Joshua 14:2

2 As the Lord had commanded Moses, the territories of the nine and one-half tribes west of the Jordan were determined by drawing lots. 1

Joshua 14:2 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 14:2

By lot [was] their inheritance
Every tribe had its part and portion assigned to it, by the casting of lots; which was done to prevent any future quarrels, animosities and strifes among the tribes, the disposition being of the Lord; and to show the exact agreement between the lot and the divine predictions by Jacob and Moses; and to make it appear that the division of the land was not owing to the private combination of the above men, and their private settlement of it; but to the providence of God, the directors of the lot; their chief business was to see that the lot was executed in a faithful manner, and that every tribe had its allotment according to it. In this Canaan was a type of the heavenly inheritance, which the saints obtain by lot, in and through Christ, the antitypical Joshua, ( Ephesians 1:11 ) ;

as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses,
( Numbers 26:55 Numbers 26:56 ) ;

for the nine tribes, and [for] the half tribe;
see ( Joshua 13:7 ) ; the reason why this number of them is particularly mentioned follows.

Joshua 14:2 In-Context

1 What follows is an account of how the land of Canaan west of the Jordan was divided among the people of Israel. Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the families of the Israelite tribes divided it among the population.
2 As the Lord had commanded Moses, the territories of the nine and one-half tribes west of the Jordan were determined by drawing lots.
3 Moses had already assigned the land east of the Jordan to the other two and one-half tribes. (The descendants of Joseph were divided into two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim.) However, Moses gave the Levites no portion of the territory. Instead, they received cities to live in, with fields for their cattle and flocks.
5 The people of Israel divided the land as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Cross References 1

  • 1. 14.2Numbers 26.52-56; 34.13.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. drawing lots: [This was usually done by using specially marked stones to determine God's will.]
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.