Joshua 18

1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel were assembled at Selo, and there they pitched the tabernacle of witness; and the land was subdued by them.

2 And the sons of Israel remained, those who not received their inheritance, seven tribes.

3 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, How long will ye be slack to inherit the land, which the Lord our God has given you?

4 Appoint of yourselves three men of each tribe, and let them rise up and go through the land, and let them describe it before me, as it will be proper to divide it.

5 And they came to him: and he divided to them seven portions, , Juda shall stand to them a border southward, and the sons of Joseph shall stand to them northward.

6 And do ye divide the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, and I will give you a lot before the Lord our God.

7 For the sons of Levi have no part among you; for the priesthood of the Lord his portion; and Gad, and Ruben, and the half tribe of Manasse, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave to them.

8 And the men rose up and went; and Joshua charged the men who went to explore the land, saying, Go and explore the land, and come to me, and I will bring you forth a lot here before the Lord in Selo.

9 And they went, and explored the land: and they viewed it, and described it according to the cities, seven parts in a book, and brought to Joshua.

10 And Joshua cast the lot for them in Selo before the Lord.

11 And the lot of the tribe of Benjamin came forth first according to their families: and the borders of their lot came forth between the children of Juda and the children of Joseph.

12 And their borders were northward: the borders shall go up from Jordan behind Jericho northward, and shall go up to the mountain westward, and the issue of it shall be Baethon of Mabdara.

13 And the borders will go forth thence to Luz, behind Luz, from the south of it; this is Baethel: and the borders shall go down to Maatarob Orech, to the hill country, which is southward of Baethoron the lower.

14 And the borders shall pass through and proceed to the part that looks toward the sea, on the south, from the mountain in front of Baethoron southward, and its termination shall be at Cariath-Baal, this is Cariath-Jarin, a city of the children of Juda; this is the part toward the west.

15 And the south side on the part of Cariath-Baal; and the borders shall go across to Gasin, to the fountain of the water of Naphtho.

16 And the borders shall extend down on one side, this is in front of the forest of Sonnam, which is on the side of Emec Raphain northward, and it shall come down to Gaeenna behind Jebusai southward: it shall come down to the fountain of Rogel.

17 And shall go across to the fountain of Baethsamys:

18 and shall proceed to Galiloth, which is in front by the going up of Aethamin; and they shall come down to the stone of Baeon of the sons of Ruben; and shall pass over behind Baetharaba northward, and shall go down to the borders behind the sea northward.

19 And the termination of the borders shall be at the creek of the salt sea northward to the side of Jordan southward: these are their southern borders.

20 And Jordan shall be their boundary on the east: this the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, these their borders round about according to their families.

21 And the cities of the children of Benjamin according to their families Jericho, and Bethagaeo, and the Amecasis,

22 and Baethabara, and Sara, and Besana,

23 and Aeein, and Phara, and Ephratha,

24 and Carapha, and Cephira, and Moni, and Gabaa, twelve cities and their villages:

25 Gabaon, and Rama, and Beerotha;

26 and Massema, and Miron, and Amoke;

27 and Phira, and Caphan, and Nacan, and Selecan, and Thareela,

28 and Jebus (this is Jerusalem); and Gabaoth, Jarim, thirteen cities, and their villages; this the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families.

Joshua 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

The tabernacle set up at Shiloh. (1) The remainder of the land described and divided. (2-10) The boundaries of Benjamin. (11-28)

Verse 1 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.

Verses 2-10 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.

Verses 11-28 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. give.
• [b]. went through.
• [c]. bring out.
• [d]. walk through.

Chapter Summary

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.