Joshua 18:11-21

The Inheritance for Benjamin

11 The lot of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to its clans came up, and the territory allotted to it fell between the people of Judah and the people of Joseph.
12 1On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan. 2Then the boundary goes up to the shoulder north of Jericho, then up through the hill country westward, and it ends at the wilderness of 3Beth-aven.
13 From there the boundary passes along southward in the direction of Luz, to the shoulder of 4Luz (that is, Bethel), then the boundary goes down to 5Ataroth-addar, on the mountain that lies south of Lower 6Beth-horon.
14 Then the boundary goes in another direction, turning on the 7western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south, opposite Beth-horon, and it ends at Kiriath-baal (8that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city belonging to the people of Judah. This forms the western side.
15 And the southern side begins at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. And the boundary goes from there to Ephron,[a]9to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
16 Then the boundary goes down to the border of the mountain that overlooks 10the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is at the north end of the Valley of 11Rephaim. And it then goes down the 12Valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the Jebusites, and downward to 13En-rogel.
17 Then it bends in a northerly direction going on to En-shemesh, and from there goes to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim. Then it goes down to 14the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,
18 and passing on to the north of 15the shoulder of Beth-arabah[b] it goes down to 16the Arabah.
19 Then the boundary passes on to the north of the shoulder of 17Beth-hoglah. And the boundary ends at the northern bay of 18the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan: this is the southern border.
20 The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin, according to their clans, boundary by boundary all around.
21 Now the cities of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to their clans were 19Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,

Joshua 18:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 18

This chapter informs us of the setting up of the tabernacle at Shiloh, Jos 18:1; of the notice Joshua took, that seven tribes had not received their inheritance, Jos 18:2; of the instructions he gave them to send three men out of each tribe, and describe the land not yet disposed of, and bring the account to him, which was accordingly done, Jos 18:3-9; and then he cast lots for them, and the first lot came up for Benjamin, Jos 18:10,11; the borders of whose lots are described, Jos 18:12-20; and the several cities in it enumerated, Jos 18:21-28.

Cross References 19

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. See 15:9; Hebrew westward
  • [b]. Septuagint; Hebrew to the shoulder over against the Arabah
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.