v10Joshua 19:51thematic

The final conclusion of dividing the land by lot in Shiloh before the Lord.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB